puppy problem!

iLoveMyPitbull1225

Hello all!

As you can probably guess by my screen name I have a pit bull that I totally adore! He is about 1.5 years old neutered, crate trained, pretty well behaved dog. He loves kids and other animals and is just a sweetheart. He very seldom barks unless scared. We adopted him at 6 months will relative ease and put him through puppy obedience where he learned some good manners and everything was going great. My boyfriend and I decided we were ready for our own place so we have been house hunting for several months. With a tight budget to work with and a pit bull, it was really really hard for us to get accepted as renters in our area.

So, the great news is we got an apartment!!! Great price, great landlord, very private. There is one tenant below us. We have been busy moving our stuff in for the past week. We decided that the dog would not come to the new apartment until we were otherwise completely settled. That moment came yesterday and I was so excited. We brought Rocco over to the place, let him sniff around outside, walk up the stairs and into the house where he wagged around and sniffed and explored on leash for a bit and then by himself. The problem that I am getting at is that he started to act a bit anxious. Whenever my boyfriend or I would leave the room, the would sit at the door and wait. he would literally lay underneath the handle until the other person came back. This isnt that big of a deal, but when my boyfriend left for work this morning he stood at the front door whining and waiting. He paced back and forth. I took him outside thinking he might have to "go" but he just loooked around. So then im thinking, he just misses his daddy. I got ready for work myself and then left. he was quiet in his crate when I walked out the door.

About 5 hours later I come home on my lunch hour and my landlord approaches me, saying that the lower unit tenant came over "raising hell" because the dog whined, howled and barked all morning.

SO:
- I feel really bad for my new neighbor. That had to be annoying as all get out. I really do not feel like making an enemy here.
- I really dont feel like pissing my landlord off either. When he explained what happened to me, he did say that he told them that the dog was new and probably just needed some time to adjust to his new home. He obviously seems to be understanding and did not seem angry at all. I was very apologetic nonetheless.
- I feel bad for Rocco. He has never displayed this kind of behavior. he accepts his crate, eats his meals in there, i even left him plenty of toys. I think he might be scared or feeling insecure in his new place, but either way I feel bad that I cannot be there his first few days. When i left to come back to work he was crying like a little baby.

I am wondering if there are any of you out there that have been through this. I have read a good amount online about seperation anxiety in dogs and while the symptoms sound familiar in some ways, I just do not feel that he truly has a seperation problem. I think maybe it might be the new unfamiliar places and sounds and the fact that he was alone for the first time. I just really do not want to harm him, I want to help him get through this. I want to hear thoughts and experiences!

Jonalee1977

I really think it's the new environment that's throwing him off, but I understand that you don't want to upset the downstairs neighbors. The goal is to distract him until he gets used to the new place. I would get a chew toy that you can fill with kibble to keep him entertained. As he pushes it around and chews on it, the kibble will fall out and give him something to munch on. Also, do the same with a Kong. You can put some kibble or treats in it, then fill it up with spray peanut butter or cheese (it's for dogs & looks similar to Cheez Whiz). Then, put it in the freezer so it will last longer. You might want to leave the tv or a radio on for him, and perhaps a shirt or blanket that smells like you. His world has just been turned upside down and it's not like you can explain to him that everything will be okay. I'm sure he'll adjust well, it's just going to take a few days.

becs_91

Awww, poor little guy. I do think he's just confused, and it will pass. He probably doesn't realize yet that this is "home" now! So, in his eyes, he's probably nervous because he thinks you took him to a new place to visit, and then left him there. I can imagine how moving homes would be a hard concept for a pup to grasp.

What I would do is, first off, introduce yourself to your new neighbor (which is nice to do anyway!) and explain the situation with your dog. I'm sure they'll be more than understanding, and will appreciate the gesture.

Also, I think once you and your boyfriend have a good chunk of time to spend with him (maybe this coming weekend?) and just hang out at the new place, he'll start to learn that this is home now, for all of you, and hopefully he'll return to normal!

Don't worry too much - I'm sure he will be just fine with a little time! Congrats on the new place!

effcla

I'm a pittie owner too. She is such a sweetie! I think Jonalee has some great ideas but instead of spray PB I would use the real thing. Those spray food cans have so many strange ingredients. When we rescued our pittie, we bought the Pet-Ease calming mist. It's a plug in like a room freshener but supposedly sprays mommy hormones to calm them down. Thunder shirts are also supposed to be good for anxiety but the thing is to get them used to it when you are around so when you put it on them before you leave, they will be ok. I also leave the radio on so it's not totally quiet. Good luck!

newcs

My pittie is much the same way...he's now very polite and mostly obedient but when we leave, he kind of falls apart. Even if it's just one of us going to put out the trash. He just turned a year old yesterday. I think pitties tend to be VERY attached to their people. The difference is that ours calms down after about 5min when he realizes we're not coming back and he moves on to other things. We also own a single family house so the neighbors can't really do anything short of complaining. I would try training him to associate you leaving with good things. Check out Karen Pryor's book "Don't Shoot The Dog" if you haven't already read it. We also do leave music on for him since sometimes he barks at outside noises but does it mostly when it's super quiet in the house. Another thing that can help is going out for varying amounts of time. For instance, go out and come right back in. If he's quiet, give him a treat. Go out and come back in 3 seconds later, 30 seconds, mix it up. So he doesn't anticipate that you walking out means lots of time by himself. If you got him from a shelter, try contacting them too. The one we adopted one has an animal behaviorist who was willing to help us for free with some issues we had with our pup.

