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Puppy barking in crate!
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If you go to the Petsafe store on amazon they also have an indoor version that's a bit smaller and more discreet
I may try that one.
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Thank you.
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Thank you.If you go to the Petsafe store on amazon they also have an indoor version that's a bit smaller and more discreet
Thank you so much. Yes, it's so upsetting seeing our pets upset. I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks for the information.
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At this point I honestly think you need help from a behaviorist. All of the things you’re doing will help in the long run but it sounds like he is reinforcing his own fear. The problem with separation anxiety is it naturally reinforces itself so each time he thinks, this is awful, and of course it is! So the more times it happens the harder it becomes to teach him he’s okay. I think a plan with a behaviorist to incrementally train him to be by himself without putting him over threshold is what he needs. Then all of the other things you’re using will be much more effective to help keep in calm and comforted when he’s alone.
Thanks. I have been working with a behaviorist from day one. I even met with her before I brought my pup home. I had a lot of concerns about apartment life and puppies. She suggested I leave my pup - who I got at 8 weeks - alone in the crate every single day, beginning with minutes, then hours, changing the times. I also videotaped him. All was going well - he would just sleep - but then a couple of weeks ago he started barking when I was gone. I then added - with the behaviorist's advice - the diffuser - with dog pheromones, I tire him out more before I leave, I added a kong with delicious frozen food - and I continued to alternate the time gone. He seemed to improve a bit - he would take about 20 minutes to finish the kong then bark - with spaces in between. But when I was gone for 90 minutes for a dentist appt. he barked the whole time, didn't touch the kong, and was distraught when I got home. I haven't had a chance to talk to the behaviorist about this because it's our Thanksgiving and she is away. I'm also talking to my Vet - who is awesome - next week. Because I'm in an apt - I get ready to take the pup out 4-5 times a day and also for walks - I think he knows that coming with me is super fun and wants to be with me all the time. He is 5 months now. He never barks otherwise - at least yet. Before I would use a bark deterrent, I'll see what the behaviorist and Vet say. But I'm a bit frantic because barking for 90 minutes in an apt. is an infringement on others but so far the tenants have been great. I'm a bit disappointed because from day one I have worked hard at this issue but I know I'll be able to figure it all out. I just love him so much and we'll work it out. Thanks.
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Sounds like you have lots of wonderful support, and I’m sorry to hear that you’re struggling with this despite your careful planning! Our older guy had separation anxiety when he was young and we were living in an apartment, and it took a lot of training, but he got to a better place.
My younger pup went through a stage of barking when we left, but I think it was more FOMO than anxiety. But we essentially treated it the same way with lots of short absences (including a game called ‘door is a bore’) and she seems to have gotten over it (which also reinforces that she wasn’t actually anxious… it would have been that easy!) One thing that I found interesting in my research and learning this time around is that a lot of behaviorists now think that for TRUE separation anxiety, a crate can make it worse, and that when training for sep anx you shouldn’t leave them with food distractions bc they need to learn how to be calm (otherwise they just get anxious as soon as the distraction is done). This is definitely different than 10 years ago when we were working with Charlie, but methods change. Of course talk to your behaviorist and vet about your particular situation, but maybe there’s a safe puppy-proofed place where you can leave him when you go out?
Youll get to the bottom of this, and one thing is for sure— he’s very lucky to have such a caring and attentive mom to work through these bumps in the road!
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That makes a lot of sense, that this was a change in behavior, and that it is especially stressful to you because of neighbors. My guess is there was some kind of strange sound or other incident that day, and maybe it wasn’t something obvious on camera. I’ve had similar experiences with Sundance, who does have separation issues, and I’ve been able to back up and “retrain” and it is much faster than it was the first time, it’s not completely starting over. It happened once when we forgot it was going to get dark and left all of the lights off, which meant the passing lights from cars were flashing inside. We actually also had a “relapse” not too long ago when DD’s friend stopped by to drop something off when no one was home. Sundance recognized the friend and did not understand why he was leaving and panicked, and we noticed on the security camera that he was upset the rest of the time he was home alone. Both times we practiced leaving him for very short periods much more frequently afterwards and monitored him. I can see when he’s about to escalate and I’m careful to return before that. Sundance doesn’t bark much while we’re gone though, he paces and pants, so I can’t help with that. He does cry but it’s not loud enough to bother the neighbors.
Since the dentist appt. have you tried going backwards and leaving him for just a few minutes again, to get the mail or something, and is he barking then?
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Interesting on the crate or no crate thing. I definitely wouldn't have agreed with that with my last dog - she got really really anxious if we left her outside of her crate - spent the whole time with her nose to the bottom of the door waiting for me to get home, but was super chill and relaxed in her crate.
However, one of my sister's dogs had major separation anxiety and was 1000x worse in his crate than in a small room. He wasn't great in the room, but he would claw his feet/ nails bloody in his crate and at least never hurt himself in the room.
Hi there,
My pup seems to like his crate. He sleeps there all night and often during the day. He hasn't done anything destructive in it. I might try leaving him loose and step outside the door to see if that makes any difference. Thanks.
Hi there,
Thanks. The next day I left him and the moment I shut the door, he started to bark, so I didn't stay way long - minutes only. The next 2 days I didn't leave him. It's our Thanksgiving and I didn't want to create any noise for tenants here. Today I will begin all over again and leave him for a few minutes and see how that goes. Hilarious that my cat loves the crate, so I put another one beside my pup's and the cat sleeps there all the time. LOL. Thanks for your answer and information. It means a lot.
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I would be careful about leaving him free in the whole apartment (though many do with no problems) as there are always hazards there for a pup - do you have a room that you could gate him in to ensure that he's safe from other things when you're gone?
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We left Sundance in an expen when we was a puppy and at some point we started setting it up next to the sliding glass door so he could look outside and noticed he did better. As an adult we leave him in our family room and it seems to work best. It’s small but we can easily block off access to the rest of the house and he has access to the window and glass door so he “makes the rounds.” I hate that he “waits” the entire time we’re gone, but compared to his more frenzied stress it’s much better. I wish he wasn’t stressed at all but I honestly can’t imagine that happening. Walking must give him someplace for some of the energy to go? But even though it seems to work better for him now, it wouldn’t have worked with a puppy! And I think a large number of dogs with anxiety respond really well to being crated when they’re alone, which is why it’s recommended so much. 5 years ago the advice to me was that the crate is one option, it’s not the only option. This is what our trainer told us and what I needed to hear.
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I just want to add, I do think your hard work will pay off. It’s sounds to me like this is a frustrating setback, but you have a good foundation. You were smart to work with a behaviorist early on because you don’t have to face a months’ long waiting list to get in person observations!
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Have you considered getting a stroller or a sling so that he can accompany you during some of your outings? He is still young and needs to be around you.
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