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Help! very needy dog!
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Hi there,
Rescuig a dog is a fabulous thing to do so congratulations for having the courage to do so. I have had 2 rescue dogs in my time and they are a lot of work. Your pooch is probably so overwhelmed by her fabulous new home and also very anxious of you leaving her. If she was in kennels for a long time this may be worse than normal.
You need to figure out the things she likes. Does she like toys and/or treats?
Using a kong that you can stuff with something yummy (wet dog food, liver paste etc) is always a good one. You can give it to her and then walk out the room and then come straight back in again. Next time, go out for a bit longer but leave the door open. Then, close the door and come back in, all the time whilst she is playing/eating the stuffed kong. This will preoccupy her and you will be able to leave the room.
Slowly build up the time you leave the room for, always closing the door once you have mastered just walking out the room. B coming back in and giving her lots of praise she will know that it is ok to be on her own, nothing bad will happen, and that you will be coming back eventually.
It will take a lot of time and perseverance (cant spell!) but over time you will be able to build up and she will become more settled. It took nearly a 6 months when I had my resuce before he was at ease at home. When I had to leave him for a little bit he used to mess in the house through anxiety and stress, but over time he stopped and he got used to the fact that me leaving him was a normal part of his daily routine. The same should apply to your girl.
Patience is the key here!
Another option for you, is that if she is good with other dogs, then maybe a dog sitter? Especially when you have to go out all day or want to go away for a holiday or weekend, or even half a day. I have a dog sitter for my dog Bear and he loves it! The dog sitter will keep the dogs in their own home (no kennels) and never leave them. There will be other dogs there too for your girl to play with, which will be an ideal place for her to socialise in a safe environment.
Training classes too are always a winner. These may not be linked directly to you leaving her, but obedience training and socialising will make your sog more balanced and less anxious and build a strong bond between you. This should ease the anxiety in the home, when it comes to you leaving her.
A crate is also a good one, as it can be her safe place. The same rules apply as before with leaving the room, but instead popping her in her crate.
I hope this advice is helpful to you and I wish you the best of luck!
Sophie x
Rescuig a dog is a fabulous thing to do so congratulations for having the courage to do so. I have had 2 rescue dogs in my time and they are a lot of work. Your pooch is probably so overwhelmed by her fabulous new home and also very anxious of you leaving her. If she was in kennels for a long time this may be worse than normal.
You need to figure out the things she likes. Does she like toys and/or treats?
Using a kong that you can stuff with something yummy (wet dog food, liver paste etc) is always a good one. You can give it to her and then walk out the room and then come straight back in again. Next time, go out for a bit longer but leave the door open. Then, close the door and come back in, all the time whilst she is playing/eating the stuffed kong. This will preoccupy her and you will be able to leave the room.
Slowly build up the time you leave the room for, always closing the door once you have mastered just walking out the room. B coming back in and giving her lots of praise she will know that it is ok to be on her own, nothing bad will happen, and that you will be coming back eventually.
It will take a lot of time and perseverance (cant spell!) but over time you will be able to build up and she will become more settled. It took nearly a 6 months when I had my resuce before he was at ease at home. When I had to leave him for a little bit he used to mess in the house through anxiety and stress, but over time he stopped and he got used to the fact that me leaving him was a normal part of his daily routine. The same should apply to your girl.
Patience is the key here!
Another option for you, is that if she is good with other dogs, then maybe a dog sitter? Especially when you have to go out all day or want to go away for a holiday or weekend, or even half a day. I have a dog sitter for my dog Bear and he loves it! The dog sitter will keep the dogs in their own home (no kennels) and never leave them. There will be other dogs there too for your girl to play with, which will be an ideal place for her to socialise in a safe environment.
Training classes too are always a winner. These may not be linked directly to you leaving her, but obedience training and socialising will make your sog more balanced and less anxious and build a strong bond between you. This should ease the anxiety in the home, when it comes to you leaving her.
A crate is also a good one, as it can be her safe place. The same rules apply as before with leaving the room, but instead popping her in her crate.
I hope this advice is helpful to you and I wish you the best of luck!
Sophie x
Dogs are highly sociable and your dog has formed a very strong attachment to you, which is both good and bad! You need to teach her it’s ok to be alone and also show her it can be a good thing. All it takes is patience, time and perseverance. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day!
Exercise 1: Being able to leave the room without her becoming distressed.
