Separation Anxiety
 

Hi there. My 3 month old puppy is still suffering something awful from sep. anxiety. She barks/whines etc. when left alone...and she continues for quite sometime. We've tried leaving for 5 min. coming back leaving for 1 min. coming back, leaving for 15 min. coming back, leaving for 7 min. and so on and it doesn't make a difference. If we're gone for a minute or an hour it's just as distressing to her.

Our vet has suggested Primorye Pet by Oxyfresh. He says it's an herbal juice product and is not a drug. I am extremely nervous about this for several reasons:
1) doesn't really "fix" her problem...just masks it;
2) looking at their website it seems kind of like an Amway/pyramid type scenario and that he is profiting from suggesting this product;
3) other side effects?
4) addictive?
5) what happens when we stop? Can we stop it?

We just really want her to be okay with us leaving her alone and not to be so dependant.

Thoughts/suggestions?

:(

Snake Oil Peddler
 

I would steer away from anything that masks or drugs the dog.
I don't know what type dog it is but I have had success using a wind up clock wrapped in a towel to let her / him think there is something else there with it.
Is it possible the dog knows you aren't really going very far away? Are you just outside a door listening to see if it quiets down?
Maybe someone has a better idea?????? :confused:

What you are doing by leaving for short periods of time is correct!! They will always whine when you first leave and when they hear you come back, thats natural! If they know you are standing outside the door listening and they hear/smell you yes they will continue to whine BUT may not be doing it after you leave :)

Now, is your pup in a crate and does your pup have something to keep occupied with? Some safe toy to chew on?

Also, the clock is a great idea, just keep it outside of the crate...you can also put on a radio 'low' on soft music...very mellow type music...elevator/classical.

Before you go, pup gets a walk, if even a short one and a treat and 'good doggie praise' for going in the crate.

When you come back, praise praise again and reward BUT it sounds like you need to leave for atleast 1/2 hour to give the pup time to calm themselves down.

What may be happening is that the pup senses you are still nearby, and it's whining is 'bringing' you back home so it's being rewarded and reinforced that the more it whines the more you'll come back!!

Stay out a wee bit longer 1/2 hr to 45mins and I am sure over time this will change. What type of pup and how long have you had, where did ya get from and do tell us her lovely name! :D

Lurkers never win
 

your puppy has already won round one. LUBA is absolutely correct that doggie's whining is bringing you back. The dog casts the bait (whining) and you guys take it hook. line and sinker...(don't we wll from time to time).

I have a couple of mini high tech ideas if you are just going to suffer if you don't know first hand how puppey reacts to your absence.

#1 You could set up a tape recorder and put in a blank tape then start it when you leave. Most of them will easily record for an hour. Then go

When you return you can play the tape back and I bet you will find puppy quiets down soon after you leave and he can no longer sense your presence.

#2 you can set up a monitoring camera that will transmit a picture of puppy and her movements and sounds. It can be transmitted quite some distance to a computer or tv screen where you can watch her antics. (baby monitors also work).
I think it is more a case of training mom and dad than training the puppy. :D

I think tape recording is a good idea that way it's proof positive to them that pup calms down :D good point woods!!

She is in a crate. We have her teddy in there with her and we cover the crate with a sheet while we're away. We leave a fan on in the room for noise as that's what's on when we're sleeping at night.

We have left her for longer periods of time. Unfortunately, we both work full time and leave for the morning and one of us comes home for lunch takes her out, runs with her, feeds her, take her out again and put her back in the crate for the afternoon.

When we come home at lunch or in the evening the crate is in shambles. The sheet is pulled into the crate, her water bottle has been knocked off the crate. Her crate is a bit big for her now so we've put a sturdy piece of cardboard in it to make it a better fit. She's chewed through a large portion of that (every day...we're going through a lot of cardboard) and she's most often urinated and sometimes poop-pooped in her crate.

The leaving and coming back bit is our training on weekends when we have more time. She is in our bedroom during the day and we stand in the hallway outside the apartment to listen for a while. But, if we try to leave for more then 15 minutes, we just go. I don't think she knows we're there. It's too far away to smell us (about 50 ft and through 2 closed doors).

