Separation anxiety

Boss is a constant pain for separation anxiety. If he is put in the bedroom during supper (when guests are over he thinks he can sit by the table and cry) he will bark and cry and then sometimes if he can find something he knows he would get in big trouble about he will rip it up. After awhile (20 mins) he will stop barking but it makes supper no longer pleasurable especially when I have the OH over for supper, can't get to romantic if you have a dog bark interrupting you. Also we have a family under us in our apartment, and we are concerned about them. He unfortunately does not play with toys and so when I have to go out somewhere I will get home with things riffled threw in my room if things aren’t locked away (he has to be placed in the bedroom otherwise he howls constantly if let roam the house, in the bedroom he doesn’t bark if you leave). Is there anything I can get to keep him busy when I leave, or a way to make him not panic or get upset?

i don't know if this works for all, but if marley starts whining or barking in the night we cover his crate with an old blackout curtain, which seems to settle him down

have you thought about trying a thundershirt on him?? it says on the package that they have had had good results with seperation anxiety.

Have you tried crate training? This can help with seperation anxiety as it is their own area where they feel safe. Also things like stuffed kongs are good to leave them with and can keep them amused for a while. Have you taught him bed? We use this with our dogs and it is helpful if people come round or if we are eating dinner then they go to their beds and stay there untill told (in theory, Buster still hasn't got it properly yet )

I havent got him a crate but was planning to, he does know bed, but will go to the bed then not stay in his place, he is slowly learning though. When there are no guests he will stay on his bed when told but thinks he can get away with it when their are guests over.

PoaBoss wrote:I havent got him a crate but was planning to, he does know bed, but will go to the bed then not stay in his place, he is slowly learning though. When there are no guests he will stay on his bed when told but thinks he can get away with it when their are guests over.

Just like kids - think there's people about so they can get away with more!

Haha yupp, he is just like a kid, but worse! I think when the OH and I are ready to have children Boss will have gotten me ready to have them with being so stubborn, bullheaded, and crying more then a human baby .

are you walking him? sound like hes bored to me

Hi, does he like bones? Nylabones are good, rawhide chews, treat dispensers, could try hiding treats around the room. I always leave the radio on while I'm out for some background noise.

Make sure he getting plenty of walks too x

He gets walks very regularally, 2 times a day typically, and they are between 30mins-2 hour long walks. Have tried him with rawhide, nylabones, anything, but he wont touch any toys unless they are stuffed(which ends up being ripped to shreads in a second) only likes raw bones. So today I went out and got him some cow marrow raw bones and threw them in the fridge, just gave him one and took a go hour or 2 for him to finish it and he is tuckered out, so seems like thats going to be the way to keep him occupied. now to buy a large bag of them .

Fussy buggar!

PoaBoss wrote:He gets walks very regularally, 2 times a day typically, and they are between 30mins-2 hour long walks. Have tried him with rawhide, nylabones, anything, but he wont touch any toys unless they are stuffed(which ends up being ripped to shreads in a second) only likes raw bones. So today I went out and got him some cow marrow raw bones and threw them in the fridge, just gave him one and took a go hour or 2 for him to finish it and he is tuckered out, so seems like thats going to be the way to keep him occupied. now to buy a large bag of them .

2 hours before your OH come around take him out for a good long walk take a ball with you give him a good work out and see if that work.... tired dog is a good dog, a bored dog is a problem dog......

vanessa wrote:

have you thought about trying a thundershirt on him?? it says on the package that they have had had good results with seperation anxiety.

Just picked up on the post and I was going to suggest a Thundershirt being worth a try as well, Tilly gets really chilled in the house if she wears hers, you just have to be cautious of her getting a bit over hot as the weather picks up. But other posts are all valid, plenty of exercise, dark blankets over crate if used . Why do you separate him from the room when you have guests is it over excitedness, maybe you could work more on keeping him calm around people then he can join in the fun. Staffys are so loyal they need to be around everyone and I personally can't bear to lock Tilly out of the way , she's part of the household and with us at most times.

scarletts got speration anixety really bad! she crys when i leave the house! but the one way ive found settles her is to put an old sheet, keep her crate door open o she can see out nd stick her toys in there and shes quiets down really well

I'd try walking him shortly before having guests so he will be tired. You could also use a crate or let him run free and practice leaving him alone for gradualy increasing amounts of time.

