Dear Six-Months & SepAnxie,
It is unclear from the information that you have given me whether your pup has the disorder called Separation Anxiety or whether you have a very normal, rascally pup who just got bored or frustrated when left alone. Is that her picture? She looks very cute. For both your sakes, I hope your pup is just a rascal; Separation Anxiety is not easy to fix and rarely gets better without professional help.
I am a little concerned that she is already 6-months old and has not been left alone more than a few times. Did you just adopted her? Are you taking her to work or doggie daycare? Is someone almost always at home? Or, have you avoided leaving her alone because of the mess she makes?
Always staying with or taking along your pup may seem "better." However, puppies who are not crate/confinement-trained and/or left alone before 3-4 months of age are more likely to vocalize excessively and behave destructively when left alone later in life. It is not too late to teach her to be alone, but it might take some patience & dedicated training. Again that she is 6-month and making a mess does not mean she has Separation Anxiety Disorder, she may just be a normal, messy pup. Even if she does not like being left alone, there is hope. I hope the post below can guide you.
Thanks for inquiring,
IS YOUR PUPPY PITCHING-A-FIT WHEN LEFT ALONE?
For many owners/guardians it is hard to gauge a "normal" amount of puppy barking, whining, flailing. This is increasingly hard when one is trying to accomplish crate/confinement-training. Depending on the dog, it can seem like your puppy is suffering horrifically when you leave her alone. While it often sounds awful, there is a good degree of hyped up hysterics that can just be ignored. This is easy for trainers and other dog professionals, but hard for new puppy parents who are justifiably protective of their new pup.
Puppies come pre-programmed with a highly-successful attention-seeking behavior: bark, howl, cry, whine. When this doesn't work, (because you ignore their barking (look away, stay away, or stop talking, looking or petting) they throw a puppy-temper-tantrum. This can look and sound downright scary, so it is understandable why owners panic and grope for information about what is happening. However jumping to a diagnosis of Separation Anxiety for a pup that barks is like determining that someone who ate dinner and then threw up is bulimic. Let's rule out normal puppy tantrum and learned barking (flu or food poisoning) first.
Pups can learn that barking gets stuff -AND they learn it quickly at a very young age. The truth is that most pups who bark, whine, howl, and yip when left alone are just being normal pups. When they are born pups learn that whining, whimpering and yowling gets them food, relief and warmth. Later when the pup moves in with people, it must learn that barking does not work. Ignoring the noise is the only way to teach your pup that barking does NOT work.
Punishing a pup for barking is a mistake, it will ruin your relationship, and possibly make the dog aggressive. Or, the dog will learn to bark when no one can get there to deliver a punishment, but will bark freely when you are not around. It is hard to ignore a barking dog. Here are some tips. IGNORE means: Do not look at, talk to, touch or go towards your pup.
Do not return to or let your pup out until the pup has completely given up making noise & settles into doing something else, like laying down, chewing, or eating. When it is time to let your pup out again, praise your pup clearly from outside the room. Then, go get your puppy. In this version, once you praise the pup, they get out -even if they make noise once you enter the room. Use the same phrase each time you praise your dog. Here is a harder, tough-love version. Enter the room, leave immediately if your pup starts to make noise again (don't choose this version if your pup has been in there a long time and is ready for a potty-break).
Puppies are messy! Pups that chew, shred, smear, and gnaw on this are also normal. There is no fancy label for their behavior, they are just young. They can, and will make a mess especially if left alone for long periods of time (more than 2-3 hours). It is not unusual for pups to chew on paper, shred wee-pads, or smear their pee & poop around. They don't do it on purpose -it just happens to be there when they are romping around and making up their own games.
There are things you can do to minimize messes. Unless your pup has caused serious damage to a door, window, gate, crate or worse themselves, they are a normal pup. Most messes are NOT done in a panic, but that instead the results of a darn good solo-puppy-party! However, if your dog has done serious damage to a door, window, gate, crate or bloodied their paws or face, then you may have a dog with Separation Anxiety Disorder.
