Q. for pet owners....

nolachick
nolachick Posts: 3,278 Member
in Chit-Chat
I moved to a new apt last year and I absolutely love it there...only problem is my landlord has been getting complaints about my dog howling/whining while i'm gone. I told him I would try to work on the problem by modifying his walks, food, play time, etc but he already warned me if I can't fix the problem I will either have to leave (this was written into my lease so I can't object) or get rid of the dog (this would break my heart).

So, my question is do you have any training tips for dog separation anxiety?
I've tried anxiety meds, anxiety chews, dark curtains, leave tv and radio on, etc.
FYI: He's an 8lb chihuahua. I take him for walks in the a.m.before work and in the evening after work as well so he gets some exercise. He is a rescue so he tends to be very needy and requires a lot of attention. I work all day and live alone so I can understand he's home alone all day but geez somethings gotta give.

thanks for your help. :smile:
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Replies

  • hearthemelody
    hearthemelody Posts: 1,025 Member
    What about doggy day care or a dog sitter?
  • imakimm
    imakimm Posts: 839
    I went though this with my cat! He would cry loudly whenever I left and neighbors started complaining. The vet had me try anxiety meds, depression meds, those calming sprays and even told me to leave a piece of my clothing near the door so the cat could get my scent. The anxiety medication worked for a bit but then he started crying again and knocking crap over like he was mad I was leaving. We got a second cat to keep him company. This caused some more issues for maybe 2 months because my cat hated the other cat. Now they are fine and he has stopped crying!! We also made sure that he had enough toys and stuff out so he didn't get bored.
  • laughingdani
    laughingdani Posts: 2,275 Member
    What about getting another chihuahua to keep him company. Might sound crazy...but they'll keep each other occupied.
  • vblair77
    vblair77 Posts: 180 Member
    or possibly getting another dog or a kitten/friendly cat as a friend?
  • jbutterflye
    jbutterflye Posts: 1,914 Member
    Check out the show "It's Me or the Dog". Has lots of good tips for situations like this!
  • hearthemelody
    hearthemelody Posts: 1,025 Member
    I have also read that it is the dog trying to control you - other behaviors might include demanding to sit on you, jumping on you, or requireing a treat to stop a behavior. Just because it is a small dog does not mean you should not be alpha!
  • Mochila09
    Mochila09 Posts: 51 Member
    If you can afford it, a dog walker may be the answer. My dog, a chihuahua mix, didn't have anxiety issues, but it was obvious that he needed more exercise than the three walks/day we were giving him. He goes out with a dog walker 4x/week now and is so much happier. We pay for one hour/day, but he is often out anywhere for two to four hours. The walker also worked on his recall so that he could run off leash - something we tried, but just couldn't get him to do. Now he is so well behaved off-leash, and comes immediately when called!!
  • PaulaS1220
    PaulaS1220 Posts: 61 Member
    Is he crate trained? Wondering if he'd feel safer in crate with a blanket over it, TV on low. Leave him with a couple of Kongs (Google it if you don't have any) filled with frozen goodies that will take him a long time to work on.

    ETA: Does he just howl/whine for a while, or is it really all day long? Is there any way to know if he's hearing something outside or can see something out the windows that is setting him off? Did he do it at your last place, or is it a new behavior?
  • nolachick
    nolachick Posts: 3,278 Member
    Is he crate trained? Wondering if he'd feel safer in crate with a blanket over it, TV on low. Leave him with a couple of Kongs (Google it if you don't have any) filled with frozen goodies that will take him a long time to work on.

    ETA: Does he just howl/whine for a while, or is it really all day long? Is there any way to know if he's hearing something outside or can see something out the windows that is setting him off? Did he do it at your last place, or is it a new behavior?

    he isn't crate trained but i'm thinking thats going to be my next move. i bought him a crate recently just haven't gotten around to the training part.

    he did it at my old place too, its not a new thing at all. he just always had separation anxiety. he's a rescue so that should explain a lot.

    what do u like to put in kongs? i've tried it before with peanut butter i believe but he didnt go for it.
  • nolachick
    nolachick Posts: 3,278 Member
    I have also read that it is the dog trying to control you - other behaviors might include demanding to sit on you, jumping on you, or requireing a treat to stop a behavior. Just because it is a small dog does not mean you should not be alpha!

    i am sure this is the case. he has been very disobedient lately and very distructful which he usually isn't.
  • pseudomuffin
    pseudomuffin Posts: 1,058 Member
    Definitely work on crate training while you're home, like if you have a weekend where you don't have to go anywhere, try putting him down for naps in it while you're in the room, and teach him to be self soothing gradually while you're gone. Crate training is pretty easy and takes their anxiety way down since dogs are den animals and feel safe in enclosed spaces.
  • hearthemelody
    hearthemelody Posts: 1,025 Member
    Definitely work on crate training while you're home, like if you have a weekend where you don't have to go anywhere, try putting him down for naps in it while you're in the room, and teach him to be self soothing gradually while you're gone. Crate training is pretty easy and takes their anxiety way down since dogs are den animals and feel safe in enclosed spaces.

