How To Stop Dog Howling And Barking When Left Alone

[tuppy]

We have a beautiful 2 y o desexed male Cocker. Bought him this year. We are retired, he lives indoors and out and spends his time mainly downstairs with my husband with access outside. Whenever we have to go out without him during the day, we put him outside with his mat and toys on a covered verandah. As well, his carrying crate is left open with rug inside beside his toys. However, we hear him howling and barking on our return and need to stop this behaviour, as there are other dogs in the neighborhood that are left all day and are completely quiet. Unfortunately, other than locking him in the laundry where he spends his nights, he can't be left alone in the room he spends most of the day, too many valuables.

One afternoon, we had to leave him for a few hours, came home at dark, neighbour told us he knew we were out, our dog hadn't stopped howling and barking.

He is walked every day....

Some suggestions would be appreciated.......

[melinda10786]

When we just had Monte (also a cocker), I used to leave things for him to do and find, so he had a Kong or a treat ball to play with, treats scattered around the yard and toys to hunt for. I always made sure I left with minimal fuss. I found that leaving him with the Kong, he was so enthralled with getting stuck into it, he never realised I was gone. I also rotated toys so he never had the same ones. Just a couple should be enough.

Sometimes, wearing them out before you go out helps, but obviously you can't do this everytime, but even just so quick training or throwing a toy, can tire them quickly. Mine also have access to the garage during the day, which forms part of their outside area with their beds, water bowl etc. Can he have access to your laundry, if that's where he sleeps, that may offer him an alternative to sitting outside.

PS - would love to see photos of Tuppy :)

[mita]

The only time your Cocker is confined to that outside area under the covered verandah, is when you are out. So he associates that place with your not being there. And he's barking to 'demand' you come back.

We had a sheltie with separation anxiety like that & we were advised by a dog behaviourist to set up the place where the dog would be, when we were out. But to train the dog to spend some time there.....even when we were home. Could you use the laundry for that? He's already used to being alone there at night.

Make all the good things happen for the dog there....like gets meals, chews bones, has toys etc. Most importantly put some items there that have you scent on them....old unwashed T-shirts & rub your hands all over his toys to transfer scents. The owners' scent makes a substitute for their presence, to a dog. Leave a radio playing way up out of chewing range. If toileting is a concern....rig up a simple indoor toilet using landscaping grass.

If your dog gets used to the fact that this is a 'good', Being Alone place, which isn't just connected with you not being there....then it's less a big deal when you go out.

It also makes less a deal out of it...if you settle the dog in that place a little while (15 mins?) before you go. After that you ignore him completely until you go. When you come home, ignore him for 10 mins after you leave him out of his 'place'. No eye contact, no patting, turn your back if he jumps up. Only when he's quiet, then call him for his pats.

Also, your Cocker is using his voice to demand your attention 'come back', when he's alone. So, when you are with him, never reward him with attention if he uses his voice. Only give him good things when he's quiet....like treats, meals, pats etc. If he makes a demanding noise, turn your back. Only when he's quiet, give him the good thing. The penny will eventually drop that using his voice to 'demand' something doesn't work. But being quiet makes good things happen.

We were greatly helped by the dog behaviorist. It was money well spent, because our sheltie's behaviour changed.

Edited May 25, 2012 by mita

[Nadsi]

I agree with Mita, make that area his favourite place by playing with him there, giving him meals and treats only there, etc. My boy eventually got over being separated, and spends his time sleeping or chewing on stuff. I recommend giving him 'thinking' toys as well, like a Kong Genius toy or a bob-a-lot; any of those smart toys he can be left alone with (obviously not Nina Ottosson puzzles though, while they're great, they have a lot of small pieces/can be destroyed without supervision). That should keep him busy for a while, especially if he's food driven. My Brittany isn't so much food driven as he is smell driven, so I hide a couple of bacon bits in with the kibble for him to hunt out, it keeps him going back for it.

[tuppy]

Thanks for the very good ideas.......he lives with his toys and loves them, but when we're out, I notice they are left on the grass, not even those keep him happy when outdoors alone. For security purposes our laundry, his bedroom, has 2 external doors which are bolted and an internal door, which is not. The internal door is open all day being the laundry, but he is fed outdoors. His access to outdoors is through the room he shares during the day with us.

Perhaps purchasing a few new toys and swapping them about may help......he is certainly food driven......I left him a brisket bone once, it had almost gone before I had and there he was waiting to get back inside:-))

We may have to find a way to isolate the laundry area, dead lock the internal door and hope he doesn't scratch that door to pieces in the meanwhile. Shall practise over the weekend and see how we fair.

Thanks again.

[mita]

Tuppy, don't forget to leave things with your scent on.....in the place where he'll spend Being Alone time. And rub the palms of your hands all over his toys. The owners' scent brings comfort to a dog. The dog behaviourist stressed this, to us. You said your Cocker spends a lot of time with your husband so it'd be his scent to get on the Being Alone items.

If you train him, first, to be in his Being Alone spot in little bits....while you're still home....it won't be such a big step-up to leaving him there when you go out. You don't always have to close the laundry door when you do it. If he has a bed there.....that's where you'd go to give him a treat, a bone, a new toy or whatever. Where he'll happily settle to deal with it. You want that Being Alone spot to be somewhere that your dog happily goes himself.

