Seperation Anxiety?

Hi,

New to the forum and looking for some advice. We adopted a beautiful Staffy bitch about 2 months ago. she's about 6 years old and good as gold with all the training we've done for our house rules regarding sitting on furniture and sleeping in her own bed. After a while we started leaving her home alone to get her ready for when my husband can't be home all day any more (I only work 3 hours so she won't be alone all day) and it seemed to be going well. We started with 5 minutes, slowly building to an hour. Nothing was damaged, there was no mess and she wasn't overly fussy when we returned. Then we got a note from the neighbours. She howls, the whole time. We leave the radio on, give her special frozen treats that she only gets when we're out, I've even tried putting my pyjama top in her bed so she has something that smells of me. We've cut the times right down again and we now record her while we are out, but there seems to be no improvement.

What should I do for the best?

Hi ya Beqi, welcome to the forum.

I know exactly what you are reffering to. We rescued my Flo at about the same age and did exactly what you have by leaving for a few mins at a time etc untill we were happy that she could be trusted home alone.

It wasn't untill a good couple of months in that my nieghbour said exactly what yours has. We thought it was odd as we had never heard anything but hey we weren't there

We paid little attention to it and left her to get on with it knowing that eventually she would calm and realise that we would all be back. i have to say that my nieghbour wasn't concerned as it didn't last all the while we were out and it stopped completely fairly quickly. Are your nieghbours ok about the noise ?

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Hi, thanks,

No my neighbours are not ok with the noise, they used to bang on the walls when my son cried when he was teething, if they'll do that to a baby goodness knows what they'll do with a dog. The longest we'd got to leaving her was about an hour and a half, their note said she's howling for several hours at a time and it's upsetting.

Ah what a shame they can't be more supportive especially as you've given you're girl a second home. It really is a time thing, little and often and maybe just after a feed or walk so that she is tired and simply curls up to sleep. You could also try toys that stimulate like a treat ball to keep her occupied. Don't make any kind of fuss when you leave as this could be a trigger for the crying too.

We've sort of decided on little and often, a bit like controlled crying with a baby, we have a variety of kong treat things and we do ignore her for a bit before we leave and after we get back. Have just got back from leaving her for 3 mins, this time gave her the kong and waited till she started licking before I left her. Silence!

Cool... sounds like a plan

Do you ever try frozen Kongs... they last a little longer

Yes we freeze the kongs. Thank you, we will just give it time, and a bit of doggy day care if needed.

Is there any way u cud leave the dog with a friend i dnt know what else to suggest but hopefully the dog settles soon.

My in-laws are able to have her a bit, but notas a long term solution, if she doesn't settle we'll look for doggy day care till she can be left

A good long walk before you leave her may help as well

Yes I agree, a good walk before you leave can work wonders. I also did the same as you with Pixee. Pixee is happy if she can see me leave and watch for me to come home, which was possible where we use to live, we have since sold up and now in rented accom. The first rental, she could watch but wasnt a comforable place for her. We are in the second rental, (nightmare woman over the road, is why we left) and its much better, reminds us of our home, Pixee can watch us from her chair come and go. I have been told by hubby and son, that when she is left with them, and I go out, she still mops but settles well in her chair, one spoiled dog . Now another thing if your neighbours use to bang on the walls when your son cried, what are they doing when you are out and is it frighting your dog? Could be why she is howling more than normal?

Staffy lover wrote: Now another thing if your neighbours use to bang on the walls when your son cried, what are they doing when you are out and is it frighting your dog?  Could be why she is howling more than normal?  

Yes that worries me, we have downloded apps on our tablets so we can record her when we are out, and anything else.

Any news, is she any better now? It does take time.

We have some days where we leave her for 5 mins and there is silence, others she howls the whole time, can't find any patern to it. We will just keep going with little and often and hope that eventually she will trust that we will be back.

Those time she howls more, have you found out if your neighbors could be shouting or banging on the walls?

What do you know about her history?

We have the sensitivity up quite high on the recording we do and haven't heard anything from the neighbours, so I think they are ok at the moment. She was a stray so there is no history really but she was chipped and neutered so I think she's been a family pet, she is certainly happy around kids. Maybe loosing her first home has left her nervous it will happen again.

Glad to hear things are improving

I take it the chipped history address was not updated then? I agree that it could be the thought of losing her home again which made her nervous. Does she have the run of the house when left alone? Is any treats left for her when you leave? I do this for Pixee, but to date, she still wont eat them till I get back, thats how upset she gets when I leave, but at least she has stopped crying and I know she is happy in her chair. What I always do when I have to pop out is this, give Pixee a fuss, kiss and say mummy will be home soon. Does she sleep well through the night?

I think a real good run in the morning will tire him out, or some high energy play time. It is a little difficult and we went through the same thing. my boy was abandoned outside a shelter and suffered from separation anxiety for a while. He will soon learnt to trust you will return and will calm down but I guess it takes a little longer for some than others.