Considering a Havanese / Seperation Anxiety question

1980 Views 41 Replies 16 Participants Last post by Melissa Brill, 3 mo ago

monti

Discussion Starter · 3 mo ago

Dear all,

We are planning to get a Bichon Havanese (we were considering poodle but we fall in love with Havaneses)

However, as a working couple, we have concerns about leaving the puppy alone.
Our plan is to take turns staying at home so that the puppy is never left alone.
Despite this, we would appreciate any recommendations on how to train the puppy to stay alone for short periods of time.
We do not plan on leaving the puppy alone for extended periods, but it is possible that we may need to be away for a few hours at times.

How do you manage similar situations?

I would greatly appreciate your guidance on how to deal with separation anxiety.

Thank you 🙏🏽🙏🏽

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krandall

· #2 · 3 mo ago

monti said:
Dear all,

We are planning to get a Bichon Havanese (we were considering poodle but we fall in love with Havaneses)

However, as a working couple, we have concerns about leaving the puppy alone.
Our plan is to take turns staying at home so that the puppy is never left alone.
Despite this, we would appreciate any recommendations on how to train the puppy to stay alone for short periods of time.
We do not plan on leaving the puppy alone for extended periods, but it is possible that we may need to be away for a few hours at times.

How do you manage similar situations?

I would greatly appreciate your guidance on how to deal with separation anxiety.

Thank you 🙏🏽🙏🏽

All dogs should get used to being alone for short periods of time. We all need to go out shopping, to the movies or out to dinner!

You start, when the puppy is quite young, leaving the puppy for just a couple of minutes, while you leave the house to get the mail. Then slightly longer, then again, the short time to get the mail. Keep "ping-ponging" the time, sometimes longer, sometimes shorter. Don't continuously make it longer each time, or you will discourage the pup! Make sure that when you leave and return, you do it in a calm, neutral way. Do not make a fuss about your coming or going. Just a quick, quiet pat on the head, and "we'll be back soon!". When you return, put down your keys, put your coat away, and then when the puppy is quiet, greet him QUIETLY. DO NOT get him over excited with your greeting!

Make sure you leave your puppy in a safe place where he can't get into trouble. I think your flag is Denmark? I know some European countries do not allow crating. In the US, many people "crate train" their dogs and leave them in a crate when they are out of the house. I prefer an exercise pen, which gives the puppy a bit more room, and can include a potty, if you are indoor potty training, as well as a water dish and a few toys. Other people gate the puppy in a small room, like a bathroom, where there is not much for the puppy to get in trouble with. But be aware that small bored puppies can chew on woodwork! This is the pen that has served us through three Havanese puppies!!!

Interior design Flooring Wood Floor Carnivore

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krandall

· #7 · 3 mo ago

mudpuppymama said:
Separation anxiety is related to dog being separated from its owner. A second dog is not the answer. In fact, that can backfire and you may wind up with two anxious dogs. There are many good reasons to get a second dog but curing separation anxiety is not one of them.

Will Getting another Dog Help my Dog with Separation Anxiety - Pets with Problems

We ofter get the question - "will getting another dog help my dog with separation anxiety". Read on to find out why getting a second dog is not the answer.

petswithproblems.co.uk

In addition to the great advice given by @krandall, it is my opinion that there are limits to how long a dog bred to be a companion can be left alone without some sort of psychological suffering. Whether this turns into true separation anxiety may differ depending on the dog. I never leave mine longer than 4 hours and that is not very often. This is my personal comfort level which may be different for others. You might consider a dog sitter should you need to leave them for longer periods.

Good stuff in this post. I agree completely that two dogs is not the answer. I also think that assuming that your dog "might" have separation anxiety is a mistake. separation anxiety, while real, is not common. It is a DISORDER. Proper training (such as I laid out) prevents it. A dog who is going to have the DISORDER, is going to have it one way or another, and proper training OR another dog probably is not going to solve the problem, though the training might help, where another dog will not.

I also agree that there are limits on how long a companion dog should be left alone. I would not put a hard and fast limit of 4 hours on it, BUT there are some caveats on that. First, my dogs are litter box trained. So they have an appropriate place to potty in the house. Second, I leave them for longer periods of time EXTREMELY infrequently, and usually only in an emergency. BUT, they have survived quite nicely when it has been necessary, with access to water, their potty box, and a few toys, for up to 10-12 hours. (when my husband was in the hospital with a heart attack) As MPM suggested, if I need to be out of the house for longer than 4 hours, and I know about it ahead of time, I will arrange for someone to come in and let them out and visit with them once or twice during the day, depending on how long I will be gone.

