Is it seperation anxiety?

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Archie07

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I’m hoping for some advice to see if I can help my 12 year old Shih Tzu settle better when she’s home alone.

I’ll call it separation anxiety as her behaviour is – barking, accidents, generally not relaxed - but she only does this behaviour when she’s home alone, she will quite happily settle if I leave her in the car alone (obviously she is not left in the car when the weather is warm/ it’s not safe to do so). When home alone she’ll do this behaviour for a bit, then settle, then start up again, then settle – I know this as I have previously watched her via an internet cam.

She doesn’t sleep with me at night, I close doors when I’m in the bathroom/ in bed and she is fine with that. She has free range of the house when alone so I don’t know whether teaching her to crate might help? However I had tried this before and she hated it.

I’m moving in a couple of weeks and I’d really like her to be as relaxed at home alone as she is when she’s in the car alone. Any idea’s welcome.
 
Possibly try a crate again, but leave the door open? Just wondering if 'free-range' is meaning she hasn't got a place where she feels safe (as the car would be a relatively small area compared to the house). So just lots of comfy blankets/bed, toys, feed her in there when you're at home, make sure its covered with a blanket so its dark. Mine just has the living room when I'm not there, with the crate (door open), and its obvious he goes in for naps. It might help witht the house moving if the same bed/blanket was always in the crate, so its familiar when all the packing starts!
 
paisley said:
Possibly try a crate again, but leave the door open? Just wondering if 'free-range' is meaning she hasn't got a place where she feels safe (as the car would be a relatively small area compared to the house). So just lots of comfy blankets/bed, toys, feed her in there when you're at home, make sure its covered with a blanket so its dark. Mine just has the living room when I'm not there, with the crate (door open), and its obvious he goes in for naps. It might help witht the house moving if the same bed/blanket was always in the crate, so its familiar when all the packing starts!
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I think your right it could be the car is small and feels safe and she knows I'm coming back, where as in the house she's looking for me all the time and it's a much bigger space. I can try the crate again as I don't want her stressed when I'm not there, maybe confining her to one room might help too? However if I shut the door on her she hates it, but if i go in a room (ie bedroom/ bathroom) she's generally fine.
 
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