Cherylbublitz
JH
Posts:20
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| 04/01/2013 6:50 AM |
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We thought it was the crate but I'm beginning to think that it isn't so much the crate but being separated from people. Every time I leave the room she cries and whines. I don't come back in the room if she is whining and I don't give her attention when I do come back in the room. She just can't stand to be separated. Is there hope? She is 2 1/2 months old. I don't know what to do any more. I'm very frustrated and know that she will be a great dog if we can get past this stage. |
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Maxwell
JH
Posts:26
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| 04/01/2013 6:58 AM |
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| My 9 week old is the same way, will sleep in the crate fine, but only if I'm sleeping in bed. Even if I put him in the cage and sit in my room he'll cry and usually ends up peeing himself in what I believe is fear. I've started giving him some chew sticks and they seem to keep him somewhat entertained. |
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Cherylbublitz
JH
Posts:20
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| 04/01/2013 7:14 AM |
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| I put the Kong stuffed with peanut butter frozen and she won't touch it. She won't even settle in it if I'm in the room. She whines a little quiter if I am in the room but she still doesn't relax one bit. |
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Texas Belle
Austin, TX
MH
Posts:7835
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| 04/01/2013 9:51 AM |
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| Your dog will probably outgrow the issue, but I wouldn't wait to find out. Start doing obedience training with your dog. This will help build confidence and you can gradually work the sit and down getting further and further away until you can eventually leave the room for short periods. She has not yet figured out that when you leave you are coming back, so you need to work on exercises to build up that confidence. Also, I would be sure you have one of your old shirts that smells like you in the crate and put the radio on. Sometimes the talk radio works better than music, so try different things. At 2 1/2 months she is still a baby and I doubt that it is true separation anxiety and more likely she is just having a hard time with the separation from her siblings. If they breeder never removed her from the pack and let her explore alone that may have something to do with why she is so bothered by you leaving, and it may just be that it is her nature. The other thing that the obedience training will help with is establishing you as the pack leader. She may just be feeling insecure right now in the pack in general. How does she do if you put her in a room by herself (not in the crate) and leave? You may need to separate this down and work on loving the crate and work on leaving her alone. Just be patient and stay consistent and I am betting that this passes. |
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Bev Quarles, the Pointer Sisters (Belle and Halo), the Outlaw GSP (Johnny Ringo) and the little Princess (Fauna)
Yellow Rose GSPs
   
"A dog has the soul of a philosopher." - Plato |
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Cherylbublitz
JH
Posts:20
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| 04/01/2013 10:02 AM |
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| I plan on starting obedience training in a week and a half but I'm not sure what to do on the mean time while we go to work. We have no option but to go and leave her . She does not like it if I leave the room period. She cries and whines. I try to leave her for short periods at a time to let her know I will come back. |
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Texas Belle
Austin, TX
MH
Posts:7835
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| 04/01/2013 10:16 AM |
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It is just going to take time to work through this and since you have to work there are not many options. Just know that she is not going to hurt herself by crying. Just make sure you aren't reinforcing the behavior in your concern for her. When you leave, don't make a big deal of it. In fact put her in the crate a few minutes before you are ready to leave. Then when you get home done run immediately to the crate and let her out. Put your things up, change clothes, whatever. After than go quietly to the crate and let her out. Don't respond to excited jumping, etc.
Something else you can try that has worked for some of my anxious puppies is yawning. Yawning is a calming behavior for dogs. So work with putting her in the crate, but stay where she can see you and yawn periodically. It will probably take doing this several times, but by yawning you are sending her a calming signal in doggy language. If she sees you it might help to calm her too. Then try leaving the room and when you come back in if she is excited do the yawning. My youngest had a hard time when I was training the long sit with her in obedience class. She was stressed by all the other dogs and people and the fact that I left her sitting and walked 25 feet or so away. While I was standing there I would yawn periodically and it worked like a charm. She started relaxing as she waited for me to come back to her.
