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My dog is a lab/something fuzzy mix and is an absolute sweetheart. She is friendly with everyone and everything and is very obedient, walks great on leash and potty trained. I just have one probem, and that is whining or howling when left alone. I live in an appartment so ignoring it is not an option.
When I first brought Mango home at 12 weeks old from the shelter, she would scream whenever left home alone(she is now a little over 1 year old). I staggered my schedule with the SO so that she was never home alone for more than 3 hours. It doesn't matter, she will scream that entire 3 hours. After about 1 month of this, though, I got my first warning from the appartment management. I completely panicked and from then on, I bring her to daycare whenever she has to be alone. This is getting to be a little difficult on my paycheck and I want to know what my options are now.
Now, Mango is given a lot of exercise, stimulation and attention. We go hiking in the forest for 2 hours every morning, plus several potty breaks a day so the whining can't be because she has to pee or because she's bored. I'm sure the daycare thing messed me up(because she's used to being awake all day) but I don't know what else to do. I paid for several sessions with a behaviourist and they told me to give her a kong(doesn't work) and leave the house very often for short periods of time. Whenever I have the time, I leave her for a bit and then come back quickly(we started out not able to leave for more than 1 second, now we've upped it to about 3 minutes. It only took about half a year) but this method is going very very slowly for me. She does not touch any food when home alone and then gobbles it when I get home. My neighbours are not very tolerant (I can't really blame them, she sounds like a banshee) and I've tried sweet talking to them, apologizing and promising that I'm working on it but they're not really receptive. All of my savings is going into her daycare and I'd like to hear some suggestions to help me with this problem.
ETA: have tried DAP diffuser, thundershirt, clomicalm and citronella collar
When I first brought Mango home at 12 weeks old from the shelter, she would scream whenever left home alone(she is now a little over 1 year old). I staggered my schedule with the SO so that she was never home alone for more than 3 hours. It doesn't matter, she will scream that entire 3 hours. After about 1 month of this, though, I got my first warning from the appartment management. I completely panicked and from then on, I bring her to daycare whenever she has to be alone. This is getting to be a little difficult on my paycheck and I want to know what my options are now.
Now, Mango is given a lot of exercise, stimulation and attention. We go hiking in the forest for 2 hours every morning, plus several potty breaks a day so the whining can't be because she has to pee or because she's bored. I'm sure the daycare thing messed me up(because she's used to being awake all day) but I don't know what else to do. I paid for several sessions with a behaviourist and they told me to give her a kong(doesn't work) and leave the house very often for short periods of time. Whenever I have the time, I leave her for a bit and then come back quickly(we started out not able to leave for more than 1 second, now we've upped it to about 3 minutes. It only took about half a year) but this method is going very very slowly for me. She does not touch any food when home alone and then gobbles it when I get home. My neighbours are not very tolerant (I can't really blame them, she sounds like a banshee) and I've tried sweet talking to them, apologizing and promising that I'm working on it but they're not really receptive. All of my savings is going into her daycare and I'd like to hear some suggestions to help me with this problem.
ETA: have tried DAP diffuser, thundershirt, clomicalm and citronella collar
