This is going to be a challenge!!!!

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Parkranger

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Been taking Archie out on the long line and he's slowly starting to pay a bit more attention to my presence while we're out although I'm still trying to find something that will trigger him! Tennis balls, roast chicken, sausages - all lovely at home but really not worth coming back for when he's out! I have brought some frank furters so will try them later. I'm also booking him onto a beginners gundog course so hopefully that will help him a bit. He's only 18 months so hopefully not too old to train.

The other issue we need to overcome is that he is not feeling being left on his own!!

My fault as since Friday he's bascially spent all his time with me. I went to the shop last night (for 5 mins) came home and he was barking the house down. Took him for a long walk this morning and popped him back in the kitchen (with a baby gate) and went to shop again. Came back and again he was barking the house down! I let him out and have ignored him since. I'm going to pop him in the stable tonight while I lunge (YO said it's ok, and will ignore him if he barks) and I think I need to distance myself from him a bit now.

I'm working from home this week so I think I'm going to leave him in the kitchen for prolonged periods and hope he settles. I realise that it's all new for him though......just hope he can settle!

Any tips gratefully received!
 
Henry was 18 months old when I got him, so no it is absolutely not too late:)

It is still very early days, and he is probably still feeling quite unsettled after coming to live with you. Leave him with a stuffed Kong, and I always leave the radio on for Henry too (Classic FM as he is a very classy mutt, and also it is generally quite soothing!).

When I first got Henry, he stuck to me like glue, I tried everything to get him to settle in a different room! I had no baby gate so made various Heath Robinson barricades of chairs, clothes horses, boxed and laundry baskets, all of which he demolished in seconds:eek: I would recommend crate training him, as this will give him a little secure space all of his own, and means that he can't do any damage to the house or more importantly to himself (I will be getting some wood filler shortly as I've only just noticed a deep channel Henry has gouged into a door frame trying to escape:mad:). Cayla is crate queen and can give you advice on how to go about it.

Henry is now much better - he still protests loudly if I shut him in another room to myself, but if I actually leave the house he is fine and settles in. He also often takes himself off to his crate - known as the Man Cave - all by himself for a bit of relaxation and 'him' time:)

His recall will improve a bit as he bonds with you as well although it is still going to be difficult! But it is achievable, as hen and I prove (although saying that the dreaded long-line was back out this morning as Henry is feeling better and making up for lost time...)
 
I should have realised there would be a problem when I went for a pub roast with my friend yesterday - I went to pay the bill and Archie got so upset!

He's wimpering in the kitchen downstairs now - it's heartbreaking but I keep popping down every 10/15 so he knows I'm coming back.

I think crate training may be the way forward for him....he's such a lovely little dog but obviously this is all very overwhelming for him.

Worse thing is when I go downstairs, he has the most gorgeous sad face and I just want to give him a massive hug.....but I don't.....

ahhhhh, he's finally gone quiet!
 
Welcome to the world of spangles!! :D:D:D

To be honest you are doing the right things - it will just take time for him to settle to you and your routine. When Sweep went through a barking phase I just shut him out in the garden with a bone and ignored him only letting him in when he stopped barking - as soon as he started again he went out - didn't take long to work it out as spangles aren't as stupid as they look!!;):D:D:D
 
Good! Nice to know that I'm going down the right path.

We will have another dog living with us from Saturday which is going to make life a bit easier I think.....a lovely little black lab bitch who is very well behaved so hopefully she'll keep him company.

It's funny how they latch onto one person so quickly and I'm quite glad that I'll have 2 lodgers in the house as I do think some dogs aren't great in a single household as it tends to feed their separation anxiety.

He's only wimpering slightly now.......hopefully he'll fall asleep.

Will go and get him a kong in a bit and hopefully that will help but he's just not about food at all!

Decided that he'll get breakfast and tea after his walks now so he's hungry and more likely to pay attention to the recall treats.
 
We haven't had the attachment problem too much as our spangles were older (2 1/2 and 3) when we got them and are attached to each other, plus were completely without human company in their previous home :x

Our recall was hopeless until we got a dog whistle and now a short whistle on that and you get knocked off in the rush to come back. not sure if they were trained to a whistle before or if it's just luck but has been very effective :D
 
You are doing the right thing, and it is horrible - I remember sitting on my stairs marooned until Henry stopped crying so I could go back in, and I'd only been to the loo!

I wish I had crate trained Henry right from the start as it would have saved so much trouble, and it makes life much easier when we go off on our travels too as he always has a nice little secure, familiar, safe space to sleep in.

I know I say this a lot :o but it did take Henry a good 6 months to be really settled with me, which I can only see now with the benefit of hindsight. Now of course he feels totally secure and drives me nuts regularly as a result:rolleyes::D Wouldn't change him though!
 
hee hee - just want to do whats best by him really......

anyway, he's settling now - we're just getting a little wimper every now and again......

I'm not sure whether to leave him for an hour then take him to pets at home for a kong etc and then bring him back and put him in the kitchen for a while?

Don't want overkill but I'm away for work next Tuesday and Wednesday (both half days) so we need to crack this asap!

I am looking into doggy day care aswell for him .......
 
