Dog Alone Training ... Help Needed!!

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Kes1

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We are really struggling to train our Cockapoo to be happy to be left alone during the day. He is 10 weeks old, he sleeps through the night with no distress or noise in his crate and is picking up all other training well. However as soon as we crate him during the day he barks, howls and cries very loudly. As he is happy to settle in there at night we are confused why he dislikes it during the day. Any tips or recommendations would be welcome! Thanks.
 
How long is he being left for? At ten weeks he is too young to be left in a crate in a house for a working day with nobody coming in to let him out. Apologies if this is not the case.
He's also a cross of two breeds which can have a tendency to be clingy/neurotic and vocal.

The short answer is that you can't train a dog to do anything when you're not there in the room with it.
You either need to train him to be in and out of the crate when you are at home, practicing going out and coming back or have someone come in to see him at lunchtimes.

Just shutting him in there and leaving him to it during the day is like throwing him out of a plane with no parachute.

Do you give him any positive association like feeding him before you go/feed him in the crate? This also makes up some of the training explained above and something like a frozen Kong would keep him occupied.

Do you make a huge fuss of him when you leave and come back? Hint - don't.
 
i started leaving my puppy in the crate for very short time daily while i was at home and tried to make it a nice place to be, after 2 weeks i then started leaving him when i went to ride (didnt ride for the first 2 weeks) for about 2 hours at a time...he is now 18 weeks and is fine being left although he does have my other dog in the room and also i leave the radio on low...it is a long process and dont forget a 10 week old puppy wont have much control of their bladder and also needs company especially if you dont have another dog...its not fair to expect a young puppy who has just leave its mum and siblings to be able to cope completely alone for any length of time...
 
Puppies generally come from littermates and having a parent around. then people get them home and expect them to cope. some are fine from the offset, some take longer.

With mine I would pop him in the crate for small amounts of time and build up, always getting him out before he started to get anxious. I also had to get him used the the van and did the same there. a 10 week old pup needs to be going out very frequently too-half hourly probably, his bladder will be tiny.

make his crate a nice place to be, maybe even put a small towel or something that smells of you in there, a kong etc-make sure he's not need to go out and has had a bit of a play (but not over tired).
 
Mine are put in the crate with their dinner and I don't leave the room to start with. I have three friends with cockerpoos and only one manages to leave hers though, they can be strong willed, you need to be very consistent.
 
Great replies Kes, I don't need to put my spoke in! However I will be back to stage one training with an 8 week old in another week, so will see if mine adapts to a crate and little bits of time alone.
 
Thanks for your reply, he is not being left home alone for all day or long periods, we would just like him to be happy with his own company as there will be times when we will go out and he will be left for a few hours which we don't want to come as a surprise for him when this happens in the future. He follows us room to room and I am concerned he will develop separation anxiety if we don't get him used to his own space.

He is very good at holding his bladder and goes all night without going in his crate and waits until the morning. His crate is also already a happy place for him, he goes in there to sleep and as I said at night he settles no problem and does not cry or make a noise.

When left on his own during the day he is making a lot of noise and we have left him until he stops (usually around 30 - 40 minutes) but although he'll play on his own when we are in the room he stops as soon as we leave.
 
Sounds like you are doing it all right. Does he have a cuddly toy? (I am dredging a bit here!) Hopefully he will slowly get more used to it, have you tried a Kong?
 
Do not let him follow you room to room as this won't help.
Spend the time you have with him during this time teaching him to be on his own. Make being on his own a positive experience.

From an early age the last thing I did before I left my dog was feed him.
When he was a youngster he used to start whining when my hairdryer turned off in the mornings, not because he was sad I was going, but happy that he was getting food.
 
I don't think it sound very confusing. Being alone when your circadian rhythm tells you to spend the time sleeping, is not the same as being alone in a confined area, during daytime, when your instincts tells you that you should spend most of the time awake, exploring your closest surroundings, learning to be a dog, and most importantly, do those things together with/not too far away from your littermates or other family members.

Dogs are individuals, what one puppy is ready to learn at a certain age, other puppies might not be ready to learn yet.