JustJennie1

Try putting a tee shirt or some item of clothing that you and your BF have both worn and put them in the crate with him. The scent of you guys is familiar and it might help to calm him down.

iLoveMyPitbull1225

OH YES. Rocco loooooves peanut butter in his kong. I will try that tomorrow. And this evening I will try the trick of leaving for periods of time with increasing incriments to see if he settles. If I put something in the crate with our scent on it it would have to be something we would be okay never seeing again, he is a little bit of a chew-er.

I feel a lot better that you all seem to agree with me that he is just nervous and trying to adjust. He is probably confused and I cant help but wish there was something I could do to make it better.


I will also definitely try to catch my neighbor at home this evening. I don't know if she even knew we had a dog when we moved in so I want to definitely say hello and apologize to her myself, I feel like this will help ease some tensions.

newcs

Ours is a chewer too (seriously hope he grows out of it) so we buy really cheap fleece blankets (either fleece by the yard at the fabric store or the fleece blankets for like $3 at Walmart) and we use them for a while and then give them to him. That way they have our scent to comfort him but they become his blankets.

I'd also be incredibly nice to the neighbor...partially because I just believe in being nice to people but also because if they happen to be someone who's just downright cranky, it can sometimes make them feel guilty if you're super nice.

Also (but I'm sure you know this) try to get him a TON of exercise. Our guy can be a bit of a whiner sometimes but when he's tired, he just passes out and really doesn't care where we go or what we do lol.

iLoveMyPitbull1225

lol yeah I know, Rocco needs at least an hour walk everyday. Hes a handful but its true that a tired dog is a good dog. The blanket idea is a good one

1julietax

Try leaving the TV or radio on. There is also this product out there for dogs called "Thunder Shirts". It's like a tee shirt for dogs. The closeness of the tee makes this feel more secure. Like they are getting a hug all the time. I'm on a dog facebook page and some of the owners swear by it.
I would introduce yourself to the neighbor. Most people are dog lovers, they would probably understand.

JustJennie1

I will also definitely try to catch my neighbor at home this evening. I don't know if she even knew we had a dog when we moved in so I want to definitely say hello and apologize to her myself, I feel like this will help ease some tensions

Definitely do this and let her know that you're doing all you can to help the adjustment phase.

Question: When you left him in his crate before are you sure he didn't cry and whine the whole time you were gone?

(ETA: I'm not being b*tchy or snarky in the least. I'm just wondering. I really do want to help you figure out how to get your pup to stop crying. I'm sure he sounds sad and pathetic )

martymays

To quote another poster: "Just break up."

goldair23

When I got my little puppy (she was a baby mind you) we put a little clock (like one that ticks, not a silent one) under/inside a fairly big teddy bear and it's meant to be like a heartbeat for them (like their mother for the baby puppies) so they don't get anxious about being left alone. I found that worked really well until she got used to everything. Also, agreed, try leaving a radio or something on and a teeshirt for him. I hope he's happy soon enough

And pitbulls are so cute! xx

newcs

If you want to try the thundershirt, I'll send you the one we bought. My guy is such a little spaz that by the time I got it on him, he was wound up just from that lol. I figured I'd hold onto it in case it ever became useful but he's pretty well adjusted now so we have no use for it.

iLoveMyPitbull1225

I will also definitely try to catch my neighbor at home this evening. I don't know if she even knew we had a dog when we moved in so I want to definitely say hello and apologize to her myself, I feel like this will help ease some tensions

Definitely do this and let her know that you're doing all you can to help the adjustment phase.

Question: When you left him in his crate before are you sure he didn't cry and whine the whole time you were gone?

(ETA: I'm not being b*tchy or snarky in the least. I'm just wondering. I really do want to help you figure out how to get your pup to stop crying. I'm sure he sounds sad and pathetic )

Of course I cannot be 100% sure he didnt cry before, but I do not think so.


Yesterday and today I left the tv on for him and he seems to like it. I do not say goodbye or announce my leaving, which I think helps. I gave him a bone full of peanut butter today and yesterday which he loves and gives him something to focus on besides the fact that I just left. Today i didnt have to push him into his crate which is a good thing. I think he is getting much more comfortable. I read that making it a big deal for you to come and go, like saying goodbye and making a huge fuss makes them stressed so I try not to make a thing of it. He seems to be getting better and I havent gotten a complaint yet. He is still barking at a lot of bumps in the night which is annoying because he literally NEVER used to bark. Hes just not that kind of dog. Like last night at 1230 I woke up to his "scared" bark. He must have heard something in his sleep but it was embarassing because it woke us both up and probably the girl down below us...who I have yet to even see.