I Think Its Separation Anxiety....

[Natashja]

Cross posted in Training/Obedience /Dog Sports

I have a 3 month old mini Poodle pup who seems to have developed a serious case of separation anxiety. When at home and permitted to, he follows me around like a shadow (to the point that if I go to the loo, he'll want to be in the bathroom and sitting at my feet, so he can stare at me!). If I try and lock him in the kitchen (the only place where we tend to confine him if he can't be supervised) he scratches continually at the door and barks. We have tried ignoring him but after 2 hours of consistent barking and scratching OH and I lose our nerve, not to mention test our neighbour's patience.

Other strategies have seen us spend time with the pup in the kitchen, get him interested in toys/food/whatever before we slip out "unnoticed" but nothing seems to work. Moments after we leave, he's at it. Even when he has a hungry tummy and a bowl/kong full of food right in front of him, he ignores it in preference of barking and scratching at the kitchen door. We also have a courtyard area at home, and he behaves exactly the same way if he's placed out there without human company. He sleeps at night in a crate in our bedroom and he's started doing the same barking and scratching thing when placed in there. The only thing that seems to placate him is when he is permitted to be with us all the time, but as he is not toilet trained (that's a whole other story), we can't allow that (not to mention, it's unhealthy for him not to be able to stand being alone).

This is new behaviour and it has emerged over the past 2 weeks. OH and I are at our wits end and have no idea how to solve the problem and help our puppy be happier on his own. Any advice would be greatly welcomed.

[BrunoBella]

Hi Natashja

Congrat on your puppy. I'm sure some very smart poodle experts will dive in and provide advice but in the meantime: It does sound like separation anxiety to me. I'm wondering about your kitchen door - can the pup see through it or not? If not, that is probably the issue. I have dog gates across the rooms I leave a pup in so they can see me at all times. This makes them a lot calmer. The other thing I've found when leaving a pup to do something that they feel safer in an enclosed space so maybe it's better to leave the pup in its crate where it can see you? My pup will certainly sleep calmly in his crate and cause a ruckus in the laundry.

I think the pup feels the kitchen is a long way away and he's only little. He shouldn't follow you but should be able to see you.

Good luck with sorting him out. It will all get better soon

[Dog_Horse_Girl]

I'd suggest a program in alone training. Begin by leaving the pup in a room and go around the corner for just a moment. Return, praise, reward. Repeat until you can leave the room for a few minutes, then gradually extend that time until you can leave him in that room for 30 minutes.

Alone training requires enormous patience...enormous amounts of consistency and persistence. And LOTS of praise for the right behaviour.

Once you have him happy in a room while you're elsewhere in the house, begin leaving the house...then leaving the property...then the street... etc.

Tips:

1. Pup needs company - provide him a safe place to sleep/spend his time, TV or radio or classical music CD.

2. Pup needs something to occupy himself. Kongs are great. Treat balls are great. Rope toys are great. Experiment to find what he loves, what he likes and what he could care less about. Then give him a variety of what he loves and likes.

3. Pups are babies and as such, will be more inclined to stick to you! Take this into account when teaching him how to behave. Set him up to succeed, not fail. Don't expect more of him than he's able to give for his age.

4. Get him into a routine. This will help with SA and with house training. Stick to the routine for at least the next couple of months b/c this will reassure him that all is well.

Take a deep breath!

Oh, and if you can, get a DAP diffuser b/c this can work wonders...just ask my dogs! DAP = Dog Appeasing Pheromones.

HTH.

[Bindie]

Lillymum has the right idea. Training your dog to be left alone is a great way to stop this problem from happening. Generally, once you can leave your dog alone for 1.5 hours, you can leave it all day. When you are training your dog to be alone, give them a "safe" toy. This is a toy that you give them only during training. As your dog becomes comfortable with being left alone for gradually longer periods of time, they will associate this toy with being alone and being ok. Then, once you can leave your dog alone all day, leave them this toy so they can remember how safe being left alone was during training.

Good luck.

[t-time]

What the others have said

In addition, also confine him, give him a word of your choice - "Stay" seems like the obvious one! - disappear and then the second he's quiet, TREAT him You are then treating him for being quiet and staying. You can start this training while he is in his pen and you are still in sight. Gradually move further and further away. around the corner, next room etc. You can also try this on lead.

Is this the same dominant puppy? If it is, HE IS PLAYING YOU Manipulating you in order to get what he wants! Little brat!

Poodles can be very clingy (just ask my Willow who will follow me to the ends of the earth! ) but you should still be able to get on with things like going to the toilet without him