Every dog is different and everybody's set-up is different, so you could always consider getting a dog behaviourist to come figure out a plan.

[tuppy]

Tuppy, don't forget to leave things with your scent on.....in the place where he'll spend Being Alone time. And rub the palms of your hands all over his toys. The owners' scent brings comfort to a dog. The dog behaviourist stressed this, to us. You said your Cocker spends a lot of time with your husband so it'd be his scent to get on the Being Alone items.

If you train him, first, to be in his Being Alone spot in little bits....while you're still home....it won't be such a big step-up to leaving him there when you go out. You don't always have to close the laundry door when you do it. If he has a bed there.....that's where you'd go to give him a treat, a bone, a new toy or whatever. Where he'll happily settle to deal with it. You want that Being Alone spot to be somewhere that your dog happily goes himself.

Every dog is different and everybody's set-up is different, so you could always consider getting a dog behaviourist to come figure out a plan.

Thanks Mita, you're very helpful. I'll try a couple of ideas this weekend.......see how we go.

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

my dog can be quite stressed about me going out, and when she's stressed she won't eat anything and she won't play with her toys. She either sleeps, sulks?, or screams. She's pretty much quit screaming - because I won't go to her if she's yelling. Ie if your dog is yelling when you get home, don't let it in until it stops. The first time - that stop might be for a fraction of a second but only let your dog back in when it stops yelling. And gradually lengthen the time.

The other thing about getting home - my dog stays inside, so I let her out the back, go out with her, and completely ignore her until she has done a 1 and ideally a 2 (depending how long since the last one). She knows she's not getting any attention from me until she's "performed"...

But to prevent upset neighbours you might want to do a couple of things...

1. take your dog round to meet them all and let them know to let you know if they have any problems and listen to them if they relate anything and say you're trying a new training system for a while so it could be noisy, and could they let you know how that goes... (go back and ask them after a day or so).

2. keep the dog (confined) inside when you're out. Chances are she's going to stress and not do anything - given she doesn't play with her toys... but if she yells, it will be muffled and annoy the neighbours less.

again don't make a fuss when you leave. If there is some uber treat you can leave with her when you go, that might work, but my dog wouldn't eat those until I got home - until fairly recently.

And the other trick (?) I've done is to be extremely forgetful when I go. I go, I forgot my sunnies, go back, go, forgot phone, go back... go, forgot my notebook, calculator, coat, chair, whatever... I don't talk to my dog or pay her any attention when I go back in, I just go in get what I forgot, and go again...

PS sometimes I drive round the block and go back cos I forgot my hat or to check the back door is locked etc.

Edited May 25, 2012 by Mrs Rusty Bucket

[mantis]

I'll probably get flamed for my suggestion. If your dog is used to being inside with access to outside, why not let him have the same access when you are out? My Kenny always had the run of the house & access outside, maybe put in a doggy door, if you aren't comfortable with leaving your back door open. It is hard enough that your dog is seperated from you, but the added stress of being unable to go where he usually does would add to his anxiety. OK flame away.

[tuppy]

I'll probably get flamed for my suggestion. If your dog is used to being inside with access to outside, why not let him have the same access when you are out? My Kenny always had the run of the house & access outside, maybe put in a doggy door, if you aren't comfortable with leaving your back door open. It is hard enough that your dog is seperated from you, but the added stress of being unable to go where he usually does would add to his anxiety. OK flame away.

Thanks for your suggestion.....I wish.......unfortunately he spends his daylight hours with us, with supervision, cause he was not housetrained when we bought him and where he spends his time with us, has numerous valuables. He's progressed so well in a relative short period, we'd hate to have it all come crashing down literally.

[Bundyburger]

I'm assuming you're never out for very long? Why not crate train him properly? That'll help with toilet training too.

[tuppy]

I'm assuming you're never out for very long? Why not crate train him properly? That'll help with toilet training too.

We have a car carrier for him, in which he can just fit. We do not have a crate as such, where water could be left.

I have seen them at dog shows, thanks for the suggestion.....discussing all the ideas with hubby over weekend.

[ESCS]

When we had only one tibbie, he used to get anxious when we went out even when he was left inside. I found giving him puzzle toys with treats inside help distract him and keep him occupied. Treats and yogurt frozen in a kong was a favourite as is treats in a kong wobbler. I put in large and small treats in the wobbler as the small pieces come out easily and keeps him motivated to keep working for the big bits. I don't use it anymore as we now have 2 tibbies and he doesn't care if we go out as long as his mate is with him. However, he found the wobbler the other day and it was like he found his long lost friend. He kept smashing it around even without treats in it!

[Guest lavendergirl]

When we had only one tibbie, he used to get anxious when we went out even when he was left inside. I found giving him puzzle toys with treats inside help distract him and keep him occupied. Treats and yogurt frozen in a kong was a favourite as is treats in a kong wobbler. I put in large and small treats in the wobbler as the small pieces come out easily and keeps him motivated to keep working for the big bits. I don't use it anymore as we now have 2 tibbies and he doesn't care if we go out as long as his mate is with him. However, he found the wobbler the other day and it was like he found his long lost friend. He kept smashing it around even without treats in it!

I've often wondered if a second dog would help my guy's separation anxiety. Trouble is it is too much of a risk - it may not work and then I would have two problems instead of one :laugh: I second the food puzzles etc though as a distraction and encouraging separation while at home so it is not so strange when you go out.