Dog Training & Health

[aja]

I think we have some anxiety issues, and I'm hoping someone here can help.
Jeffy (My daschaund) and I have lived in the same house for his entire life - 12 years. Last month I had to move to an apartment. Now, when I try to leave the apartment without him, he starts whining and barking a very loud distress bark the moment the door closes. It seems to be anxiety about me leaving him alone in the new, strange place; the bark sounds absolutely desperate.
I take him many places with me, but there are many more that don't allow him! I need to get him to understand that he will have to stay alone in the apartment for a few hours at a time - he never used to have a problem at the house, and I was away at work for 8 hours a day.
I have no idea how to get this idea across to him. Can anyone help?

[meezermom]

Hi Aja and welcome to SeeFido,

You definitely have separation anxiety going on and as an elderly dog who is set in his ways, he is acting out. He is not at all happy about this strange new place where you go and leave him.... Is he used to being crated? If so, can you put a sweatshirt or something of yours in his crate for him to lay on? That will help reassure him as it has your scent. My guess is you also got new furniture and such so nothing has your scent on it. You can also "set him up" a bit. Practice leaving! When you go, just very calmly tell him you will see him later and leave, wait a few minutes and it will help if you can go far enough that you can hear if he stops carrying on. As soon as he is silent, "come home"! Be matter of fact about it and go from there. Keep repeating this and lengthen the time you are gone! Should be ok after a bit and settle down.

[aja]

Thanks for the advice! This is a senior reitrement building, so I am surrounded by people who are perhaps more sensitive to his barking than another place might be, but I can choose a time in the middle of the day to practice leaving (most of my neighbors will be out and about at that time).
He's never been crated - I don't own one. Is this something we should begin now? I am familiar with the concept of crating, but I don't know the first thing about it, to actually do it....

[meezermom]

Well, if he hasn't been crated, this might not be a good time to start! Might create more anxiety... Are your neighbors complaining about the barking? Have they met Jeffy? If not, it might be nice for you and Jeffy to go on some nice short walks if you can and introduce yourself to your neighbors. Many of them may be missing their old companions and might truly enjoy getting to know him and once they do, it may help ease things if he is barking a bit too much at this time. Jeffy is also a "retiree" and that may help them understand and except his worries right now too. I am sure they all recall how strange it felt moving from their home to this new place and how scary it seemed in the beginning. Jeffy is just telling everyone that he is confused. It will just take some time and a bit of training and he should be fine. Once your scent is all over things, he will be happier...

[aja]

Oh, yes - I think he's met most of thebuilding!! If I were 30 years younger and a man, I would call Jeffy "a babe magnet"!!
His barking hasn't bothered anyone yet, because I haven't gone off and let him bark yet! I haven't left him alone yet because I haven't known how to deal with this...
Beginning tomorrow I will start "pretend leaving" and see how that goes. I could roll around on the carpet, to spread my scent! LOL
Thanks again for the advice - this is a good place to hang out...
AJ

[meezermom]

It's a great place to meet and mingle with dog people! I know we have several dachsie owners here. Is Jeffie a standard or mini dachshund? Long coated, short coated or wirehaired?? What color?

[aja]

He's a standard, but kind of small (14 lbs). He's short coated, black and tan but off-standard markings (his entire face is tan, and his eyebrow spots are on the top of his head!) He has an incredibly sweet face (I know, all moms say that about their babies).
I never had any interest in the breed until he picked me out at a pet store. As soon as I picked him up, he fell asleep in my arms and I was a gonner! Now I can't imagine my life without his curiosity, playfulness and BIG-DOG attitude...

[denisjhon]

There are several reasons why dogs can develop separation anxiety, some of which you probably did not cause.

1. Puppies that are taken from the litter too early can develop separation anxiety.

At this early age, puppies usually enjoy the comfort of knowing there is food and companionship readily available. Weaning the puppies away from the pack needs to be done a little at a time and certainly not before the puppies are at least six weeks old. Suddenly depriving the puppy of the things these comforts and reassurances represent can be painful if not done correctly.

2. Dogs that experienced a fearful event while separated from the pack will become anxious when left alone.

This event might be a thunderstorm, fireworks or other loud and shocking noises. Since dogs have such sensitive hearing, these overwhelming sounds can trigger fear. While in a pack, dogs feel safer (safety in numbers) and will receive the message from other pack members whether to hide or fight. Having to make that determination alone can lead to anxiety.

3. Dogs that have become closely attached to you and spend a lot of time with you can become anxious when you are apart.

Dependent dogs are more likely to show separation anxiety when their owners are away. They feel they have been abandoned. They have not been prepared for those times when they will have to be alone. Independent dogs, on the other hand, are less concerned with having you around and will not bark in your absence, except perhaps to defend his or her territory.

Knowing why your dog has separation anxiety will help determine the best way to stop dog barking behavior.

Build your dog's confidence. Many anxious dogs lack confidence and will be more fearful than other dogs. Work with your dog through exercises. The best exercises are those that 1) work off the dog's excess energy and 2) exercise his mind.

Physical exercise is important to any dog. It keeps them healthy and fit, alert and attentive. Make sure your dog gets at least 20-30 minutes of exercise each day. Of course, the more the better, so if you can fit three of these into each day, your dog will benefit more.