Besides staying in the room, and try training being in the crate at day for shorter moments than what you're currently doing, you can put some really tasty gnaw bones in the cage. If you're already doing that, try other types of tasty gnaw bones.
If you have a Kong toy, try filling it with e.g. carrot puree, put it in the freezer, and when it is frozen, leave it with the puppy in the cage.
Try buying an Adaptil plug-in diffuser device, and see if that helps. http://www.adaptil.com/uk/
 
Yes he is having lots of toys in there with him and also has a kong, he will pay interest in both until we walk away which is when he barks.

I understand there is a difference between day and night, however I was trying to explain that it isn't his crate or safe area he isn't comfy in and it's just when we walk away.

I am currently leaving him there, walking away for a few seconds then returning when he is quiet and rewarding him, in addition to this he is starting to respond to me saying quiet but only for a few seconds.

I know it isn't natural for him to be left alone but I don't want him to develop a need to be next to us at all times.
 
Kes1 said:
Thanks for your reply, he is not being left home alone for all day or long periods, we would just like him to be happy with his own company as there will be times when we will go out and he will be left for a few hours which we don't want to come as a surprise for him when this happens in the future. He follows us room to room and I am concerned he will develop separation anxiety if we don't get him used to his own space.

He is very good at holding his bladder and goes all night without going in his crate and waits until the morning. His crate is also already a happy place for him, he goes in there to sleep and as I said at night he settles no problem and does not cry or make a noise.

When left on his own during the day he is making a lot of noise and we have left him until he stops (usually around 30 - 40 minutes) but although he'll play on his own when we are in the room he stops as soon as we leave.
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you are on the right track. get a child gate so he cant follow you room to room (but you can keep an ear out) so he get used to the concept that you leave the room-but then you come back (dont make a song or dance about either). Start off leaving for 30s, then come back into view-dont necessarily pay him any attention, he just wants to know you are about and then build up, keep it quite random but keep the timings short at first. when he is being quiet/amusing himself (but not by eating the remote control) then reward him by praise/coming back in etc.

same with crate training, short times at first when he's more likely to sleep ie after play and emptying his bladder, after food etc. I always get mine into the routine that they are fed then they rest in their crates for at least an hour (be less for a tiny puppy). cuddly toy or mine had a couple of cute blankets that he liked to sleep on as well.

It sounds like a cross that is going to need some perseverance with for this but it needs done.
 
Thank you for the reassurance, it was beginning to feel like he would never stop and it is distressing to hear them so unhappy but I know not to return when he is loud and in turn praise this.

I have been trying to move him and settle him in there when he falls asleep at our feet but again he becomes unsettled as soon as he is separated.

I will keep going and hopefully persistence will pay off!
 
If he loses interest in his toys + gnaw bones as soon as you leave him during daytime, and basically only focuses on that you're leaving him alone, I hope you do buy an Adaptil plug-in diffuser. It is not a miracle cure, but it often helps making behaviour like his, more manageable.
 
Kes1 said:
Thank you for the reassurance, it was beginning to feel like he would never stop and it is distressing to hear them so unhappy but I know not to return when he is loud and in turn praise this.
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ideally you dont want him to get so distressed. does he start creating loudly straight away?
 
It is a very gradual process. For now just make your aim to put him in the crate for very short periods during the day with you sat next to him, ideally when he is very tired and wants to sleep. Perhaps try doing this in the evening, if you find he is happy to settle down in the crate for the night. So if you usually put him to bed at 10 pm, then at 9pm pop him in his crate and sit next to him for a few minutes, then let him come out again. Once he is relaxed like this, the next time shut the crate door, but still stay with him. You want to break the association of him being in the crate with being left alone. Then you can start doing this exercise earlier in the evening, and then during the day. As he is still very small at the moment you might want to get a portable crate (which can be used in the car as well) and pop him in there and have him right next to you when you are watching TV or are on the computer. This is what I did with both my pups. Once he realises it is OK to be in the crate during the day, you can progress to leaving the room for a couple of minutes - time it for when he is really sleepy and dozy to start with. You can then build up the time you leave the room for very gradually. Then work towards picking up your keys and handbag and going out the door, but coming back in within a minute. If he is relaxed with this you can slowly build up the time he is alone.
 
