separation anxiety

NiceNeverNaughty

NiceNeverNaughty

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is there anyone on here really experienced with this ?

I have 3 wonderful spaniels, a Sprocker (dog), a WCS(dog) and a young ESS (bitch).

My young bitch is 6 months and is a dream, but she wants to live in my pocket. This is not an issue as Im at home all the time and she is literally is my shadow. She is crate trained and has been from 10 weeks old but due to soiling we went through all the usual steps to reduce the space, look at feeding etc etc. Her small crate is so portable that I began moving it around with me in the house and popping her in so I could keep an eye on her. We got to the stage where if I pop out for a couple of hours she is fine, but, I cant seem to wean her out of our bedroom!! We have never had dogs sleeping in our room, they all sleep in the utility room! The past 2 months I have been taking her little cage into our room, beside my side of the bed in an effort to hear her if she shows any signs of needing the loo, so I can get up quickly and whisk her out. The thing is.... when her cage is beside my bed I swear she would sleep for 20 hours straight and do nothing!!!! As soon as I put the same crate and bedding into the utility room with the others, I get up to a smelly mess, no matter how early :( Any pearls of wisdom? Hoping there is something I havent thought of.
 
Following with interest. My lurcher would sleep all day on my bed with me! Soon as we are up and about she’s my shadow. It’s very wearing. She’s a rescue and has improved massively from when we first got her just need to wean her off us a bit. Good luck with the cute little spaniel.
 
It isn't something that I have ever dealt with to much of a degree, that is why I like to have multiple dogs but I realise that you do have 3. However, I would suggest that moving the crate into the utility room is too big a step for her, I would move the crate nearer to the bedroom door, then onto the landing and so on. I would also try to get her more attached to the older dogs, so that she is happier to stay with them for company. Could you put an old jumper of yours in the crate with her to act as a comfort blanket?
 
NeverEver said:
is there anyone on here really experienced with this ?

I have 3 wonderful spaniels, a Sprocker (dog), a WCS(dog) and a young ESS (bitch).

My young bitch is 6 months and is a dream, but she wants to live in my pocket. This is not an issue as Im at home all the time and she is literally is my shadow. She is crate trained and has been from 10 weeks old but due to soiling we went through all the usual steps to reduce the space, look at feeding etc etc. Her small crate is so portable that I began moving it around with me in the house and popping her in so I could keep an eye on her. We got to the stage where if I pop out for a couple of hours she is fine, but, I cant seem to wean her out of our bedroom!! We have never had dogs sleeping in our room, they all sleep in the utility room! The past 2 months I have been taking her little cage into our room, beside my side of the bed in an effort to hear her if she shows any signs of needing the loo, so I can get up quickly and whisk her out. The thing is.... when her cage is beside my bed I swear she would sleep for 20 hours straight and do nothing!!!! As soon as I put the same crate and bedding into the utility room with the others, I get up to a smelly mess, no matter how early :( Any pearls of wisdom? Hoping there is something I havent thought of.
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Purely out of interest, is the utility room the same temperature as your bedroom? I would say there's a chance your pup might be not so warm as she is when the crates in your room. And if you wake up in the night, whats the first thing you tend to do- go for a wee?
Other tham that, I would try and make the utility room where she gets fed, has a nap after a walk, etc. And its fine to pop her in the crate with a chew/something nice, then go about the house and do other stuff out of sight, during the day.
 
When you do put the crate in the utility do you get up in the night to take her out? I've never had dogs upstairs but do get up in the night with puppies (twice to start with then going down to one and eventually nothing) to let them out to toilet.
 
I have dealt with such problems many times when I used to run a dog charity overseas. The other answers are exactly right in advising gradual steps with the crate. Also during the day you need to move away from her wanting to be 'in your pocket'. Take baby steps. If she is lying under your feet while you work put a bed a few metres away and have her stay there. Praise her and give treats for good behaviour, if she moves from the bed to come to you just quietly take her back there until she understands what she should do. Take it slowly, short periods at first. Gradually move the bed further away and keep her there for longer times. Work up to her being in another room behind a baby gate. Firstly for a short time in a room where she can see you, moving towards eventually having her happy for you to close the door and leave her to relax with the other dogs. if you have a spare old laptop you can open a skype connection to watch what is going on if you want to.

That she is ok to be left for a couple of hours when you go out is great. You must keep doing this so that she remains used to it as a normal event.

If it is the cold that is bothering her then is it possible for the target to be for her to sleep in the kitchen instead of the utility room? The accidents could be due to the stress of being cold as they do not usually deliberately soil their crates.

Good luck.
 
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