Exit the room, leaving her in it, shut the door behind you and then immediately open it and re-enter the room, ignoring her completely (the last bit is very important). Busy yourself for a few minutes, then repeat the exercise. Do this again and again until she’s not reacting.
So the first time you do it, she may follow you to the door. What we want is for her to think ‘She’s going out the room but I don’t need to follow or worry because she’s just going to immediately come back’. When she’s at this stage, when you next leave the room, shut the door behind you, wait one second, then go back in. Ignore her, continue reading a book for a few minutes and then repeat until she’s not bothered.Then instead of one second, make it 2 seconds. When she’s not bothered, make it 5 seconds. Basically, take baby steps and gradually increase the time you’re outside the room.
Exercise 2: Just because she can see you doesn’t mean she has to be with you
Put her in one room with the door open but with a baby gate separating the rooms so she can see you on the other side but can’t reach you. Ignore her and read a book nearby but not directly next to the gate. You want her to accept that you not being side by side is ok. If she cries or is pawing at the gate, say ‘Quiet’. When she is quiet and calm, throw a small treat to her and praise her. Keep ignoring her and if she continues to be quiet and calm, throw another small treat and praise her. When she twigs that being quiet equals treats, still praise regularly but give treats less often.
Exercise 3: Occupy her
Leave her for short periods on her own but with something fun to do. She will be too occupied to become distressed and she will also learn that you not being there isn’t so bad! For example, give her a pizzle stick or a deer antler to chew on. Maybe a toy she doesn’t get unless you’re not with her or a treat ball (you fill it with treats or even her kibble and to get them out she has to roll the ball around, good mental stimulation). Try hiding treats for her to find (try to use healthy treats, make them small and reduce the size of her meals if necessary so she doesn’t become overweight.)
Sorry Sophie, I think we posted at the same time! I wouldn't have if I'd seen your post ^_^
Exercise 1: Being able to leave the room without her becoming distressed.
Exit the room, leaving her in it, shut the door behind you and then immediately open it and re-enter the room, ignoring her completely (the last bit is very important). Busy yourself for a few minutes, then repeat the exercise. Do this again and again until she’s not reacting.
So the first time you do it, she may follow you to the door. What we want is for her to think ‘She’s going out the room but I don’t need to follow or worry because she’s just going to immediately come back’. When she’s at this stage, when you next leave the room, shut the door behind you, wait one second, then go back in. Ignore her, continue reading a book for a few minutes and then repeat until she’s not bothered.Then instead of one second, make it 2 seconds. When she’s not bothered, make it 5 seconds. Basically, take baby steps and gradually increase the time you’re outside the room.
Exercise 2: Just because she can see you doesn’t mean she has to be with you
Put her in one room with the door open but with a baby gate separating the rooms so she can see you on the other side but can’t reach you. Ignore her and read a book nearby but not directly next to the gate. You want her to accept that you not being side by side is ok. If she cries or is pawing at the gate, say ‘Quiet’. When she is quiet and calm, throw a small treat to her and praise her. Keep ignoring her and if she continues to be quiet and calm, throw another small treat and praise her. When she twigs that being quiet equals treats, still praise regularly but give treats less often.
Exercise 3: Occupy her
Leave her for short periods on her own but with something fun to do. She will be too occupied to become distressed and she will also learn that you not being there isn’t so bad! For example, give her a pizzle stick or a deer antler to chew on. Maybe a toy she doesn’t get unless you’re not with her or a treat ball (you fill it with treats or even her kibble and to get them out she has to roll the ball around, good mental stimulation). Try hiding treats for her to find (try to use healthy treats, make them small and reduce the size of her meals if necessary so she doesn’t become overweight.)
Sorry Sophie, I think we posted at the same time! I wouldn't have if I'd seen your post ^_^
Distraction and building her confidence to be left alone is the best bet! Build up the time you leave her, do you leave her alone at anytime?
You don't want her getting seperation anxiety so its worth trying to get her used to having some alone time!
You don't want her getting seperation anxiety so its worth trying to get her used to having some alone time!
I had a similar problem as my dog was so used to being with me everywhere I go (work,walking,to see friends) she needed to get used to being on her own. I made sure there were times in the day that she would be alone in her crate (I crate trained as we traveled a lot) I would make sure she had plenty to entertain her and keep her happy! Also made she she knew that she had toileted and we stuck to this routine though it was incredibly hard as I didn't like the whining when she was alone. I crated her also so that she didnt chew or hurt herself.
