Seperation Anxiety Help?

[dearing]

Hi Everyone!

My chihuahua has what I believe is seperation anxiety and I was wondering what your experiences are with it, and if you have any recommendations to get him to relax and hopefully calm down?

He is eleven months old now, and is fine with sleeping calmly in his crate at night, its whenever I walk out of the room or leave the house. I am told he will continue barking until I get home. When I get home, I do not make a big deal about it, just calmly put my things away and then take him out to do his business. Even if someone else is home, he will bark bark bark... :dogblink:

Any suggestions?
Thanks!
-Dearing & Puppy

 

[szecsuani]

The only thing I can say,is that try to slowly increase the time you are away. Like go away for only a few minutes at first, and if you find he was quiet, praise him a lot.
Then when you find that he can stay calm if you go away for a few minutes, try to stay away a little more.
Hope I helped

 

[fickla]

There is a great book (pamphlet actually) by Patricia McConnell called "I'll be home soon" on sep anxiety.

I would also recommend on trying to put him in his crate or safe room and not leaving the house, just go about your business. Maybe even sit 10 ft away and try to read a book so you're still in sight. Ignore all whining no matter how loud or how long it goes on for. You can only let him out if he is quiet. Maybe even slip treats through the bars if he is being quiet. Then gradually work up to out of sight for 5 seconds, etc.

The hard part with sep anxiety is that everytime you leave for real, the dog feels anxiety again and it's a set back. Some people send their dogs to daycare or have grandma babysit, etc while working on it.

 

[dearing]

Thanks so much for your help! We have been working on it, and he has gotten a little better. I am looking into a doggie daycare for him as well. I will look up that pamphlet, hopefully it will help us!

Have a great evening!
-Dearing & Puppy

 

[drivingtenacity]

The only thing I can say,is that try to slowly increase the time you are away. Like go away for only a few minutes at first, and if you find he was quiet, praise him a lot.
Then when you find that he can stay calm if you go away for a few minutes, try to stay away a little more.
Hope I helped

That's good advice. when I first got Zena, she had seperation anxiety. I'd leave the house for just a minute, to go out in the yard, or on the porch, and come right in. When she got used to that, I'd start taking brief trips, increasing the time i was gone each time.
She has no seperation anxiety now.:dogsmile: