[Nicole101]

Hi All -
My husband and I just adopted a 1 year-old Beagle from a local rescue group. We've had her for just over a week today and I'm becoming very frustrated. She is super sweet and affectionate, but we're having lots of issues with getting her settled in. First of all, she's got a pretty good case of separation anxiety (total velcro dog). We cannot be out of her sight for more than a few seconds without her whining, and eventually howling and barking (for such a little thing she's got a BIG bark!). Unfortunately, my husband is in the military and gone right now, and I work during the day. We also recently moved (prior to acquiring the dog) and don't have any neighbors, friends, or relatives to take care of the dog during the day. She is also not housebroken, so we're working on that. She does pretty well when we're home, but does occasionally still go on the carpet, so she can't have free run of the house while we're gone. We tried gating her in the kitchen but: a) she's an escape artist and ends up using the carpet as a toilet, and b) she vocalizes her displeasure for a good 30 minutes after we leave. Our neighbors (we live in an apartment) have complained to us about her barking in the morning, so I have had to resort to crating her in the bedroom with the door shut. She does well with the crate - in fact she really likes it and doesn't mind being in it at all - except when I leave. I have tried giving her chew toys, music, and leaving movies on when I leave. I even have tried the herbal supplements that are supposed to ease stress on the dog - all to no avail. She completely ignores the chew toys (even those "enhanced" with a little peanut butter!) as soon as I go out the door, and within a minute she is in full panic/bark mode. I have been trying to desensitize her to my leaving by going out for very brief (a few seconds) times, and also have been ignoring her for a full 20 minutes prior to my leaving and upon my return (my online research shows this is supposed to help level out the emotional roller-coaster of my comings & goings) but things seem to be getting worse. She gets lots of exercise during the evenings - frequent walks and playing fetch. According to the training video we bought, the dog is supposed to remain under our direct supervision while she is being house-broken, so we can keep an eye on her for hints that she needs to go outside and to prevent accidents. However, I think this might be making the separation anxiety issue worse because she goes from constant companionship to being completely alone.
The next issue is the potty training bit. She eats at night so she can go out first thing in the morning and be "empty" for the duration of her time at home. The last two days, though, I have taken her for walks (about 20-25 minutes) and she doesn't do her business. She just wants to smell everything! I don't understand why the change all of a sudden because prior to the last couple of days she went potty and poo no problem. This is really bad because she can't hold it all day while I'm gone, so I come home to a mess in the crate, and the poor dog has to deal with it until I can clean up.
I am also trying to work with her on walking properly on a leash, but that seems to interfere with the potty-training. She will only go potty outside if I let her have her way and pull me to wherever she wants to go. If I try to enforce the "no pulling" rule and keep her in one area to do her business, she simply won't go. I've been letting her have her own way just so she will go, but this isn't working in the morning. I'm thinking maybe I should just forget about leash training until we have resolved the other issues.
Finally, she needs to be spayed, but I am afraid to take her in just yet because I think it might stress her out even more and aggravate the separation anxiety.
Has anyone had or heard of these same problems? I don't know what to do! I'm trying everything I can to help her adjust, but our situation (with me practically living alone with no support network nearby) prevents me from employing a lot of techniques (like taking her to friends or family for the day). I know I can't afford doggy day care, but she and I need a solution.

[Curbside Prophet]

For a new dog, in a new home, who may have not been properly trained before meeting you, this all sounds normal for a stressed out dog...a dog that you'll need to give a few months to before drawing any conclusions on her psyche. She needs time to adjust, more than a week, and it sounds as though you are doing many things correctly. There's a lot to digest here, so I would recommend reading through the training forum for most of your answers. Here are some quick shots:
1) Keep her in the crate when you can't give her constant supervision when you are home. Accidents on the carpet are your fault, not the dog's.
2) Dogs don't live in the past, so have her spayed at your vet's recommendation.
3) Do you practice NILF?
4) Have you started training obedience?
5) How have you been disciplining the dog?
6) What's her feeding schedule?
7) What's her exercise schedule?
8) Ostracize all her advances for attention...whining, barking, and for play. Looks, touches, and talking are all rewards that will encourage this behavior if you do not ignore it. But give her plenty of praise, when she is quiet...this will take practice and timing, there's no way around it.
9) Find an area that she prefers to eliminate in, and use this spot everyday for her bathroom duties. Teach her loose leash walking, and allow her to sniff and eliminate in her elimination area...she doesn't always have to be under your control when out on walks...dogs need to sniff, especially when they go to the bathroom. A flexi-leash works great for this.
10) Finally for now, tell you're neighbors that you're working on the morning barking, and to give you and her some time to adjust...maybe bring over a plate of cookies too, to help smooth things over.

