[Puppy0226]

We are practicing leaving her alone now so she can get use to it when we go back to work. Over the wknd, we've left her alone for an hour a few times a day and she acted up a bit but calmed down. We've also walked out of the room and come back and she has been fine. We thought we were good. This week, we thought we'd go work outside of the home at Starbucks and then come back every 2-3 hours to walk her. She barks up a storm and cries and it is soo sad. We have plenty of toys for her but she isn't have any of them right now. Will it take a few weeks, days etc for her to get use to this? We spoke to our dog trainer and she was fine with our approach. We will be having a dog walker come a few times a day. Our dog trainer suggested buying dap infuser (something like that). It suppose to put fermones (?) in the air so it acts like her mother. She said it works for 2 out of 3 dogs. Any other ideas? Thanks!

 

[Amaryllis]

This really is normal, and she will get used to it. DAP diffusers are spoken of highly, it would be worth a try.

You can also leave a T-shirt you've worn so she can smell you, if, and only if, she won't attempt to eat it. You can leave the TV on, the noise seems to soothe some dogs. They even sell DVDs for just that purpose, with 8 hours of images and sounds that appeal to dogs.

Just be aware of the signs of Separation Anxiety. It's a mental illness dogs are subject to that is a lot like depression: it's a real disease, it's not that common, but everyone thinks their dog has it. If your dog does have SA, there are medical treatments and training tricks that can help. To be honest, at this point, I don't think she has it. SA is more than barking and crying, which is normal in puppies.

 

[Puppy0226]

yes we did the tshirt and put on classical music for her. Hope she is into classical music . We also gave her a bully stick which the trainer said the bully stick is only a crate present. She loved the bully stick until she heard the door slam and then the barking and crying began.

Is the DAP something that is always on? I don't know what it is so was just wondering.

 

[hanksimon]

Also, try giving her a stuffed Kong.... as part of her dinner... when you leave.

 

[Hambonez]

It was painful leaving Hamilton the first week or so because he would cry and cry. He got over it. Now he just goes into his crate and goes to sleep.

 

[Abbie_Hope]

My puppy is 10 months old and still freaks out every single time we leave. =/ He cries and barks and cries. I feel terrible about it and i hope it gets better for me too but i dont know if it ever will.......