I thought the tips about calming puppies were awesome! I, too, have worked with dogs a lot, not in fostering, but I have been a groomer and worked for 2 vets. We own two adult dogs who can have some separation anxiety problems when we are away from home on vacations and such.
I have a 5 year old yellow Lab. I got her about 2 months ago. She was a kennel dog and was never in a house and was never a family dog. She is a sweet heart and does awesome with everyone. She doesn't have a mean bone in her body.
Here's where the problem comes in. When left alone all day she is fine, doesn't pee or poop in the house. She goes all night without going in the house. If I am inside she is at my side no more then 3 feet away. When I give my son a bath there isn't enough room in my bathroom for all 3 of us, so I have to shut the door and lock her out. Well that's when she pees on the floor. If I am home and shut her out she pees on the floor even if there are other people in the house. Please help.
By Andrew
I have a 3 year old female Siberian Husky. We adopted her a little over two years ago from the Humane Society. She is completely housebroken and over all a very well behaved dog.
She is very attached to my fiance and acts like a completely different dog whenever he is not around. She has started to pee on the floor right after I let her out and she pees outside, not a lot, but enough to let me know! I think it might have something to do with the separation of her and my fiance now that he is working a lot.
I don't really know what to do. We've tried walking her as soon as he gets home so she still feels the one on one connection. She has been checked by the vet, no bladder problems. Whenever he has a day off he takes her out walking to parks, fishing, etc.
I lock her up and she won't do it at all, but I can't leave my dog in a cage for 9 hrs a day until he gets home, when I am here. I just can't do it. Has anyone ever had this problem before and can you help me?
By Britt from IN
I have a new puppy. I got her 2 weeks ago and she uses the puppy pad most of the time. However when I leave the house just to check the mail or whatever reason for a minute or two, she will poop in front of the door right where I would step when I come back in.
I would take her with me, but she barks at everyone who comes near me and I'm working on that as well. I went to the store yesterday and she stayed with my adult daughter. My daughter said she sat at the door and cried for me the whole time I was gone, she would pick her up and try to calm her down, but she would fight her to get away and back to the door waiting for me.
How can I stop her from pooping in front of the door like that? And how can I train her to be calm until I get back? I don't like her being so sad when I leave. She is crate trained, but I don't want to put her in there for a minute or two. Any advice? She is only 6 months old. I should also mention she is a rescue dog that was first taken to the shelter where she was rescued from a no kill rescue, then adopted only to be returned as she was too playful for the elderly couple. So she has abandonment issues I'm sure.
I have a 2 year old brindle American Stafford, and she always wants to be around someone. When I leave for work, she looks at me as if I was going to take her with me. I can be gone for only 15 minutes and when I return, she will have pooped on the floor as if she is getting back at me. She seems to be pretty upset that she was left alone because she would chew up everything in sight. What can I do to stop this behavior?
By Eddie from Staten Island, NY
My dog had severe separation anxiety when we adopted him. His loving owner doted on him until the husband broke his hip, was taken away by medics in an ambulance and had to move into a nursing home that would not take large dogs.
I have a 10 month old puppy that has separation anxiety. I just rescued her 3 months ago. We have 3 other dogs that are older than her. She has eaten every dog cot we had along with an entire couch and she pees and poops when we are gone and when we go to bed even though she can go out 24/7.
They all go into a very large area in the basement at night and when we leave. I take them all out the regular door regularly when I'm home because she won't go out on her own the way the others do and she will just pee in the house instead of telling me she has to go. I love her, but this needs to stop or my husband is going to divorce me.
This seems like just plain anxiety, not really separation anxiety.
Your dog sounds like the omega in the pack. She doesn't want to go out when the others do. When you take her out you empower her, but as the low dog on the totem pole she feels unwelcome otherwise going where the others do.