[Nicole101]

Thanks for the info & the concern. I appreciate whatever tips I can get!
I have done pretty extensive reading on SA since we picked her up last week & she first exhibited the symptoms. Lots of great info, but not exactly stuff I can put to use. For example, a couple of guides stated I should NEVER leave her home alone until she can cope with it. The guides listed taking the dog to work as an alternative. Unfortunately, my work is simply not that open-minded!
As far as her exercise, I have been taking her out every morning for a 20-25 minute walk. After I come home I wait the prescribed 20 minutes, let her out of her crate, then let her hang out for about another 5-10 minutes. During this time I keep things real quiet - no excited hellos, no treats, feeding, or otherwise exciting activity. I go about my normal routine of straightening up the house, etc. She's usually pretty calm when I let her out of her crate (she's a quick learner - knows she gets nothing while she's barking & whining) and after the 5-10 minutes of quiet time are over she's relaxed. I then take her out for a walk. Between the time I get home and the time we go to bed (usually about 6 hours) we go out anywhere from 3-5 times. She eats (just once a day - NutroMax small bites) around 6 or 7 pm. During the time when I am home she is either chewing a toy, napping, or out on the patio with me for a round of fetch. She gets really into chasing the ball, but after about 5-10 minutes she becomes disinterested. So far I haven't discovered anything else she likes for "active" toys. Ropes & tugs are out - she has shown no desire to "fight" over anything...
She knows many commands, including "sit", "stay (briefly)" and "come". We work on these 2-3 times a day, usually once in the morning after her walk, then once or twice during the evenings. She does well with all of these. However, I have discovered that she excels at them when I have treats, and she hesitates at all other times. Because she is such a velcro dog (and a powerful-nosed Beagle to-boot) I have a hard time stashing some in my pockets or hands without her noticing. As soon as she knows I have them she is all too willing to please!
For discipline I've been employing two different tactics, depending on what she's doing. For example, when she jumps up or whines to get her way, I turn my back and ignore her until she is on all fours or quiet. If she jumps on the furniture I simply say "no" and she stops immediately. She responds very quickly to both of these.
The problem is not really what she does when I'm with her, it's what goes on when I'm out of sight for even a few seconds. Here's the strange thing: if she wanders away from me in the house on her own, she's fine. If I move away from her, she either follows right behind or, if she can't follow (the shower, for example) she whimpers. I have been praising her verbally and with a few treats when she goes to another room without me and is quiet for a period of time - anywhere from 10 seconds to a minute. I want her to know that being by herself is ok! Is this something I should continue, or is it confusing? Dog-speak is a new language for me...
Also, I understand that she should be in her crate when I cannot supervise her in order to prevent accidents. I would prefer not to crate her while I am home, simply because she spends so much time in the crate while I am away, so she has to be in the same room with me at all times when I am home. I am afraid this reinforces her wanting to be around me at all times, as though I am training her that to be away from me is unacceptable! Should I try crating her for short periods of time even when I am at home? Will this help her to understand that she does not need to be around me constantly?
In answer to your question about NILF: quite frankly I don't know what it is!
I know she will take time to settle in and realize that when we go to work, leave to pick up our laundry or to buy groceries we are NOT abandoning her. I want her to be happy and well-adjusted, but I'm having trouble figuring out the best way to help her.
Thanks again for the great suggestions and support. My own nerves are a bit frazzled & it's good to hear that I'm doing at least a few things right! I'm certainly trying to do the best thing...
- Nicole

P.S. GREAT suggestion about the cookies for the neighbors! I will do that!