Mind exercise will help to build your dog's confidence. These exercises work with your breed's strengths. If your dog breed is good at hunting (Jack Russell Terriers are a good example), then develop some fun games that get him using those talents. Hide things around your garden and have him find them. When he brings them back, praise him. Be creative. Over time, he will become more confident.

One final tip about how to stop your dog barking from separation anxiety.

Practice coming and going. Step outside the door, walk a few paces away and wait. When your dog barks, go back, open the door and scold him. Tell him, 'No!'. Order him to 'lay down' and 'quiet'. Repeat this exercise several times in succession.

This will do a few things. It will make him realize that barking does not bring anything pleasant. He barks for attention, not to be scolded. It also helps him to realize that although he can't see you, that you are there. He will know that because as soon as he barks, you come right back in.

You might want to try this 3-4 times before you leave the for a longer period. Repeat the exercise every time you leave. It will take a few weeks, but be persistent and you will see results, especially if you work on the other exercises.

The good thing is that by following these basic steps, you can stop dog barking behavior.

[meezermom]

Practice coming and going. Step outside the door, walk a few paces away and wait. When your dog barks, go back, open the door and scold him. Tell him, 'No!'. Order him to 'lay down' and 'quiet'. Repeat this exercise several times in succession.

This will do a few things. It will make him realize that barking does not bring anything pleasant. He barks for attention, not to be scolded. It also helps him to realize that although he can't see you, that you are there. He will know that because as soon as he barks, you come right back in.

You might want to try this 3-4 times before you leave the for a longer period. Repeat the exercise every time you leave. It will take a few weeks, but be persistent and you will see results, especially if you work on the other exercises.

I was going to say you were on the money with things until I hit this spot!! First of all, most dogs will tune out the word no so generally it is suggested to find another word or sound. No is the most over used word in doglish!
Also, by going out and as soon as your dog barks, returning to tell him some things, you are reinforcing his behavior! He got what he wanted..........you returned!! Negative attention is better than no attention and he will be okay with it as long as he got you to come back. You fed right into his insecurities. Train an insecure dog for crates. In honesty, all dogs should be crate trained. If at all possible, be sure to give enough exercise before leaving. Be sure to have some type of chew item that is reserved only for when you go out and it should be something extra yummy. It can be a bone stuffed with peanut butter or other things or a kong stuffed with goodies. Anything that will occupy his mind. You also want to have something in the bottom of his crate......something with your scent on it as well as his. Can be an old sweatshirt or a towel. Yes, they can be washed and all you need to do is lay on it to rescent! Before it is time to leave, put him in and don't forget to put on some music! He does not want to be in a silent house....It is scary then. Most dogs find Mozart enjoyable and no idea why or New Age, the easy type. If there is a TV in the room his crate is in, you can put it on instead. When you leave, be matter of fact, just tell him you will see him in a few minutes and leave. Most people encourage the problem by getting the dog hyper excited and baby talking because they want the dog to miss them. They are creating a monster and then when they get it, they are all upset.... You do this in small steps and gradually increase your time...

95% of training and dog problems are owner caused...as much time as it took to make the problem, it will take a similar time to fix it.

[stevejack]

hi there...

I have an 8 month jack russell who is great apart from when I go to work she is howling when left alone. She is left in twice a week for about 3-4 hrs and my neighbour has informed me that she is noisy when I leave ( I live in a conversion). I have left a radio on for her and left her toys and chews...I dont want to annoy my neighbour but I really dont know how to resolve this. Please help

[meezermom]

Hey Steve! JRT's do tend to this and it is difficult to break the habit. These little dogs don't like being left. They are devoted to their people and separation anxiety is a big problem with them. Have you left him an old sweater or such of yours that you have worn to get it good and scented with your smell? Often this will help calm them down as they have your scent. A white noise machine will also help your neighbors not hear him as it will block out his noise...but it does not fix his problem. He has to be de-sensitized to you leaving him. I told how to do it in the previous posts so hopefully it will help. It is going to take time and I am going to be honest, if it comes down to a matter of having to give him up or be tossed out on the streets, you may need to consider de-barking. No, it is not cruel when it is a the only option left. training is best but some dogs are committed to carrying on....Work very hard at the training instead and only leave that as the very last option, when it is a matter of life or death. You can also try the toys and such that you record messages for the dog for him. I have no idea if they help or not.... Might be worth it to try one....I am also going to assume she is crated when you leave. If not, you may want to train her to go to her crate for a nap.......but be sure she has had a nice long walk before hand and something fun when you get home....

[sellyanes]

Hi Aja,
It is terrible question related with anxiety barking. You have said that you are live with your dog but
Last month you had to move to an apartment. Now, when you try to leave the apartment without him,
he starts whining and barking a very loud distress bark the moment the door closes. It seems to be anxiety about you leaving him alone in the new, strange place; the bark sounds absolutely desperate. You take him many places with you, but there are many more that don't allow him! you need to get him to understand that he will have to stay alone in the apartment for a few hours at a time - he never used to have a problem at the house.
You want to train him for live alone in his life but sometimes we see that animals are so feelingly behave and because of that you can feel this problem. Thanks