Yes it is straight away on us leaving, even if he is busy with his kong he stops. I have just looked into the plug in's online thank you for the suggestion, I will try that!

Thank you for the crate tips too, I will try this too! Really appreciate all the advice ��
 
Kes1 said:
... it was beginning to feel like he would never stop and it is distressing to hear them so unhappy ...
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Don't forget that he is only 10 weeks old. Try and relax, there is lots of time left for him to learn both to be alone at daytime, and lots of other things. As far as I know, there is no rule saying that if a puppy haven't learnt to be alone at daytime by e.g. 12 weeks of age, they will never learn to be alone at daytime.

Something else I want to suggest for you to try, is to close the door to a room, and hide/spread out several super tasty, maybe a bit smelly, not too big gnaw bones in it. Open the door when you're finished (regardless of what he's doing), and go and sit down in another room. If he wants the gnaw bones, he has to leave you, and go to the other room. At first he will probably take a bone, and come back to you to gnaw on it. That is why they shouldn't be too big, because then it will soon be gone, and he has to leave you again, to go and get himself another bone...
You could variate this exercise by throwing out treats over the floor, and if he wants them, he has to leave you, go to the other room, and stay there long enough to find them all.

That way, the training isn't always about you leaving him, without also about him learning that it can be okay for him to leave you, and choose to be in another room on his own for a little while.
If the treats or gnaw bones isn't tempting enough for him, try others, until you find something which he does find tempting enough. If he's not food oriented, use dog toys.
 
Don't understand why anyone is crating a pet dog (a) at all or (b) during the day? That is unlikely to be helping... being shut in a small box alone is not preferable to being left in the house alone when at least one can wonder around, stretch legs, play etc.

I trained an adult dog quite to be left recently. Mine was smart enough that feeding before leaving simply stressed him at all meal times because he'd run around looking for me going instead of settling to eat. Obviously a more food oriented animal might feel differently. So, treat that idea with caution. After eating could also work.

But, TBH, they are pack/group animals. They'll hate being left. At any age. If you can minimise that/get another dog for company that will be better. You're not really training them to be OK with it by ignoring barking etc, you're training them that no-one cares when they bark.

The short periods of time and always coming back (especially the always coming back, no matter what), ideally in some semblance of routine, so they can learn to rely on your return, does give them confidence.

Edited to add:whilst I don't go for OTT partings I do always say good bye and tell mine he is to do good staying as, whilst he isn't keen, he does appreciate having a 'job' to do.
 
GirlFriday said:
Don't understand why anyone is crating a pet dog (a) at all or (b) during the day?
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Because a young pup, rather like a baby human, has no idea of danger and can get themselves into a lot of trouble when unsupervised. We put baby humans in a cot overnight and for short periods during the day, so as to keep them safe, and putting a pup in a crate performs a similar function. A crate should not be used, however, to leave a pup home alone for long periods of time, and the aim is to train them so they can be left uncrated when unsupervised. Learning to be calmly confined to a crate at times is also a useful thing for a dog to learn to accept, as it may be necessary when travelling, at the vets and when recovering from serious injury.
 
Ah, you see I was imagining a crate, as in a box thing not much bigger than a bed, not a puppy pen thing like a child's play pen. Still, most people who can have a dog could make at least one room 'safe' and use a child gate.

Edited to add: WRT being in a crate for e.g. vet training... I don't train myself (or child, or dog) to be bed ridden just in case I fall off a pony and have to spend some time in hospital. I'm OK with taking that risk. I mean for the training to be really applicable in every health circumstance you'd have to crate a dog constantly for weeks and I'd not want that.
 