[Curbside Prophet]

It sounds as though you're doing many things right, not just a few. Getting a new dog is always tough in the beginning, and the adjustment period can last for months, so patience is a virtue you will need. Let me just remind you that if you want your dog to be calm, you must be calm too...I do believe you understand this very well, just give it time to set in. Exercise is very important, so keep that up. NILF stands for "nothing in life is free." This is an attitude you should seek to have with your dog. The idea is to make your dog earn all your attention and food with sits, stays, long down-stays, redirects, or with other commands. You can even do this in play...since you're dog is a scent hound, hide and seek would be a wonderful game to play with her favorite toy or stuffed Kong. NILF helps to tell your dog where she belongs in your pack. You're already practicing NILF in many ways, so keep the idea in mind when you work with your dog. That being said, would I reinforce her independence with treats? I don't think its necessary, the freedom to explore should be rewarding enough in itself, but I'm sure I would risk a pat on the head too with "good girl" if she settles down away from you. I'm not convinced that your dog has separation anxiety, as true separation anxiety is usually associated with destructive behaviors around entryways, and other symptoms you would only see with a video camera while you're away. The whining is just an insecurity that can be worked out with time and NILF. You're doing well! You're pup should be proud!

[Nicole101]

And the saga continues...

I feel things are getting worse instead of better! Last night I came home and she was already barking. I heard her as I was getting out of my car. This is new. Up to this point she has always been silent when I got home. She also had learned not to bark and jump and whine and howl when I came inside. She would just sit very patiently. But yesterday she went into a frenzy when I walked in the door. I didn't pay any attention to her and she quieted down after about ten minutes. After the 20 minutes I let her out, and discovered she had gone poo in her crate, dumped over her water bowl, and proceeded to "finger paint" the inside of her crate with the results. She had also gotten ahold of a small throw pillow which (I didn't realize when I left) was poking very slightly through the back of the crate. She ripped off any piece she could grab on to, which was surprisingly quite a lot. This is actually only the second time she's done any destruction. The first time she broke some of the plastic mesh on the baby gate we were using to gate her into the kitchen and shredded a magazine she was able to pull down off the counter.
I'm wondering if the crate is making things worse. The several times she was able to escape the kitchen and had free run of the house until I got home she never destroyed anything. It seems she only does it when she is locked up.
When I took her for a walk this morning she did go potty but not poo, so I'm sure I'll find another mess when I get home. I wonder if she is eating too late, and not ready to go when I take her out at 6:30 am. Any ideas on how long it takes for a dog to process food and be ready to "dispose" of it? Should I try feeding her in the morning instead?
Thanks again for all your insights.

- Nicole

[Curbside Prophet]

Maybe I missed something here…you’re not keeping her in the crate all day are you? If you’re gone all day at work, you shouldn’t use the crate. You should only use the crate for a couple of hours at a time. Otherwise, go back to the confined area you had before. If she’s an escape artist, find ways to out smart her. If she’s jumping on counters, place pizza pans on the edge so that the noise, if it should fall, will startle her. If she’s climbing up the gate, find a way to fasten it at an angle so she will fall back into her confinement area. And remember, stronger is always better. You’ll have to resort to paper training if you use a confinement area. She may have just been barking because she heard you come home…remember, their hearing is way better than ours, so she could have heard your car pull up. If things continue to get worse, give her more exercise in the morning. She’s at the age where you can run with her if you need to. A tired dog is a good dog. Give her a comfy confinement area with a bed, water, and healthy chew toys. Spend some time with her in the confinement area to play, and to ask for her to settle down. Practice this in the evening when you’re home. When you leave in the morning, continue to leave quietly, but leave her a Kong stuffed with frozen dog food. What else… If you can come home for lunch to let her out that would be good too. I don’t remember how long dogs digest their food, but it’s got to be pretty fast. Feed her on your schedule once or twice a day, but be consistent about the time. There’s nothing wrong with trying morning feedings.

[Nicole101]

Actually yes. She has been in her crate while I'm at work because I can't leave her in the kitchen or bathroom anymore - she is way too loud at 7:00 am and the walls of the kitchen and bathroom are shared with our neighbors. The bedroom is carpeted and even with paper or training pads down she still prefers to find any square inch of open carpet to use. I'm also afraid she will destroy anything she can get her teeth on in there...
She has an appointment to be spayed Monday morning. Perhaps that will slow her down for a bit to help her get past this. Then again, maybe she'll be even more traumatized!
I'm feeling so cornered! Once I get home I can't even go out again for fear the dog will flip. (And I really need to go to the grocery store...) Plus I know she must be miserable most of the time and I wonder if she would have been better off with another family.
Will keep working on things...
Still incredibly grateful for your advice!
- Nicole

[drfong]