You already have three dogs. What made you decide to take on another? In the wild, an unrelated puppy would not be allowed to join an already established pack. The puppy would be run off or possibly killed since the dominant female did not give birth to it. The dogs are only tolerating it because you say so, but it certainly feels the stress of not belonging.
Perhaps your puppy would be happier in a home with no other dogs, or a very elderly one.
Trying to provide a home for a rescue is admirable, but it needs to be the right home for the right dog. This doesn't seem like a good match to me.
I have two Pit Bulls, Honey is a fully grown Pit Bull 11 years old, and Blaze that is 6 years old. Everytime we leave they tend to destroy the house! We can't ever come home without having to clean up a mess. We have tried to put a gate up, but my 6 year old always tends to find a way out. We even tried to put the dinner table against it and he still finds a way out.
They were never trained, I have no idea why. My brother was the owner, but he moved out and left them here. We need a solution because it's so embarrassing having company over and having to make them wait and have to clean. I have given up, I need help!By Brianna Q.
I am just looking for ideas that worked for you to get him or her to stop crying, scratching the rug, and the door every time you left.
I just picked up my girl on Friday. I was warned of her separation anxiety. Leaving last night, I placed her in my room and left the radio on, per the advice I received. When arriving home, it was nothing I had ever seen before. She completely destroyed the bedroom door and literally broke through my children's bedroom window. I was told of her fear of cages, which is why I opted against it as it was part of her abusive puppyhood. Any other suggestion other than what has already been posted?
By ASE936
I have a 7 year old German Shepherd hound mix and he has separation anxiety issues. For the first 3 years I was always home, but then I started working. He cries, barks, whines, howls, and is destructive. He has chewed part of walls, doors, and furniture. I get him toys, give him treats when he is good, play with him all the time, etc. I don't know what else to do. I want to look into home herbal remedies. I tried medication and it did not work. Someone help us!
By Diana
What was the Japanese flute music mentioned as being helpful? Thought I might be able to find some at the library. Thanks.
Over the years I've had a couple of dogs who suffered from extreme separation anxiety, poor things! One dog was so frantic at being left alone that he drooled buckets, and another would shred anything he could get his teeth and claws on. Awful, I felt so badly for them!
The most successful solution was crating them, and leaving the TV on near-by. The crate contained them in a safe and comfortable place, and the TV seemed to make them less lonely-I think they could hear the voices on TV and I dunno, maybe it made the pups think I'd be back soon? Anyway, it worked. I noticed that if the TV wasn't on the dog would chew more; if on, the dog seemed to sleep more.
It wasn't as bad when I was a stay-at-home mum because I wasn't usually out of the house for more than a couple of hours at a time. After my divorce, though, I went back to work full-time, and had to use my lunch hours to run home and let the dog out. Still, my last dog lived to be over 13 years old-and in a Boxer, that's amazing. The vet was sure he lived so long because he was so happy with me. (Gosh I hope so! Sure made me feel better when the vet said that:)
A friend had picked up this new CD that's out, made just for pet separation anxiety. She said it calmed her dog significantly - plus, she said she really liked the instrumental music as well. It's called 'Mood Music for Dogs' (And Dog Lovers) 'Gone for a Walk'.
I adopted a rescue, 3yr old female Catahoula. I've had her now for almost 2 yrs. I was told that she was in a puppy mill, obviously by the math it was before she was 1yr old. At first she was pretty timid and shy, she chewed up a lot of stuff and had some odd actions or reactions. It was very difficult keeping her, but she settled down and relaxed, it got much better. She is awesome and a great dog. She gets along with my 6yr old male Rottweiler very well. For around the last 6 months or so she will run outside everytime I go downstairs or to the garage.
It wasn't really a big deal until she would do it when it's cold and snowing or raining and just sit in the corner of the yard. It got to the point where I made a door for the dog door so she can't run outside, at this point she will follow me to the basement or garage, happy, but partly reluctant tho. I'm sure it's separation anxiety, but to develop it now? Help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thx.
