Abe's separation anxiety

hmmm, a couple of things:

how long have you had abe? it may just be something that gets better with time?

how old is abe?

what are your interactions before leaving while leaving and when coming back?

not sure if you already do this, but with a dog that has seperation anxiety it is very important to completely ignore the dog for a while before leaving. and also when coming back home. this lowers their anxiety levels considerably and makes leaving and coming back just not a big deal.

i had the same issue with moca, and when i just got her i would litteraly have to ignore her for 30 minutes after coming back home. and that was hard cause she wasnt crate trained so i had a crazy cocker spaniel jumping up at me the whole time. but litterally i wouldnt look at her, i wouldnt talk (at all) wouldnt touch her. i'd act as if she wasnt there. after only 2-3 months i had her to the point where when i come back home she would come to the door, little tail wagging, bump me with her nose once, then go back to her bed! and of course no more crying when i would leave.

oh, also: i hope you dont only crate her when you leave the house? she might just associate the crate with you leaving... just a thought...

oh and by the way, kenny and abe are just wayyy cute!!!

janetmichel3009

hmmm, a couple of things:

how long have you had abe? it may just be something that gets better with time?- we got him in october so about 8 months

how old is abe? he between 2-3 years old

what are your interactions before leaving while leaving and when coming back?
when we leave the house, we tell them to "go to bed" and they both will get in their crates. when we get home, abe is always barking b/c he knows we are home b/c he felt the garage door going up. he is very excited when we get home and let him get out of the crate. i greet him with petting and kisses.

not sure if you already do this, but with a dog that has seperation anxiety it is very important to completely ignore the dog for a while before leaving. and also when coming back home. this lowers their anxiety levels considerably and makes leaving and coming back just not a big deal.

i wasn't aware of that.

and no, we don't only crate abe when we leave the house. he also sleeps there too and sometimes will go in without even being asked.
 

I highly recommend the book I'll Be Home Soon by Patricia McConnell.  It's actually more of a booklet, so it's short and easy to read, but has plenty of good tips that I think would be very helpful to you.

I would not let Abe out of his crate immediately upon returning home, if I were you.  I would just go about and do my thing while ignoring him for at least 10-15 minutes before letting him out.  Then, I would still not greet him with petting or kisses.  You want to keep your comings and goings very low key and act as though it's no big deal to have been away for awhile.

Are both your dogs crated in the same room?  Next to each other or a distance apart?  Some dogs do better if they have company.  I had a foster who was slightly better if my dog were crated right next to him.  He still panicked though, and so eventually I started crating the two dogs together, which helped dramatically.  **NOTE: I would not recommend doing this in most situations, I am only relaying what helped me and this dog.**

You might also experiment with trying different types of crates (i.e. some dogs prefer the wire crates, while others like the plastic type).  Or maybe see how he does if left loose in the bathroom instead of being crated, for example.  Different things will help different dogs.

Something to keep him busy while you are gone might be a good idea as well.  Like a stuffed kong, for example.  Something exciting and yummy that he only gets when you leave, so he has something to look forward to.

Most importantly, I think this is something that is going to take time to resolve.  Abe has been uprooted a few times now, I suppose, so you can hardly blame him for being stressed when you leave.  I think he will eventually learn to relax.  And I know I already mentioned it, but I really do suggest reading that book I linked to above.  Good luck, I know how tough SA can be to deal with.

ah, yes. i wanted to ask if the dogs are together as well... mine are in wire crates next to each other and i know it soothes them to be in sight of each other. when i leave one behind, i still occationally get some whining...

so, yes, i suggest, just ignoring abe before leaving and after coming back. it makes a big difference! i'm sure that wont take long before you see a difference. :)

oh, and ditto on the kong! they are awesome!

When you prepare to leave the house, there are things that you do that have become signals to the dog that you are going away. Putting on shoes, jingling keys, a certain amount of purpose-driven activity. You can desensitize by doing these things and then not going anywhere. Tie the keys to a belt loop or have them on a little cord around your wrist and he will hear that noise all day and it will no longer be connected soley with you leaving. Put your shoes on and then watch t.v., get on the computer, clean the kitchen, whatever. No special thing associated with shoes.

GypsyNBeau

I highly recommend the book I'll Be Home Soon by Patricia McConnell. 

This skinny booklet will help you identify the type of Separation Anxiety you are dealing with.  Once you identify what you are dealing with, then a plan for the resolve can be developed.  For example, are you dealing with a dog that just want its way or are you dealing with an enclosure problem, an attachment issue, or a neurological condition. 