Understanding & DEALING WITH NORMAL PUPPY BARKING
Barking can be done anywhere and so it is the most difficult to manage. There are many things you can do to channel your pups play-energy into appropriate places. Exercise, play fetch and tug, Kong-feeding, chew-toys, puppy-proofing, gating, and crating all help minimize and contain a mess. More importantly a tired pup is a quiet pup.
Confining and/or crating a pup is important and should be done despite the fact that your pup might rather not be away from you. Toddlers that fuss when put in a car seat do not get to ride on your lap simply because they want to be there. Eventually kids stop fussing about car seats and seat belts because it fails to work. However temper tantrums are aweful -they are more than complaints; they are last ditch efforts to get something, or get out of something. Puppy barking can be very loud if the pup is frustrated. This can happen when they are learning that what used to work, crying for food, milk, warmth, companionship, is no longer an acceptable way to ask for things (that worked with dog-mom, but not people-parents).
IF THEY DON'T LIKE IT, DO YOU STILL HAVE TO CRATE/CONFINEMENT-TRAIN YOUR PUPPY?
Yes. Imagine if you boarded a plane and the person next to you just started sobbing, them screaming and rolling on the ground. When a baby cries it is annoying, but acceptable age-appropriate behavior. For an adult to do this instead of asking for a blanket or beverage is abnormal. The times in your life at which you learned that screaming and crying would not get you things was probably stressful and frustrating for you and your parents. Crate/confinement-training is not easy, but it is necessary for a well-adjusted dog.
Now that you understand WHY your puppy is barking...
You can TEACH YOUR PUPPY TO BE ALONE
Do You Have A Training Question For Kelley? Click Here.
Now that you understand WHY your puppy is barking...
You can TEACH YOUR PUPPY TO BE ALONE
Do You Have A Training Question For Kelley? Click Here.
Now that you understand WHY your puppy is barking...
You can TEACH YOUR PUPPY TO BE ALONE!
If you have never left your puppy alone it is important to do everything that you can to set them up for success.
Puppies should have an area that is safe and can be gated-off. If you have a jumper, try stacking two gates. I prefer this to shutting a door. Door need to be opened to see what is happening, and they can be scratched. If you aren't sure... start by stacking two gates so that any jumping attempts will fail.
This area should be easy-to-clean, in case your pup has an accident. Tile and linoleum floor are best. Cement is porous and will absorb odors unless protected with a sealant. The puppy confinement area should be safe. Remove any items of value and anything your pup might chew or make a mess with such as plants, books, baskets, clothing, cleaning items etc...
This area should have a crate. The door can be left open and a comfortable bed can be inside the crate. There should be some water in a spill-proof bowl. You don't want to have to go back because they barked, jumped and knocked over the water. This will give your dog the idea that barking & spilling = mommy and daddy come back.
Try putting your puppy in this area when she is:
EXHAUSTED! Think a 3-hour walk or hike, a doggie-play session at the beach, an afternoon with the kids from the neighborhood.
HUNGRY! I encourage you to skip or go light on a meal or two. It won't hurt the pup if they miss a lunch meal just once.
You should be:
RESTED! Don't do this when you are tired, cranky or short on patience.
READY FOR SOME NOISE! Earphones, movie, music, home-workout.
NOT GOING ANYWHERE! Don't actually leave during or after the first time you do this.
THE PLAN FOR PUPPIES FIRST SUCCESSFUL ALONE-TIME.
- Skip breakfast, but prepare a really tasty Kong and put it in the fridge.
- Check that the confinement area is fully prepared and puppy-proofed.
- Take your puppy out for a really, really long hike, play session, walk or combination of all of this.
- Bring the pup back home (don't let this be a long nappy car trip (this will undo the exercise).
- Take your pup to their potty area and allow them time to take care of business.
- Go to the kitchen and get the Kong and a few chew items.
- Put the puppy in the confinement area and give them the Kong. Secure the gate (stacking if necessary).
- Walk away and out of the room -IGNORE what you hear.
- Wait until the puppy is quiet for at least 10-15 minutes, then listen (without disturbing).
Does it sound like the pup is asleep? Eating from the Kong? Chewing? Congratulations. Now just let your pup out BEFORE they start to cry again.
