separation anxiety?

vanesslvs · 2022-05-12

my puppy is approximately a little older than 2 months old. whenever he's left alone he will cry out loud until we come into the room. i left him alone for 5 minutes unsupervised, he started crying so i finished eating in under 5 minutes and when i came back i found a pile of poop. is this a coincidence or does he have separation anxiety? or is it something normal? any opinions would be appreciated. thanks!

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Sparkles2022

· #2 · May 12, 2022

I'm not sure what normal is, as I am a new dog owner too. But I can tell you that I got my sheltie at 8 weeks, 3 days. She's 11 weeks old today.

She doesn't do this and never has. I started the first day leaving home for an hour. I left her with her crate in a large exercise pen, bed in the crate, water, potty place and safe chew toys. She was disgruntled after my unexpected, in-person work meeting last Wednesday (gone 5 hours), but we had worked up to 3.5 no problem.

Though I have other pets, she is alone in a room without any of them when I go, just in case, so truly alone.

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Toedtoes

· #3 · May 13, 2022

Many young puppies have a need to be with you all the time. They spent their first few weeks with their mama and siblings 24/7. Then they are taken to a new world where they are expected to be alone for long stretches of time. They have no more constant playmates, they have no mama giving them security, and everything is new and different than what they have known.

Crying and such is a normal reaction to all that. What you want to do is to give them the security of your presence and attention and slowly build up the time they spend alone. Be patient. As @Sparkles2022 mentions, slowly build up the time you leave the puppy alone.

If puppy doesn't make it 5 minutes, then start with 30 seconds. Walk around the corner, then come right back. If puppy didn't cry while you were out of sight, praise puppy profusely. Continue at 30 seconds until puppy is consistent, then increase it to one minute. If puppy cries while you are out of sight, go back to the prior time frame.

Also, don't deny the puppy the ability to be with you in an attempt to get puppy to adjust - this will just backfire. Instead, reassure the puppy that you are there.

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Inflicting pain and punishment on another creature for the purpose of control or sport is abuse - plain and simple.
“Compassion for animals is intimately associated with goodness of character, and it may be confidently asserted that he who is cruel to animals cannot be a good man.” ― Arthur Schopenhauer
“Animals are more than ever a test of our character, of mankind's capacity for empathy and for decent, honorable conduct and faithful stewardship. We are called to treat them with kindness, not because they have rights or power or some claim to equality, but in a sense because they don't; because they all stand unequal and powerless before us.” ― Matthew Scully
“The assumption that animals are without rights and the illusion that our treatment of them has no moral significance is a positively outrageous example of Western crudity and barbarity. Universal compassion is the only guarantee of morality.” ― Arthur Schopenhaur

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AnthonyC482

· #4 · May 13, 2022

My dog suffered separation anxiety when I first adopted him, which seemed to be a representation of his fear that I wouldn't return. So I began by leaving for only a few minutes at a time, gradually increasing the time. He rapidly realised that, indeed, I was leaving, but that I would return shortly. He now spends his days sleeping like the adorable jobless loser I've always wished for.

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3GSD4IPO

· #5 · May 13, 2022

At 8 weeks old he is a baby. He is acting exactly how a baby puppy will act. This is not separation anxiety.

I DO recommend crate training and, as part of that, knowing he has both peed and pooped before putting him in his crate. Leaving out if sight and waiting for silence before returning and letting him out.

I would also feed him in his crate and, if you must crate him so you can do other things, put low fat yogurt in a kong and freeze it and when you leave put that in the crate with him. You can also freeze a meaty bone and give him that in the crate. I use neck bones for very young puppies.

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Sparkles2022

· #6 · May 13, 2022

I wonder if background noise would help. My puppy just kept barking, because she wanted my lunch (really can't blame her today). So, I put on the TV. It worked! I chose a kids' channel that wouldn't have anything scary, but would have lots of different sounds, ages of voices, action, etc. Incidentally, the first show was Paw Patrol: pure coincidence.

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vanesslvs

Discussion Starter · #7 · May 13, 2022

Toedtoes said:
Many young puppies have a need to be with you all the time. They spent their first few weeks with their mama and siblings 24/7. Then they are taken to a new world where they are expected to be alone for long stretches of time. They have no more constant playmates, they have no mama giving them security, and everything is new and different than what they have known.