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GirlFriday said:
Don't understand why anyone is crating a pet dog (a) at all or (b) during the day? That is unlikely to be helping... being shut in a small box alone is not preferable to being left in the house alone when at least one can wonder around, stretch legs, play etc.
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Our ten week old puppy (terrier, so totally different and much more independent than the OP's pup) will crate himself - it's his safe space where he can relax and sleep. The other night he climbed in, unasked, and curled up to go to bed. Plus I know he's as safe as he possibly can be in there, so I can go out or go upstairs and not have to worry that he's eating lino or weeing on the floor. The kitchen is puppy proofed and baby gated off but he's into everything - left to his own devices he'd probably eat his toilet pads. He sleeps so much - once he's bigger and a) doesn't need so much sleep and b) is fully toilet trained, we won't shut him in, but for now the crate is an absolute lifesaver for all of us. It's probably technically a bit big for him - he can play with toys, potter around it, or stretch out fully and still have plenty of space. I have turned into a cratevangelist (although I realise that nothing works for everyone)
 
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The only thing I would add is that you need to be careful with praise when you return. I understand you don't want to go back in when they are barking as then they may think barking brought you back. But ultimately you want coming and going- even if just into the room next door- to not be a big deal. So personally even if they are quiet just walk back in and sit down- don't pay them any attention- as it's not a big deal.

I got a 2yo rescue collie who apparently used to be left long hours and would soil. The first couple of days she would howl and panic poo if you even walked upstairs without her. But with time- I perpously popped upstairs for just a few minutes at a time and made no fuss each time I came back. Until it was boring!

Other people may disagree- but if you wait outside until he stops barking- which you said can be 30 minutes- surely he could think you came back because of barking, not because he has been quiet for a minute?

Also my rescue, who does have a bit of seperation anxiety still after 5 months of gradual training, is not a foody- she used to refuse dinner unless I sat with her. But I experimented and smelly tripe and crunchy fish treats were most popular and she could not resist them.

Waffles on sorry... try not to worry too much- they are so young
 
You can buy blankets for crates that are black but have airholes in them. They may help with the settling in process. They also help with air flow especially when the nights are so warm.
 
GirlFriday said:
Ah, you see I was imagining a crate, as in a box thing not much bigger than a bed, not a puppy pen thing like a child's play pen. Still, most people who can have a dog could make at least one room 'safe' and use a child gate.
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I'm not sure why you are talking about children's play pens, when I specifically mentioned a baby's cot which is a small confined bed-sized area?

And no, you can't always make one room dog safe, especially in our electronic era with things like electric wires about - I have a small house and don't have a room that I can guarantee to be puppy safe. I've known of people who 'thought' their pup was in a 'safe room' and ended up with injuries or worse from chewing wires, eating remote controls etc. So whilst pups are in that 'exploring everything with their teeth stage' I keep them crated when unsupervised, which in effect is from 10pm at night to 6am in the morning, and one to two hours during the day if I have to pop out. Current pup is now 10 months old and no longer needs to be shut in.

Edited to add: WRT being in a crate for e.g. vet training... I don't train myself (or child, or dog) to be bed ridden just in case I fall off a pony and have to spend some time in hospital. I'm OK with taking that risk. I mean for the training to be really applicable in every health circumstance you'd have to crate a dog constantly for weeks and I'd not want that.
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What a ridiculous comparison! A human is already used to sleeping in a bed, so whilst being in bed in a hospital may be boring, it is not a hugely unfamiliar thing for them. Whereas if a dog has never been introduced to being confined to a crate before, it might find it distressing to be suddenly shut in, as there is unlikely to be time for a gradual crate-training process to take place in an emergency situation. Plus as said above, learning to accept confinement in a crate is useful for when the dog travels as well. Are you opposed to having dogs crated in a car as well?
 
agree with you TGM, very logical thinking. i was pleased my collie was crate trained when she had an operation and had to be kept quiet so it was very useful if i had to go out. my new pup is in his crate when i am out and also at night because he is into everything and i also have a small house and no where safe to keep him shut in... GF seems to have some very odd ideas about both horses and dogs IMO....
 
I look at crate training as a life skill, same as a horse thats happy to be stabled-when something happens you don't want the added stress of an animal thats not used to being kept in.

My two each have one of those big whelping pens you get as opposed to a crate. I'm kind of surprised neither has come out over the top but they haven't-they like it in there.
 
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