Depending on the type of SA some of the suggestion provided may be good or may worsen the condition.  For example, with a dog that has a fear-based SA, ignoring or constantly changing the "leaving" routine will do nothing, IMO.  Fear-based SA is a confidence building resolve and ignoring the dog just says the dog is on it own to fix its own problem.  Ignoring is a downer for the dog.  Changing the "leaving" routine will just confuse the dog and once tricked into going into the enclosure, the dog will be shocked and then react according.  Confidence building, that is the answer.  Fear-based SA needs a consistent low emotional calm routine established and then variation can be slowly introduced.  The very first thing that should be done with any SA condition is to work on the STAY command.  Get that command proofed and then increase the distance and also introduce distractions, a lot of them. 

GypsyNBeau

I highly recommend the book I'll Be Home Soon by Patricia McConnell.  It's actually more of a booklet, so it's short and easy to read, but has plenty of good tips that I think would be very helpful to you.

I will look into that

I would not let Abe out of his crate immediately upon returning home, if I were you.  I would just go about and do my thing while ignoring him for at least 10-15 minutes before letting him out.  Then, I would still not greet him with petting or kisses.  You want to keep your comings and goings very low key and act as though it's no big deal to have been away for awhile.

 Are both your dogs crated in the same room?  Next to each other or a distance apart?  

He in Kenny's crates are side by side in our master bedroom upstairs so if we get home, we can go about our business. We will have to deal with his barking though.

Something to keep him busy while you are gone might be a good idea as well.  Like a stuffed kong, for example.  Something exciting and yummy that he only gets when you leave, so he has something to look forward to.

We do have a Kong ball and treats that we can work with.

ron2

When you prepare to leave the house, there are things that you do that have become signals to the dog that you are going away. Putting on shoes, jingling keys, a certain amount of purpose-driven activity. You can desensitize by doing these things and then not going anywhere. Tie the keys to a belt loop or have them on a little cord around your wrist and he will hear that noise all day and it will no longer be connected solely with you leaving. Put your shoes on and then watch t.v., get on the computer, clean the kitchen, whatever. No special thing associated with shoes.

 they both tend to know that we are leaving b/c we will all go upstairs to our bedroom and i will tell them to "go to bed" so they know and it is reaffirmed that we are leaving b/c they will feel the vibrations of the garage door going up and down and they probably hear the car being turned on too i imagine

i like the idea of wearing shoes around and such b/c i do end to take off my shoes immediately when i get home and i don't put them back on until i leave again. 

Try to make your arrivals and departures very boring and low-key hench - ignoring.  Don't make a big fuss over saying hello and goodbye. Be very casual and up-beat.

Get your dog used to your getting-ready-to-leave cues, like picking up keys, jacket, open and closing the garage door. Go through these actions repeatedly during the time when you're staying home, without actually leaving. If your dog has already learned to associate his fears with your departure cues, it will take a lot of repetitions before the dog will get it.

Give your dog more exercise. A tired dog is a good dog! A dog can sleep most of the day if he's tired enough.  Increase your dog's exercise. Don't forget mental exercise, like training, exploring new places, encountering new smells, and social interaction with other dogs. Taking your dog to a park where he can run and play with others may be crucial.

 We do play with them a lot in the house. They are constantly chasing each other or playing with toys but I know that isn't enough. I need to start exercising them more. I don't always walk them everyday and I definitely should. It just has to be in the morning or evening b/c the weather heats up very quickly here.

 I am definitely willing to go through repetition to help Abe get over it. He is just the most loving dog and will cover anyone with kisses and it makes me sad to know that he is stressed out.

 
I am going to the vet tomorrow to get Kenny updated on his shots and I am going to talk to her about Kenny's aggression towards kids and Abe's separation anxiety to get even more feedback.

 
Thanks for your suggestions everyone.
 

So did you look into the book? Did you try any of the exercises?

Keep in mind small progrees IS progress!

 I went this morning and she definitely recommended to put Abe in his crate and go to another room and not let him out until he stops barking. When he stop barking, praise and reward him. She also said that he should not be let his out of crate when we get home if he was barking b/c letting him out just reinforces his barking.

 Oh, and she suggested getting puzzle treat balls and put one in his crate so he has something to do. I went to Petsmart today and bought a couple of those so we will see how that goes.
 

 I will go to barnes and noble sometime in the next few days and try to find that book.
 

kennys_mom

  I need to start exercising them more. I don't always walk them everyday and I definitely should.  

I hope you take your own advice regarding more exercise. When the whole crate phenonenom started several years ago it was imperative that dogs be heavily exercised prior to being crated and nowadays I notice peopel are more lax about it then wonder why their dog's have issues. It really isnt fair to crate without suffiecient exercise.

If you have a couple of puzzle balls feed his whole meal in them.  Fill them up with his breakfast or dinner and leave them for him to work at all day. 

 Good luck and keep us posted.