I have an 18 month old maltipoo named lucy. We are having trouble with seperation anxiety but it's a weird form I think... She is not being kept in a crate. We initially leave for work around 8:00 a.m. and return at roughly 5:00 p.m. During this time she is fine. If we leave the house again, like we do when we go bowling or shopping on Friday nights, and we come home and she has destroyed something.
Why would she not have seperation anxiety when we are gone to work all day but develop it when we leave for a second time. We experience the same thing on the weekends... If we leave early to do something she is fine.. .but if we leave in the middle of the day or evening she has seperation anxiety and becomes destructive...
Any insight would be greatly appreciated!!!
Seperation Anxiety 2nd time leaving...
Moderators: emmabeth, BoardHost
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Doggie Python
- Posts: 24
- Joined: Tue Oct 21, 2008 8:28 pm
I'd say part of the problem is also simply asking too much of the dog's ability to just hang out without her social group.
Social interaction and a long walk if you're going to leave later in the evening will help the situation, IMO.
One area a lot of folks forget about is the importance of a dog's daily routine, and what they come to associate and expect at certain times of the day or in regards to your daily comings and goings. Change the daily routine, and some dogs can stress out more than others.
A special treat like a stuffed kong which she only gets when you make an evening outing, could be helpful. But, it will not replace fulfilling her other needs for mental/physical release and contact with her social group.
Social interaction and a long walk if you're going to leave later in the evening will help the situation, IMO.
One area a lot of folks forget about is the importance of a dog's daily routine, and what they come to associate and expect at certain times of the day or in regards to your daily comings and goings. Change the daily routine, and some dogs can stress out more than others.
A special treat like a stuffed kong which she only gets when you make an evening outing, could be helpful. But, it will not replace fulfilling her other needs for mental/physical release and contact with her social group.
"Help! Help! I'm being repressed!" Dennis
Dogs don't comprehend Saturdays and Sundays. All she knows is you were home and you've gone out, and in her experience this means a long spell alone most of the time.
I don't think another dog is the answer - how much exercise, mental and physical, does she get? Tired fulfilled dogs are much happier about being left - they can catch up on some sleep.
I don't think another dog is the answer - how much exercise, mental and physical, does she get? Tired fulfilled dogs are much happier about being left - they can catch up on some sleep.
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog
SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS
SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS
As has been said.... dogs don't understand the concept of 'weekend'... theres a routine, they learn to fit in with that and for some dogs (most dogs I would say), ifyou disrupt that routine then problems will arise.
To you.. being 'out' is being out.. and so because she copes with one kind of 'out'... she ought to cope wiht another.
But you going out during the week is routine and predictable and shes learned to cope.
Going out on a weekend evening, thats strange and unpredictable, it doesnt have the same routine at all, wrong time of day, you probably put on the wrong clothes or shoes etc, and likely you are out for a an unpredictable length of time too.
The good news is within reason you can teach her to accept being left, because its only when you go out of an evening or some other time other than going to work, its not too hard to temporarily stop doing that whilst you teach her that being left IS a rewarding thing.
You must make sure that she is physically and mentally satisfied before you start practicing leaving her at these times, with games, walks, clicker training, etc - and then leave her for just a few seconds, then a few minutes.. until shes really not bothered what you are up to... as long as shes got her kong filled up and a comfy bed to snooze on.
Does she generally follow you around when you are home, or in other ways seem a particularly anxious dog? If so it may well be that improving her confidence in herself and in you, and in teaching her that being velcro-d to you at all times is borrrrrrrrrring and far too much effort may also be necessary.
To you.. being 'out' is being out.. and so because she copes with one kind of 'out'... she ought to cope wiht another.
But you going out during the week is routine and predictable and shes learned to cope.
Going out on a weekend evening, thats strange and unpredictable, it doesnt have the same routine at all, wrong time of day, you probably put on the wrong clothes or shoes etc, and likely you are out for a an unpredictable length of time too.
The good news is within reason you can teach her to accept being left, because its only when you go out of an evening or some other time other than going to work, its not too hard to temporarily stop doing that whilst you teach her that being left IS a rewarding thing.
You must make sure that she is physically and mentally satisfied before you start practicing leaving her at these times, with games, walks, clicker training, etc - and then leave her for just a few seconds, then a few minutes.. until shes really not bothered what you are up to... as long as shes got her kong filled up and a comfy bed to snooze on.
Does she generally follow you around when you are home, or in other ways seem a particularly anxious dog? If so it may well be that improving her confidence in herself and in you, and in teaching her that being velcro-d to you at all times is borrrrrrrrrring and far too much effort may also be necessary.
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whatthedeuce
- Posts: 58
- Joined: Fri Nov 21, 2008 10:57 pm
emmabeth, interesting post!! (since i have a separation anxiety dog, i had to peek into this post )
i've been told many, many times that mine has low self esteem, and i've also heard from many sources that obedience- even very simple things between him and me in our house- will boost his self esteem.
i wondered for a while if there could be too much of a boost in self esteem- meaning, could his self-esteem get so high that he becomes cocky and would turn aggressive?
one day it finally did click that with more self esteem, he would (hopefully) come to feel more comfortable and sure of himself in an environment when he's alone- when we're out or when we're upstairs asleep, etc.
)i've been told many, many times that mine has low self esteem, and i've also heard from many sources that obedience- even very simple things between him and me in our house- will boost his self esteem.
i wondered for a while if there could be too much of a boost in self esteem- meaning, could his self-esteem get so high that he becomes cocky and would turn aggressive?
one day it finally did click that with more self esteem, he would (hopefully) come to feel more comfortable and sure of himself in an environment when he's alone- when we're out or when we're upstairs asleep, etc.
