Seperation Anxiety

bumper

bumper

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I have this lovely boy:
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Collie x golden lab x mastiff x lurcher. 8 months old and 5 stone...but a sweet soul, very obedient, will work to hand signals, and recall well. I have had him from a pup, but since then have been off work with ill health, so he has not been left alone.

I have found that if I DO leave he will chew things ..yes anno..if I leave stuff within his reach he will get them (he has plenty of his own toys and knows "leave".

I am back to work @ May I hope..away for 3 hours on 3 days, and the day I am out for 8 hours he will be with my friend in her kennels, and exercised appropriately.

I have a crate which he likes, but don't want to crate him for 3 hours...but after a 30 min walk in the morning is that the right thing to do?? If i am here he sleeps after his walk.

Any advice??
 
Yep just make sure the crate is big enough for him and he has access to water and crate him. No big deal. Most dogs feel safe in their crate.
 
Three hours is not an unreasonable amount of time for a dog to spend in a crate, especially as he will have walks and exercise before and after. Leave him with plenty of chews and he will be very happy.
 
Oh, and he likes to bark whenever we exit the car anywhere new. It's like an "hello I am here" woof. He also chases cycles, and children, whilst wagging like mad.

Yes, anno he is only 8 months but is BIG, and although I know he only wants to make friends....cyclists and children dont! I keep having to yell "its ok he is only 8 months and is not scary!!" from a distance. People have been fine with it so far.

For me, and my fiancee and children, he will politely exit any door behind, go through any door behind, without asking, and is polite on the lead.
 
As suggested use your crate, esp if he is good in it, the longer u leave him out and don't set a routine, the worse it will be when u need to leave him, crates are fab aids and should not be seen as a method of punishment, and could save his life if he happens to eat smthing he chews and it becomes a foreign body
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The key is to tire him out, like u are, and place him in the crate when u are in the house, so he does not assosiate the crate with u departing, leave the radio on, to drown out to entering and leaving(when u eventually have to do so, and leave a stimulating treat for him.
Do this frequently, when u are doing the house work and pottering around, so he gets confused as to whether u are in or out, hence he will settle more.
And never make a fuss on your arirval home, simply release him, and let him straight to the garden for his business, otherwise he will anticipate your return for the huge fuss it is.

Along period at home and time lavished/spent with a dog is the most common triggers of SA hwn the time comes to leave them for periods of time alone again.
 
Thanks everyone.....he doesn't need hours of exercise, he gets tired after 30 mins rushing around doing lurcher-tye motorbiking! He gets 30 mins in the morning and a longer walk in the afternoon. I have tried to keep to the routine I will be in when back at work , but I cant absence myself when I am here being ill!

I appreciate your point CALA, as he threw up twice yesterday after nicking a plastic chew, and consumed some of it.




S
 
We have. He has been well socialised from 12 weeks, and before that carried around the garden centre/ the yard etc. Done 3 months of puppy classes. He doesnt dislike anyone, he is just a bit overenthusiastic!
 
Maybe RS was talking about the bikes/kids thing, you'll need to nip that in the bud - I speak as the owner of a dog obessed with bikes - it was funny/charming when he was nine months old - not so much now he is 19 months and the size of a pony!
Some people don't like/are scared of large dogs charging up to them and don't know if they are friendly or not!

I have to combat this as it will be an element in a test I hope to do with him - it would have been a hell of a lot easier to train out of him if I did it when he was younger.

Not having a go or trying to speak on RS' behalf.
 
I also think you need to address the bikes/kid chasing thing. Your dog may well be absolutely harmless but for people who are scared of dogs all they see is this large animal 'attacking' them. Children in particular may get scared and that won't be pleasant for anyone.

You can work on his recall so that he returns to you even when there are distractions like bikes and/or you can work on distracting him by perhaps teaching him to target an object you are holding and rewarding him all the time the bicycle is going past, so that he stays with you. The best thing is if you have a friend who is willing to help out and ride a bike around him while you train, that way you can teach him in a controlled situation. Until then I would keep him on a lead around bikes and kids.
 
Its sounds more like boredom that SA. From what I have been told True SA is not that common, Dante was diagnosed with True Clinical SA which is a little more severe. True SA I would define as not mentally being able to cope with being left, i.e. following around the house from room to room, cant go upstairs without dog getting stressed etc.

If you have the opportunity to crate I would, 3 hrs is fine. Kongs are one toy that even motor mouth here who can destory most toys in minutes still hasnt dented.
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The best thing is if you have a friend who is willing to help out and ride a bike around him while you train, that way you can teach him in a controlled situation. Until then I would keep him on a lead around bikes and kids.

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^^^ That's exactly what I am doing! Not a lot of people want to volunteer to be guinea pig, for some strange reason....

OP, as with any recall training, you have to make sure YOU are more interesting and fun than everything else - kids, bikes whatever.

I managed to get three down-stays in a row out of him yesterday and that is a minor miracle - I wondered if he'd been swapped with another dog
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Having friends help is the best way to get over these problems as you can also prep the friends on how to react so as not to provoke more undesidable behaviour. For example, many people faced with a dog running at them may run off or squeal and shout all of which incourages the dog to get more excited and chase. The 'victim' should always ignore unwanted behaviour and not respond to it.

If you can get some confident kids to help you ask them ignore your dog as he runs up to them by crossing their arms and turning their backs on him.
 
I took all your comments on board. We *did* cyclists at the weekend with the aid of pals.....and with LEAVE (and ahem...sausages) huge puppy will now turn his face from them. Tried it out the next day sans pals/sausages...he got it.

Bless him he knew LEAVE b4, but not re cyclists. You lot are brilliant!!!

Also left him for 3 hrs today, with the TV on, and huge chew. The last time I did that he ate my lovely Fat Face flip flops, and most of the butter, and the kitten (joking!)
 
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