Hi, just a few questions and maybe some help.
Does the dog sleep in the crate at night or with you in the bed? When you leave for work and are gone 'all day' how long is that. 8-9 hours or longer. That is absolute max to leave a dog crated. I really wouldn't want to do it, but I know several people who do without problem. That is also for a dog who is house trained and old enough to hold their blader/bowels that long. If the dog has some emotional issues ie:SA it may not be able to hold it that long or it maybe a way of acting out to go in the crate. I would sugest using the weekend to work with the dog and train it that you will return. Maybe put the dog in the crate and leave. If the dog goes nuts/ wait outside untill the dog quites down and go in and let the dog out and play/praise/treat the dog. Walk the dog, then put the dog back in the crate and leave again. Don't go back in untill the dog quites down again. Praise/play/treat again. Do this several times in a row. It may take awhile, thats why it maybe best to try this on the weekend. Once the dog learns that you will always come back it should get better. My pups both liked their crates right off unless I left them alone. It just took some time and now they both will stay in there quietly unless someone comes in or rings the doorbell. Once they get their warning over they quiet back down. I'm not sure why you would want your dog to stay crated after you got home for 20 min. Especially if they messed. I just go up to the crate and make them sit and let them out. They will be very excited, especially Molly, and I just wait for them to calm down before I let them out. Only takes a few seconds for them to calm down when I say sit. They sit and I let them out. Trust me, it does get better but I've never had a dog with SA. I'm not sure what constitutes SA though. Every pup tears up stuff if left alone and they all seem to not want to be left alone at first. As far as feeding, most adult dogs can hold it for many hours but can go within 30 min to an hour of eating. All dogs are different though so it's just one of the things you'll have to learn about your dog. I have 2 austrialian terriers, they are close in age and eat the same food but their bathroom habits are completely different. They both can hold it all day if needed but Molly poops almost everytime she goes out and Brady usually only does twice a day. Once in the morning and once in the evening. I also free feed them, something that most here suggest not doing. In your situation I would say a feeding schedule is a better idea. Good luck and I hope this helps.

[bigdawgs]

This is an aside, but beagles are pack dogs, much more so than a lot of breeds, they require the company of either other dogs or people, thus the velcro dog. many beagles do well on their own, being the only pet, but sometimes it takes a long time to get a beagle to accept it.

[Nicole101]

Hello again -

Tape recorded her yesterday while I was gone & the tape shows she barks ALL DAY with only about 2-3 minute respites. MY POOR NEIGHBORS!!!

As far as leaving her alone for 20-30 minutes when I come home, what I've read on SA directed me to do so. It said that it was supposed to help level out the emotional roller coaster of my comings & goings. Also I am gone for about 10 hours during the day.

She barked non-stop again for about the first ten minutes after I got home yesterday, then quieted down. When I let her out she went ballistic again, so I ignored her. When she quieted down I put her harness on to take her for a walk, and she barked & whined again for about 5 minutes. When she quieted down I picked up the leash, she jumped up on me, so I turned my back to her. Then she barked at me! That was a new one... Eventually she did quiet down and she went outside. She also got to see her dog-friend last night, and she really wants to run and play with her, but she's on a 5 ft. leash and can't run very far. Is it a good idea to get one of those flexible ones that allow them to run a bit? Anyway, when we finally went inside she was pooped - went right to her crate & went to sleep.

She is still completely ignoring the Kongs stuffed with goodies. She also wants to lay right at my feet all night long & follows me wherever I go. She seems to be getting more clingy. The only place I can put her when I'm home that she doesn't seem to mind being without me is on the balcony (which is quite large). I let her out and she looks at me through the window for about a minute, then she'll scamper off and check out the plants and bikes and go to sleep out there. She doesn't bark or whine at all. Maybe she just needs more distractions around the house so I'm not the only source of entertainment. Not sure what to try, though. She doesn't seem to care for chew toys, balls, squeaky toys or tugs. Any suggestions there?

Thanks again for all your suggestions!!! Today is a new day... Hopefully it's a good one (nevermind that I have a massive migraine & I'm running on not much sleep).

[OwnedBySix]

I may be the voice of the minority here, but having fostered and been involved with rescue for several years I have learned that even doing everything right...sometimes a home is not the right one.

I am not telling you to give up if that is not what you want to do, however, after reading that the dog is barking non-stop all day long, AFTER more than a week of being left alone...well I would say that is not a very happy dog.

She may just need a home with another dog. If that's not an option for you...I may consider returning her to the group and finding a pup more suited to being left while you are at work.

Good luck...I know it's a hard decision.