Crying and such is a normal reaction to all that. What you want to do is to give them the security of your presence and attention and slowly build up the time they spend alone. Be patient. As @Sparkles2022 mentions, slowly build up the time you leave the puppy alone.

If puppy doesn't make it 5 minutes, then start with 30 seconds. Walk around the corner, then come right back. If puppy didn't cry while you were out of sight, praise puppy profusely. Continue at 30 seconds until puppy is consistent, then increase it to one minute. If puppy cries while you are out of sight, go back to the prior time frame.

Also, don't deny the puppy the ability to be with you in an attempt to get puppy to adjust - this will just backfire. Instead, reassure the puppy that you are there.

tysm! i'm currently trying this but whenever i try to leave he will bite my ankle hard. anything i could do about it? it seems like i'm also his chew toy🤣

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vanesslvs

Discussion Starter · #8 · May 13, 2022

AnthonyC482 said:
My dog suffered separation anxiety when I first adopted him, which seemed to be a representation of his fear that I wouldn't return. So I began by leaving for only a few minutes at a time, gradually increasing the time. He rapidly realised that, indeed, I was leaving, but that I would return shortly. He now spends his days sleeping like the adorable jobless loser I've always wished for.

thankyou, definitely helpful info!

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vanesslvs

Discussion Starter · #9 · May 13, 2022

Sparkles2022 said:
I wonder if background noise would help. My puppy just kept barking, because she wanted my lunch (really can't blame her today). So, I put on the TV. It worked! I chose a kids' channel that wouldn't have anything scary, but would have lots of different sounds, ages of voices, action, etc. Incidentally, the first show was Paw Patrol: pure coincidence.

idk about tv but i've tried music and he continues crying. perhaps i can try an audio of myself talking and a shirt with my scent?

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Toedtoes

· #10 · May 13, 2022

vanesslvs said:
tysm! i'm currently trying this but whenever i try to leave he will bite my ankle hard. anything i could do about it? it seems like i'm also his chew toy🤣

The chew toy problem is a different topic - but basically always redirect his mouthing to a toy or chew.

At just over two months old, I wouldn't push on the separation. Some puppies are great early on (like @Sparkles2022 puppy), but others are more people focused. Breed has a lot to do with it.

My Tornado-dog was very very clingy for the first 4-6 months. It really wasn't until after 6 months of age that I was able to really work on separation. He is still clingy, but I can leave him home for up to 5-6 hours. He does give a howl every 20-30 minutes to voice his unhappiness, but there is no anxiety. And interestingly, he will give those unhappy howls even if someone is staying home with him - it isn't him being unhappy I'm gone, it's him unhappy he's not going with me.

Inflicting pain and punishment on another creature for the purpose of control or sport is abuse - plain and simple.
“Compassion for animals is intimately associated with goodness of character, and it may be confidently asserted that he who is cruel to animals cannot be a good man.” ― Arthur Schopenhauer
“Animals are more than ever a test of our character, of mankind's capacity for empathy and for decent, honorable conduct and faithful stewardship. We are called to treat them with kindness, not because they have rights or power or some claim to equality, but in a sense because they don't; because they all stand unequal and powerless before us.” ― Matthew Scully
“The assumption that animals are without rights and the illusion that our treatment of them has no moral significance is a positively outrageous example of Western crudity and barbarity. Universal compassion is the only guarantee of morality.” ― Arthur Schopenhaur

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vanesslvs

Discussion Starter · #11 · May 14, 2022

Toedtoes said:
The chew toy problem is a different topic - but basically always redirect his mouthing to a toy or chew.

At just over two months old, I wouldn't push on the separation. Some puppies are great early on (like @Sparkles2022 puppy), but others are more people focused. Breed has a lot to do with it.

My Tornado-dog was very very clingy for the first 4-6 months. It really wasn't until after 6 months of age that I was able to really work on separation. He is still clingy, but I can leave him home for up to 5-6 hours. He does give a howl every 20-30 minutes to voice his unhappiness, but there is no anxiety. And interestingly, he will give those unhappy howls even if someone is staying home with him - it isn't him being unhappy I'm gone, it's him unhappy he's not going with me.

thanks for the reply! hope my pup can handle without me for a little longer soon!

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