Troy had really bad anxiety and still has some to a degree.

He would actually pee and poop if I tried to shut him somewhere by himself. I never left him on his own for a good couple of weeks and when I did he was crated with a Kong with frozen treats inside. The constant working of trying to get out what was within tired him out and then he would sleep for a bit after.

I do this when I go to work in the morning and my brother go's to my house midday to walk him and gives him another frozen treat until I get back from work.

I slowly started to ask him to 'stay' while I moved around the house but with the door open. He will do as he is told now and stay downstairs but lets off the odd whine here and there. Strangely he plays up if the door is closed so got to work on that.

Troy is always exercised and gets above what is recommended. Certain assumptions do seem to become tedious after a while 'he sounds like he is not getting exercise', 'walk him more'.

Along with some of his pulling on the lead 'you need to be calm', 'dog is feeding off your emotions', 'your not hold the lead slack' etc etc.

Only if they knew! It is not as easy as Cesar Milan makes out and I don't care what anyone says LOL. But it does play a part.

Just take it step by step, it can take a while, there are plenty of techniques, just use what seems to be working.

buster gets real bad seperation anxiety when hes left alone. i think it's worse because it's so rare that we have to leave him on his own, as my girlfriend usually has him with her when she's working. usually when we leave him upstairs he pee's on the carpet, we have found that if he is exercised just before we leave him he is better but sometimes its just not possible. last night was the worst he's been. he was upstairs for 2 hours on his own and he'd pee'd in 3 different places and was barking at the stairgate. and he never usually barks at all

I was listening to a vet on the radio ( who has a 12 year old staffy himself ) and he said alot of staffys get terribly attached to their owners and are one breed know to suffer from separation anxiety..don't we know it!

Hi I'm new to the forum's. I orginally came on here for some advice about my Staffie Ralph but i started reading your post and thought i might be able to help . Ralph was a rescue Staff like alot of others he suffered terribly from separation anxiety (he once got out of the lounge and destroyed the bedroom, weed everywhere, ate the carpet, ate my shoes, and pooed on the bed) I was at my wits end! I read up about it and there are things that you can do and they really work (well for Ralph at least!). I know some have been suggested before on here but here goes -

1. Crate training - I did this by putting treats and his fav toy in his crate and when he went in made a big fuss over him

2. Leave for short periods - put him in his crate and leave the house for 5 min, I spent all day doing this gradually increase thie time period 5 min 10 min etc untill you can leave him for half an hour.

3. Don't let him follow you around the house and don't let him upstairs. It will help him get used to the idea that you may go but will always come back!

4. Thunder shirt - It is amazing the moment we put it on him he goes from 10 to 1. The way it tightens around there body is comforting to them like a permanent hug!

Its taken about 2 months but now as soon as i pick my keys up Ralph picks up his bone and wanders to his bed! No more mess, no more fuss!!

Gavyn, you have convinced me.. Im ordering Thomas a Thundershirt this afternoon!

lol. I'll be honest here it was my wifes idea! I was really sceptical, though Yeah right put a coat on him and he'll calm down, utter rubbish!! But (and this hurts!) I was wrong!!

trust me it is worth trying the thundershirt....most times I use it on Jethro it helps him..though the other night there was a really loud storm here and he woke up freaking out...I put it on him, but it did nothing..where as other times it has helped....( but Jethro is NOT your average staffy.. I have had him since a puppy and he has always been a nervous wreck!! )
I was listening to the vet on the radio again today here in Western Australia, and a few people phoned with dogs that lick everything, and another dog ...a staffy! ..threw up when it got excited .He said it is normally an anxiety issue and said they are getting some good results using thundershirts on dogs! Will be interested in how it all goes with you..keep us posted please!!

My 15 mth old staffie, Mabel, was a rescue dog and to start with suffered seperation anxiety. I would recommend, remaining calm, not making a fuss when you leave them, as though its a natural thing to do. I built up the time away from her very slowly but now, 4 months later, she's fine. I always make a fuss of her when I return. This seems to work. they can really sense when you are uptight about leaving them. good luck.