Feed your pup like this everyday. Soon they will need only normal amounts of exercise and you can start putting their regular food in the kong with less and less of the really amazing treats.
Do You Have A Training Question For Kelley? Click Here.
Signs of Separation Anxiety DISORDER
If your dog is showing one or more of these signs, you should contact a Certified Dog Trainer or Behaviorist immediately.
B is for Bed
Every dog needs at least one placement command. Placement commands tell a dog to move to or away from a specific spot.
Most obedience classes focus on positions, like SIT and DOWN. Positions like these are great for keeping a dog from doing things like jumping or moving forward. Trainers like using positions to prevent bad behaviors because it is easier to teach a dog to DO SOMETHING (like sit) that it is to teach a concept, such as what is wrong (like jumping). The end result is the same. A well-mannered dog who greets guests at the front door can't be jumping at the same time.
Placement Commands are also important as they can be used to prevent dogs from begging, stealing, or soiling furniture. In my experience the most common placement commands are OUT & OFF. There are several good reasons why I don't use either very often, but the reason I like best is simplicity. To get your dog out of the kitchen, or off the couch, you really only need one command.
I use the placement command BED to tell my dog to go to a specific spot. My dog has at least one bed in each room of the house, but this in not necessary. The "BED" can be any designated spot you teach your dog to go towards. My preference is to teach the dog to lay on this spot and stay there. Below is a brief outline of how to train your dog to go the their BED.
This single command can be used in any number of situations.
When people come to the door, I tell my dog to go to his bed.
When I am cooking and my dog gets underfoot, I tell my dog to go to his bed.
When my dog has taken my spot on the couch, I tell my dog to go to his bed.
When my dog is staring at my ice cream, I tell my dog to go to his bed.
When my dogs are about to play and I am on the phone, I tell my dogs to go to their beds (each dog knows his or her spots).
When I am trying to get out the door and I have lots of bags and a hot cup of coffee, I tell my dogs to go to their beds.
When my dog is pestering me and I am trying to type, I tell my dogs to go to their bed (this works better than pushing them away, which gives them some attention)!
Teaching your dog to GO TO BED.
1. You can call this command anything you want. Some people choose to call this: Place, Mat, Spot, Crate, Go Lay Down, Go To Your Room. Any of these will work.
2. Your dog will also need a comfortable surface to lay on; what your dog likes depends on your dog. Some dogs like small, cozy spaces, other dogs like flat rugs. I am often surprised by the size bed my dog chooses.
3. You will need to find a good place for your dog. Finding the appropriate place to put your dog's new BED, takes time. Location, location, location! Find a place your dog likes, this means a location where they can see what is going on, but feel safe. You may need more than one location.
4. Your dog's space also needs a way for you to tether your dog. This means a large, stable piece of furniture or wall-mount. I like using stair-banisters or large dinning room table legs. Doors with round door knobs can also be used. Just be sure your dog can not pulls, slide, or tip-over anything that could hurt them or you. Your dog should NOT be on any type of collar that can hurt it. Use a flat-collar, harness or limited slip collar. Always supervise the beginning stages of training.
NOW the TRAINING!
Tell your dog, "BED."
Grab a small tasty treat.
Show this to your dog and entice them to the spot.
Silently lure them into a down. **Don't use the command for laying down, allow BED to mean all of it by simply and silently luring the down.
Praise, pet and feed your dog.
Move to a new spot in the room (with NO TREAT in your hand).
Say, "BED." Wait 1-3 seconds, allow your dog to think.
Then, get a tasty treat and help them see what you want by repeating the activity of enticing, then silently luring your dog.
Try this 10-20 times. Then take a break.
Repeat it every day until when you say, "BED" your dog starts moving that way.
If they do, follow them to the bed. Praise them when they get there and THEN go get GREAT TREATS! Once you praise your dog, they do not have to STAY!
TEACHING Your Dog to STAY on the BED
Say, "BED." Wait 1-3 seconds, allow your dog to think.
Then grab a Treat, Tasty Kong, or Chew (something your dog likes and that lasts).