Some of what you are seeing is insecurities of a puppy too, so be patient and don't get frustrated. The calmer you are, the more calming that is for her. Also, keep your voice calm and quiet. You don't have to get all excited with praise, a quiet good girl works too. So when she does quiet down in the crate, talk to her softly and praise her. You want her to relax in the crate and not get hyped up. |
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Bev Quarles, the Pointer Sisters (Belle and Halo), the Outlaw GSP (Johnny Ringo) and the little Princess (Fauna)
Yellow Rose GSPs
"A dog has the soul of a philosopher." - Plato |
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Splat
Illinois (Northern)
MH
Posts:3130
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| 04/01/2013 12:39 PM |
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Another thing to remember is it is fine for your pup to cry in the kennel... the kennel is a safe place for the pup to be when you are not there... so if you put the pup in and leave and it cries no big deal.... by allowing your pup to work through being alone and figuring out it is safe and you do come back, soon the crying will stop...
But when you do come home... make sure you ignore the pup and put your stuff away and don't let the pup out till he/she is quiet... then let them out in a calm manner and just bring them out to potty... do not over greet your pup when you come home.... it will cause anxiety... the pup will soon learn to get overly anxious for the greeting and won't settle when in its kennel... |
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Cherylbublitz
JH
Posts:20
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| 04/01/2013 12:45 PM |
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| Thank you so much for your help. I will try all of those suggestions. I guess I just wonder if it is better to do short periods of time such as 2 hours at a time or do we leave her a little longer to give her time to settle if it takes longer than 2 hours. |
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Texas Belle
Austin, TX
MH
Posts:7835
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| 04/01/2013 1:09 PM |
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| At 2 1/2 months that is pretty young to go longer than about 2 hours. I think I would stick to 2 maybe 3 hours, then get her out to go potty. Just don't get her out until she is quiet for a few seconds. |
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Bev Quarles, the Pointer Sisters (Belle and Halo), the Outlaw GSP (Johnny Ringo) and the little Princess (Fauna)
Yellow Rose GSPs
"A dog has the soul of a philosopher." - Plato |
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Cherylbublitz
JH
Posts:20
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| 04/01/2013 1:35 PM |
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| Now I'm just wondering how long this might take - days, weeks, months? And when do we say enough is enough? I don't want to give up, I just want to get past this. |
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Texas Belle
Austin, TX
MH
Posts:7835
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| 04/01/2013 11:57 PM |
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It's going to take as long as it takes. I know that isn't the answer you were looking for, but there are so many variables and it really does depend on your dog. I would say if you are consistent it probably won't take more than a week or two. Be patient and work with her every day and you will get through it. Stay with it now and don't give in as it is easier to train her to the crate now than to try to do it later.
Remember she is a baby. I had one puppy that just would not settle at night, so I finally would hold her snuggled to ma and rock her just like a baby. Once she relaxed and fell asleep, I would put her in her crate. If she woke up at night, I would take her out and then snuggle her again in bed until she relaxed and went back to sleep and again would put her in the crate. That worked for her great. With my boy I would put him in the crate and would stroke him gently until he went to sleep. Each puppy is different, you just need to figure out what works for your pup. |
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Bev Quarles, the Pointer Sisters (Belle and Halo), the Outlaw GSP (Johnny Ringo) and the little Princess (Fauna)
Yellow Rose GSPs
"A dog has the soul of a philosopher." - Plato |
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Cherylbublitz
JH
Posts:20
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| 04/07/2013 6:15 AM |
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| Update on Greta. She was checked for a UTI and it was positive. Since we put her on antibiotics she has done much better. No accidents in her kennel! She also went from taking pretty much an hour to settle down in her kennel when we leave, to 15-20minutes. She even went and took a nap in her kennel last night. I think she is getting it! Thanks for everyone's help and support. |
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Splat
Illinois (Northern)
MH
Posts:3130
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| 04/07/2013 6:25 AM |
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| that is good to hear... it is always good to get the medical things ruled out first... i imagine the bladder infection would be uncomfortable and could cause unsettling when in the kennel... maybe she didn't like having accidents in the kennel and couldn't help it... glad things re better! |
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Texas Belle
Austin, TX
MH
Posts:7835
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| 04/07/2013 10:46 AM |
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| Great news! Most definitely the UTI was causing her to have a hard time. Poor baby. Glad things are improving. I would expect this to progress pretty quickly now. |
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Bev Quarles, the Pointer Sisters (Belle and Halo), the Outlaw GSP (Johnny Ringo) and the little Princess (Fauna)
Yellow Rose GSPs
"A dog has the soul of a philosopher." - Plato |
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