    Yes, this! And make it like a den, warm, dark, enclosed. Maybe a blanket over half of it.
  • nolachick
    nolachick Posts: 3,278 Member
    Definitely work on crate training while you're home, like if you have a weekend where you don't have to go anywhere, try putting him down for naps in it while you're in the room, and teach him to be self soothing gradually while you're gone. Crate training is pretty easy and takes their anxiety way down since dogs are den animals and feel safe in enclosed spaces.

    thanks. now what do u mean by teaching him self soothing?
  • Spadowski
    Spadowski Posts: 38
    These are all great suggestions so far. The only thing I can think to suggest is getting a white noise machine, in addition to crating your dog, stuffing some Kongs with treats, and giving your pup a blanket or towel that you've slept with that has your scent. I would tell your landlord that you're actively trying different methods, so they know you actually respect their request. Who knows, maybe they have a suggestion? Let us know how it goes, and good luck!
  • transvenouspacer
    transvenouspacer Posts: 182 Member
    Please don't get rid of your dog. Rescues have it hard enough as it is, and if you dump him on a shelter he's a chi which is an extremely over bred dog and stands 0 chance of being rescued. He will be put down.

    Definitely try crate training. Also separation anxiety needs training. For instance, do you make a big deal of coming home or right before leaving? Ignore him for at least 20 minutes before leaving and after coming home. Only reward him with attention when he's being calm. A great book is "I'll Be Home Soon" by Patricia McConnell who is an excellent animal behaviorist.

    Someone else mentioned a dog sitter or doggy daycare. This is an excellent option but you did not respond. Can you find a pet sitter or a reasonably priced daycare nearby?

    Also don't believe all that crap about alpha and dominance, it's BS. Please give Patricia McConnell and Victoria Stilwell a try, they really know what they're talking about.
  • _the_feniks_
    _the_feniks_ Posts: 3,412 Member
    He already knows how to self-soothe, all male dogs do.

    Definitley do the crate. I crated both my dogs when they were pups and had issues after being brought home from the rescue. It did the trick both times. Fortunately they grew out of it.
  • Jersey_Devil
    Jersey_Devil Posts: 4,142 Member
    give the landlord earplugs. problem solved :)
  • FitandFab33
    FitandFab33 Posts: 718 Member
    Definitely look into doggie daycare/sitters... a lot of vet offices do it too- for a dog his size I think it would've been around $6/day at the office I worked at a few years ago.
  • Sharkington
    Sharkington Posts: 485
    Man, that sucks. I don't know much about dogs, never had them, but I know you can find dog trainers out there who will help you train your dog to better deal with separation anxiety. I'm not sure if money is an issue. Someone else mentioned that show "it's me or the dog", and I used to watch it and it's definitely possible to fix this problem if you dedicate the time for it. Good luck!
  • rockabettyvintage
    rockabettyvintage Posts: 9 Member
    Exercise has to be first. Tired doggies sleep instead of destroy things and or cry. Go for longer walks (or even better runs) in the morning before you leave.

    Also, crate train, but please don't leave dogs in longer than 20 minutes at a time. My small dog loves his crate, we just leave it open always and he goes in there to sleep.

    "For instance, do you make a big deal of coming home or right before leaving? Ignore him for at least 20 minutes before leaving and after coming home. Only reward him with attention when he's being calm. A great book is "I'll Be Home Soon" by Patricia McConnell who is an excellent animal behaviorist. "

    THIS ^^^

    Only give attention to him when he is calm. I have a very hard time with this, but it is important.
  • babymaddux
    babymaddux Posts: 209 Member
    Is he crate trained? Wondering if he'd feel safer in crate with a blanket over it, TV on low. Leave him with a couple of Kongs (Google it if you don't have any) filled with frozen goodies that will take him a long time to work on.

    ETA: Does he just howl/whine for a while, or is it really all day long? Is there any way to know if he's hearing something outside or can see something out the windows that is setting him off? Did he do it at your last place, or is it a new behavior?

    he isn't crate trained but i'm thinking thats going to be my next move. i bought him a crate recently just haven't gotten around to the training part.

    he did it at my old place too, its not a new thing at all. he just always had separation anxiety. he's a rescue so that should explain a lot.

    what do u like to put in kongs? i've tried it before with peanut butter i believe but he didnt go for it.

