Leaving puppy alone at home

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scottieelsa

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Hi,
I'm a long time lurker but have joined up for some help.
We have a 6 month jack russell cross. She goes to work with my partner during the day, and is free to run about his yard. Is walked before bedtime and is shut in the kitchen/dining room while we are in bed.
She does this with no problem but I think it does upset her a little.
The problem is when we want to go out. For example to the supermarket or out for a meal. She finds it distressing. We understand but we want to make it easier for her.
She will be destructive but doesn't howl.
We have left the radio on, given her our clothes, she has loads of toys and we walk her before leaving her.

Friends have recommended crate training. Is she too old to start this? And do your dogs find a crate comforting?

Thanks :-)
 
She sounds stressed from being alone which is a common problem.

Crate training may well help, but the emphasis is on training. Don't expect her to just walk in the crate and that's the end of the issue. You need to introduce the crate gradually and always associate it with positive experiences before you leave her in there with the door shut.

Do you ever leave her with high value chews that will distract her? A kong stuffed with goodies that will take hours to take out, or rawhide or just experiment until you find what she really really likes.

It might also be worth trying Adaptil collars/diffusers, they work very well with some stressy dogs.
 
We do leave her with rawhide treats and this does work. I just want her to feel happy and safe when alone.
We have gradually increased the time she is left. If we need to go out for the day she goes to my mums.

With crate training do they need to be trained to be shut inside to feel secure or just have the crate there to be in as a 'safe place'?

I did look at the kong treats and will pick one up.

Should we make more of an effort to leave her alone? As it is rare and probably only once/twice a week at most?
 
Crates need to be introduced properly and 6 months is not too old. I have two males aged 14 and 10 who will gate-crash a puppy crate and curl up in it with their noses up their tails......it seriously cannot be comfortable for them as they are a 35kg GSP and a 40kg bracco, but that is their choice. Is it Cayla on here who has a 'introduce your puppy to a crate' paper? I've not read it but from her other posts I'm guessing that it would be the way to go.
 
I am going to sound like a right old woman but be careful with rawhide chews, they can unwind horribly. I give our dogs big raw marrowbones (think cows legs) or have enver used a kong but they sound safe.
Crates are fantastic, they hadn't been invented when we used to have pups but when we got the last one I don't know how we managed without.
 
my dogs both adore their crates, My bedlington went in his from day one at 8 weeks old, and my whippet I got at 7 months took to hers immediately. THey have their beds in there, and I have big blankets covering the whole cage so its more of a cave. And they will retire to their caves when they want to. If we are sitting in the lounge where the crates are they will happily put themselves to bed. If I have visitors and I dont want the dogs around I open the relevant door and the dogs go into their respective cages. They dont bother with chews, toys etc in their caves, they just sleep. Caylas notes will sort you out :)
 
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