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krandall

· #9 · 3 mo ago

NotAMuggle said:
One thing that I want to note too is that i often see online (not this forum) that people will not leave if their new dog makes any sort of bark or protest. Like they think they must have silence then chain together 5, 10 , 20 seconds of silence and if their dog makes a peep they must rush back.

If i did that, i’d probably have been a prisoner in my home for months. Puppy Piper would bark when i left but stop within minutes and lay down to nap. The internet would say that is separation anxiety, but i viewed as more of a tantrum/protest. I had a pet cam and by the time the elevator got down to the lobby and i exited my building i would check the cam and she would have already given up and be snoozing.

If she had carried on for hours, then that would be a real separation issue. If youve ever seen videos of dogs with this disorder they are panting, pacing, barking/yowling for hours on end, peeing/defecating, being destructive, chewing up walls! It is a serious thing.

My puppy barking her heart out for 2-3 minutes then flopping over in her bed to sleep was NOT that. So what I mean to say is dont get discouraged or put off by some protest noise. The pet cam assured me that my pup quickly would calm down and self-settle as she was getting used to me leaving sometimes. If your dog has an actual issue, they are unable to self-soothe.

REALLY excellent point!!! ❤

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krandall

· #14 · 3 mo ago

monti said:
Thank you all for your helpful messages. 🙏🙏🙏

From what I understand, separation anxiety may not be a significant problem for all Havanese dogs, but it could be an issue for some.
However, with proper training, it is possible to address and fix this behavior. I am relieved to hear this.

I have already purchased a camera and plan to use an exercise pen or crate. As a first-time owner, I am feeling a bit anxious, but I hope that we can manage it well.

I think it is more accurate to say that most "separation anxiety" problems in Havanese are caused by poor management of the owners, and is not part of the breed at all!

Raise them correctly, and there will not be anything to fix!

The BEST thing you can do is to take deep breaths and try NOT to be anxious, because your anxiety, can definitely rub off on your dog.

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krandall

· #15 · 3 mo ago

mudpuppymama said:
I would definitely recommend indoor potty training. I didn't and it is one of my big regrets (along with an entire laundry list). I was a first time dog owner and never heard of indoor potty training! It would not change how long I leave them, however I could leave them longer in an emergency and have peace of mind. There are other things like horrid weather where it would be nice. Although I have to say mine are troopers and have pottied outside in every type of horrid weather you can imagine. I think mom hated it more than they did!

I agree. Mine potty outside most of the time. But when the deck is covered with snow over their heads, I can tell them "go use your box!" until we get it shoveled off in the morning!!!

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krandall

· #18 · 3 mo ago

gabbygool said:
I agree with all that was said, but I also want to mention that when you have a puppy remember to manage your expectations! Enzo was unhappy being left alone and would cry the entire time when he was little, though we follwoed the above steps, and it felt a bit frustrating for a while. I did my best to be with him as often as possible but included short breaks during the day. It wasnt perfect and I definitely made mistakes, but I can safely say now that Enzo hss not developed separation anxiety! With due diligence and allowance for Enzo to mature and age, he's gotten much more comfortable being left alone at home and is happy to just chill in his crate or free roam (in a puppy proof area), so long as he has been exercised and let out to potty.

Good points that both you and Notamuggle made! That not every puppy is totally quiet and compliant about being left alone at first. That does NOT mean that they have "Separation Anxiety". It means that you may need to go a little slower than with a puppy that is taking it completely in their stride, but it doesn't mean you should give in. Just keep on keeping on as long as the puppy is just vocalizing and does not seem REALLY upset. Things will improve with age and practice!

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krandall

· #21 · 3 mo ago

mudpuppymama said:
I think the x pen setup is a great idea, however I also feel it is important for dogs to learn to like being in a crate. You never know when they may need to be crated...either at the vet or if they are injured and must be confined. Anyway, I just want to throw this out there because I feel this is important and is NOT punishment for a dog. My dogs love their crates and lounge there happily on their own free will.

I agree with this completely. But I also feel that if a dog is going to be confined for several hours during the day, especially if they are crated over night, it is kinder for them to be confined in an ex-pen, so they have some more room to move around.

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krandall

· #27 · 3 mo ago

mudpuppymama said:
Yes I agree. I am talking about getting them to love their crate in addition to the expen. Also trying to dispel the myth that crates are cruel. The expen definitely has many advantages, however I have known a few people who feel that crates are cruel. Leaving a dog for excessively long periods on a regular basis is cruel no matter what they are in.

Agree completely!!!

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krandall

· #31 · 3 mo ago

Mtk Ii said:
Worked perfectly for us, cured our serious separation anxiety problem immediately. M

You were lucky. It backfires more often than not.

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