Parkranger said:
hee hee - just want to do whats best by him really......

anyway, he's settling now - we're just getting a little wimper every now and again......

I'm not sure whether to leave him for an hour then take him to pets at home for a kong etc and then bring him back and put him in the kitchen for a while?

Don't want overkill but I'm away for work next Tuesday and Wednesday (both half days) so we need to crack this asap!

I am looking into doggy day care aswell for him .......
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If he's settling now, leave him until he is quiet, then go back down calmly, don't make a big fuss, to show it is no big deal to you. I wouldn't push it as far as an hour if he has nothing to occupy him at the moment as he may be making his own fun;)

I would take him and get a kong, then go for a good long walk so he is nice and tired, then stuff the king with yummies - peanut butter is excellent, as is philadelphia cheese, and nice bits of smelly hard cheese, or chicken, or something else yummy. Set him up with the kong and stick the radio on - you will most likely find he will carry his prize off to his bed anyway as hernry always does! Then just calmly leave the room, shut the door, and leave him to it for a bit.

When you are away, stuff the kong the night before and freeze it as it will then last even longer:)

That's what I'd do anyway:)
 
well I've just let him out - ignored him for a bit and then had a play and now put him back with a bone.....i think a kong would be better as he's really not interested in much if I'm not with him.

He's wimpering now but luckily next door are out.....ooooo and here comes the barking.

I can't believe he was never noisy with his last owner though? Maybe it is just nerves and moving home - must be a big thing for him.
 
It is a big thing - he has gone from being with the family that had him since a puppy to a strange environment with strange people, and he doesn't understand why. It's going to take a while before he feels really secure again. But you are doing the right thing, as if you pander to him and comfort him too much he will never learn to be self-sufficient and cope with being left. At the moment you are his little security blanket, but as he gradually settles he will take more of an interest in other stuff like food etc without needing you there to hold his paw.

How is he at night - where does he sleep?
 
Parkranger said:
well I've just let him out - ignored him for a bit and then had a play and now put him back with a bone.....i think a kong would be better as he's really not interested in much if I'm not with him.

He's wimpering now but luckily next door are out.....ooooo and here comes the barking.

I can't believe he was never noisy with his last owner though? Maybe it is just nerves and moving home - must be a big thing for him.
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He will be out of sorts for a while as it is a big change for him - new house, new owner, new smells etc etc He will settle but it will take time to recognise your routine. Try and stick what will be a 'normal' routine from the start as it will help in the long run.:)

You could give him some Rescue Remedy - either on a biscuit or in his water. It may help to take the edge of his frazzled spangley nerves.;):D
 
QR don't feed him before you take him out. If he's full, he won't work for food. It isn't cruel, he is just getting his daily or twice daily allocation from your pocket, not a bowl. If he learns that all food comes from YOU, not a sack or a bowl, he will be keen to pay you more attantion.

As the others, I think it is perfectly healthy that dogs learn to spend time on their own, it is early days, keep it up :) he is of course unsettled at the move, give him time.
 
Agree with CC, he needs to be hungry before what you have appeals to him. Like I said before, Otto is the least food-motivated dog I know. He loves eating in the house, but take him outside and running around is far more exciting! However, get him hungry and have some stinky chicken (massive chunks, not just tiny bits) and he will do backflips for it.

Spaniels do suffer from seperation anxiety as a breed, so it's not hugely suprising given the move etc that he is objecting so strongly, you also managed to pick the most vocal Spaniel - Cockers are barky dogs! :D
Just keep doing what you are doing, but don't expect him to have improved much in a week. It took Otto at least 6 months for him to be settled when we are out. A crate has been our life-saver as our house is open plan. He now takes himself to his crate as soon as he thinks we're going out without him.
 
thanks guys - CC I've already decided to walk him on an empty stomach.....made that decision this morning when his spaniel ears stopped working again!

Well we're on our third round of kitchen stays and he's alot more settled this time. He's having a bit of a grumble to himself but is much quieter.

I'm going to organise a dog walker for every Thurs/Fri and start that this week - helps again with his routine and hopefully I can swap and change those two days over every week to suit where I am working.

Thanks for all the advice - just a bit nervy as I really want to do this right.

Spudlet, he's in my room in a bed on the floor. I know it's not ideal but he slept on his old owners bed and I jsut figured that too much change too quickly would be a nightmare. I also can't have him barking all night in the kitchen downstairs - luckily my neighbours are out during the day.

Well he's quiet as a mouse now......and playing with his ball I think!
 
Kirstyhen is quite accurate...Cockers are known for being vocal.

Harvey barks to go out, barks for food, barks for attention and just...well....barks for the sheer delight of hearing his own voice! :D

They ignore him at Dogskool. They say "arrr well, it's a Cocker, what do you expect?" if I apologise for his incessant barking at me when HE thinks it's time he got another treat reward!
 
He only barks when he's stressed - he's actually very quiet all other times! I actually wondered if he did bark but my oh my, didn't I find out last night when I left him for 5 mins.

I've just left him again and he's very quiet. I have a horrible feeling at the leftover spag bol is being hoovered out of the bin as we speak............although I daren't look!
 
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