    hopefully he will go for the crate, but i know with my dog, that panics him even more. i've put him in one in a different room to me as well as in the same room, covered and uncovered, and he works himself up into a frenzy. he dug grooves in the base of it trying to get the door open. the longest i've had him in it was an hour (exercise dvd) and he was exhausted when i let him out again. but he also cries if i'm in a different room and the door is closed...
    the only time i've known him be ok in one was when he was put in it to fly from the uk to the usa, possibly because it wasn't me who put him in there.
  • glbragg
    glbragg Posts: 77 Member
    Crate training is probably the way to go but you need to make sure you actually train him to trust the crate. Most people just lock the dog up in there and think that will fix them. You need to build up the truast, first let them in the crate and right back out, then give him a treat. Then put him in and have him stay for a minute with the door open then let him back out with a treat. Each time you will build more on to the last move so he will learn that he will not be stuck in there for ever. There are many websites that walk you through how to properly crate train, it is very time consuming and you will need patients but it will be worth it in the end.
  • twinketta
    twinketta Posts: 2,130 Member
    I am probably going to get lots of negative responses to this, but, here we go, your dog is like a small child in some respects and it will need stimulation and company.

    If you have to leave it alone for more than a couple of hours then source doggy day care or a friend/neighbour to look after it.

    It is not a breed of dog that can be crated and be happy. It is a `yap yap` breed of dog and will whine and bark if left alone for periods of time. If you have a friend with a larger breed of dog it will get along and make friends?
  • CharityGC
    CharityGC Posts: 499 Member
    When I started crate training our rescue (who also has separation anxiety) I would put her treats in the kennel and toss whatever toys she wasn't playing with in there as well. When she got bored with whatever she had out, she would go in there to get a new one. I would also hide a treat in a blanket or two for her to find since she wasn't a fan of the Kongs. She now goes in it to sleep occasionally and will go right in when I tell her to go to her kennel so I can run or go out for errands.

    And it's definitely something you can train him out of but it may take work. I have one full breed chihuahua who has been left alone at home off and on his whole life (he's 13) and our rescue is a chihuahua mix.
  • AmandaReimer1
    AmandaReimer1 Posts: 235 Member
    Is it the landlord or neighbors that is complaining? Are you sure they aren't complaining to complain? Just another thought. You do have great suggestions.
    You can apparently buy a dog collars that would spray water when the dog barks to also teach it not to bark. It's expensive (100 bucks), but cheaper than finding a new place to live.

    Edit is instead of us.
  • Summerberry1012
    Summerberry1012 Posts: 109 Member
    when we were training our pup to stay at home alone (because he was used to having someone there all the time since my fiance works from home) we initially did krate training for short periods of time and then up to 4hrs with cartoons on tv and toys. Then we left him in our bedroom with the door closed so he couldn't roam the house - again tv on and toys. Now he can roam the house because he is used to it but he usually just ends up going to bed with his toys until we come back anyways because of the trainig. dogs feel like they need to control/protect the entire house when their owners are gone and that can be stressful for them so having a smaller space to "control/protect" eases their anxiety - and then you can allow them more space to "protect" as they learn that it is not necessary to do so constantly and get used to being by themselves.
  • Melo1966
    Melo1966 Posts: 881 Member
    Do not let your dog be lose in the apartment some of them can not handle it, I know mine can not. My furbaby goes into her crate willingly with yummy treats and lays and sleeps all day. I know this because I have come in quietly and find her sleeping. I cover the crate with a blanket. When there has been construction going on outside I turned the TV on to a jazz music station so she is not bothered with the outside noise. She gets plently of exercise in the mornings and evenings and is a very happy dog.

    If you do not want to use a crate then do look into paying for doggy daycare.
  • whipdancer
    whipdancer Posts: 21 Member
    Rescue or not, separation anxiety is not "normal". It happens but it's up to us to fix it. We only deal in rescues and I'm pretty sure we've seen it or dealt with it (we are currently fostering 1 in addition to our 3).

    1. Crate training - make it a priority


    Consider doggy-daycare for a period of time until you fix the anxiety issues
  • nolachick
    nolachick Posts: 3,278 Member
    Definitely look into doggie daycare/sitters... a lot of vet offices do it too- for a dog his size I think it would've been around $6/day at the office I worked at a few years ago.

    i wish they were this cheap here. I checked last night and the best rate around here is $17/day. but i'm thinking of doing this as a temp. fix while I train him. Hopefully it will work.

    but don't worry my last option is to give him up or put him down.
  • nolachick
    nolachick Posts: 3,278 Member
    Crate training is probably the way to go but you need to make sure you actually train him to trust the crate. Most people just lock the dog up in there and think that will fix them. You need to build up the truast, first let them in the crate and right back out, then give him a treat. Then put him in and have him stay for a minute with the door open then let him back out with a treat. Each time you will build more on to the last move so he will learn that he will not be stuck in there for ever. There are many websites that walk you through how to properly crate train, it is very time consuming and you will need patients but it will be worth it in the end.

    i tried this for a few weeks during the holidays because he was going to have to be ina kennel to fly home with me. he HATED it. he flipped out if i would close the kennel if even for a minute. poor thing. that was a soft kennel that was dark so i bought him a new steel caged one so he can still see me and not flip out. but i know what u mean.

    I'm going to try this again tho.

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