Clip your dog with the leash (tether) and give them the chew.
Stay nearby and allow your dog to settle.
When they are done, have settled or fallen asleep, say "FREE" and unclip your dog.
Repeat this until your dog knows the game.
Fake clip the dog, and give the chew.
If your dog leaves the bed, take the chew away (if safe to do so) and re-clip the dog (with no chew) wait until the dog settles, then say, "FREE."
Repeat later.
When you start using this for REAL-LIFE SITUATIONS, make sure the REWARD is HUGE -much better than for practice! Even when your dog really knows this, occasionally reward them. I like to tell my dogs, "BED" a lot. That way I can sometimes reward them with a very quick release. Being set FREE immediately is a reward when they are use to staying for 10-30 minutes. But this takes time and trust. My dogs MUST trust that I will make good on their effort. Make this worth your dog's effort. Be generous, it pays!
Separation anxiety seems to have made the BUZZ WORD Top Ten List. I've had numerous clients call and report that they need help treating their dog's separation anxiety. Recently, several of these clients have had puppies that are between the ages of 10-14 weeks of age. When questioned it becomes apparent that what the owners/guardians are concerned about is that their dogs have separation anxiety disorder.
I do NOT believe in diagnosing puppies with separation anxiety. Sep-Anx./separation anxiety is a diagnosis of a abnormal behavior or disorder. Many behaviors that appear in dogs with separation anxiety can also occur in dogs with no anxiety. In other words, just because your dog or puppy barks when you leave does NOT mean they have separation anxiety.
Puppies that bark and whine when left alone are displaying NORMAL, AGE-APPROPRIATE behaviors. Treating a puppy's normal separation distress with the protocol for separation anxiety disorder may not be wrong, nor will it likely make the problem worse, but it does waste valuable time, energy, and resources.
In canine literature, descriptions and treatments for separation anxiety are often given by trainers, behaviorists, and veterinarians. What is often laking in these articles is basic information regarding the difference between NORMAL, AGE APPROPRIATE separation anxiety and the ABNORMAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL CONDITION known as separation anxiety disorder. Interestingly, this is a developmental stage with similarities to human development.
Barking and whining are normal behaviors for young puppies separated from others in their litter or family. Furthermore, it is very easy to teach a puppy or dog that barking is the fastest and easiest way to get something--namely people to come back into the room, or to free them from a confinement area or crate. This does not mean that barking is not annoying, or that it must be tolerated.
ALL puppies must learn how to be alone. This is often an uncomfortable lesson to learn and teach as the puppies have to go through the unfamiliar task of being alone. Puppies that do NOT EXPERIENCE BEING ALONE are the dogs that will later develop separation anxiety disorder. In general I use the crate to teach puppies how to be alone.
It is important to allow the puppy to fully EXPERIENCE being alone safely and successfully and to LEARN that whining/howling/barking DOES NOT bring people back. To do this some careful planning helps.
First, make sure you have a cozy, puppy-appropriate crate prepared.
Second, make sure your puppy is hungry (skip a meal, it won't kill them).
Third, make sure your puppy is well-exercised.
If your puppy is hungry and has played vigorously they are also likely to have recently pooped and peed.
Now, prepare a tasty kong and coax or place* your puppy in the crate with the kong.
Shut the door and place a blanket over at least three sides of the crate.
Then LEAVE.
Yup, that's it. Your pup might bark, howl, or complain for up to 20 or 30 minutes, but they will eventually fall asleep. After 10-15 minutes of silence, wake your pup up and let them out. Repeat this 3-4 times a day. Keep a daily log of how long your dog tries making noise to get out. It will continue to drop until your dog no longer complains.
Alone-Time Training is VERY, VERY important for ALL puppies. Alone-Time Training is separation anxiety disorder Prevention!
* With young puppies (less then 3 months of age) you can gently nudge your pup into the crate. If you want, you can also plan ahead and teach your pup to go into the crate for a cookie. With adult dogs, or dogs older than 3 months of age (dogs no longer in the socialization period), DO NOT FORCE crate entry, go slow.
Murrieta, CA