As far as her being quiet after a while, we've had mixed reports. The people below us and the building manager have said that's exactly what happens, it's just the first little while when we leave. However, the people above us tell a different story. They say the barking is "all day long". I'm unsure about that as neither of them are even home during the day (!?!?). And, oftentimes when we come home she is quiet and/or sleeping and doesn't even know we're there until we're right in the room. Now, while I understand that it is bothersome to neighbours, etc. I'm MOST concerned about wee Luna. I just don't want her to be so stressed out/distressed. It's like she just doesn't get that we're coming home.

Now, to answer some other questions: she's a beagle/border collie cross. So, we know that she has the beagle baying side and that both dogs require a lot of excersise. We're trying hard to leave a tired puppy, but it doesn't seem to matter. Then as soon as we get home, she'll go out for a pee/poop and then come in and absolutely crash...totally exhausted. But, when we leave again, all the barking/whining starts again.

Her name: Luna Tic. We named her Luna as there's a killer whale out here in BC that has been orphaned and separated from it's pod. The community have named him Luna. While our pup is a beagle and mostly tan/white (not black/white like most orcas) she has the markings like a killer whale. The white patches on the back of her head and on her belly. Then, after we named her and saw her personality we both realized how appropriate "Tic" would be for a middle name.

Thanks for confirming my thoughts about the drugs. I just needed to hear it from someone who is "in the know" and cares/loves pets as much as we love our Luna. I'm not interested in having a quiet dog for quiet's sake. What I really want is a happy content dog who loves life and understands some alone time is necessary from time to time...but we'll always come home to her.

Sorry....long post. :p

[QUOTE=Luna Tic]As far as her being quiet after a while, we've had mixed reports. The people below us and the building manager have said that's exactly what happens, it's just the first little while when we leave. However, the people above us tell a different story. They say the barking is "all day long". I'm unsure about that as neither of them are even home during the day (!?!?). [/QUOTE]

Re the neighbors above, some people just don't like dogs... if a dog barks once, they then start to believe that it is barking "all day". They will notice the negative a lot sooner than the positive. :( Also, not sure how the sound proofing is in your building, but I find it hard to believe that the people above you would hear more than those below or in the hallway... :rolleyes: Personally, I would go with the building manager and people below you reports re her barking. She is young. She will adjust!! :)

Michelle

She probably barks when someone is coming / going from the apt around you...walking up/down the hallway talking etc...

You think? It's pretty hard to hear anything in the hall from our bedroom. Plus, most (poss. all) of the people on my floor are gone during the day. It's just the building manager doing some cleaning, checking, etc. during the week. Typically anyway. I do work from home occasionally and there's not a lot going on in the building. But I'm not there all the time so who knows?

Well if you're not sure see if you can tape record it atleast for an hour and half get a 90 min cassette and go for it :D

That's a great idea! Thanks for that all of you who suggested it.

Luna
 

It's always heart breaking to hear your puppy whining when you leave. But fear not, your dear Luna will make it!! I had the worst time with my puppy when she was 3 months and I had to work full time. I also live in an apartment building, fourtunately my neighbours have not complained about the noise, but a friend of mine in the building would have constant complaints about her dog barking (which NEVER barks!!) and about his claws makig noise on the hard wood floors!! :mad: In your case, the tenant has not complained, and the management has not said anything, don't worry!!!

One thing, are you going back inside once you hear Luna crying? If so, this might be feeding her whining and barking... if the dog senses that when they cry and whine you will come back, then it will not stop. They are thriving on the negative attention.

As for the create, does Luna have many play toys and rawhide. It's simply bordem that makes her chew the cardboard. My pit bull puppy was a complete terror in her create. I found that sectioning off the kitchen for her to do her business was a life safer. Now at 7 months she has graduated to having the diing room as well!!!

Do not distress, your puppy is little, she will learn, and accept the fact that you have to work and you're not always around.

P.S. I found that an off leash park is the best way to socialize my puppy and meet new people that have faced similar probelms, but just remember to go with your heart... if you are uncomfortable about giving medicine to you puppy don't do it!!! they are little, and we really have no idea what it might do to a little puppy!!!!