Well, Rudy's "baggage" has arrived. Looking for advice.
He's crated while we're at work. My hubby is always the meanie to leave him (just kidding) and I get to be the hero who comes home and lets him out. Today I crated him and it was quite an eye opener. (Yes, hubby sees this every day and no, hubby didn't feel it was worth mentioning.) He'll go in willingly (for treats) and we both have made sure it's a very calm, matter of fact kind of thing. He's told to sit/stay and the crate door is shut. All is fine until you take one step away and then he barks hysterically, and bats at the door. You'd think he was dying. He also makes this intermittent crying/barking/Yorkie sound. Now obviously he stops at some point as he's always just fine when I return, but it was pretty intense when I left, and I could still hear him as I was getting into my car halfway down the driveway. Hubby confirms that this has been consistent since Rudy came. We've tried leaving him "free" with Hudson in the bedroom for extremely short periods of time (ten minutes to forty). He did great the first time, but since then he's been pretty destructive. He's eaten a sock (no idea where it was hiding) and most recently he pulled a pair of dress pants off the dresser (where they were neatly folded...a first for me), and broke off (and swallowed) all the buttons (well, we found pieces totalling about half). He's also been chowing down on the cedar chest. He doesn't even look at things funny when we're in the house, even if we're not nearby. So, no freedom for a while. I get that. He's absolutely perfect "unsupervised" when someone's home, so that's not the issue, but it seems he's having a really hard time being left alone. Ideally I'd like to be able to leave him free with Hudson but that won't happen as long as his chewing puts him at risk. So, any additional suggestions? We're hoping to ease him out of this behaviour so he doesn't have to get stressed. (And I know, in the grand scheme of things, this isn't awful. We just want to help him through it the best we can.) |
|
|
| difficult, never crated Summer she hated being confined but managed to pen off a part of the kitchen and she was happy there. Tried leaving a radio on, really loud near the crate? What about being in the crate when you are in the room? if quiet then after a few minutes let him out for a treat. sorry not much help, sure someone will come along who can help you |
| duff was the same way i tryed all calming stuff on the market and nothing helped i got dreamer and seems to help a bit.. such drama kids we have.. but now not crates mistake see my post on pics will be coming soon ............ arrrr but your rudy boys is so sweet lol with a bunch of mischief |
I think you are so right to crate him. Even if I don't crate Betsy there is a huge protest about being left behind. And it sounds like I am getting yelled at - and I think this involves my dog swearing at me!  I think part of the thing is to assure yourself that it really isn't the crate that is the issue and understand that Rudy would probably be protesting no matter what. They want to be with us. I would treat Rudy's crate as his den and put his favorite toys and snacks in it. Then have him do a couple of trips into his crate for 1/2 hour increments while you are home. This will assure both of you that it really isn't the crate that is the issue. Betsy loves her crate but if she is left at home crated and the other dogs are not, she does seem to be more upset. However, I know I am crating for her safety. So off I go, working hard to build a habit that she will grow into. If the protest is especially awful, I might drive around the block to see if she is still barking before I leave. But I do that to see how long the protest has continued. I wouldn't "let her win" and come in the house. Sometimes I will walk her first. That seems to take the sting out of being left. And whenever I leave her in her crate, she gets a kong or a fozen bone to chew on and serve as a distraction. Exercise is the tool that drains a lot of tension/mischief/issues from these dogs. If the protests are getting worse, then lengthen the walks and increase the number of walks he is having. Good luck! |
| I liked Patricia B McConnell's book, I'll Be Home Soon! How to prevent and Treat Separation Anxiety. Printed by Dog's Best Friend Ltd. There's also a web page listed but I havent looked at it: www.dogsbestfriendtraining.com. Its a small book, easy to read, lots of ideas. Basically a desensitisation program. She explains it will take time and patience. Good luck. Wayne wouldnt have mentioned anything either, he would have just said "he'll get used to it".  |
| My rescue dog does this. Color me cold, I ignore her little tantrums and leave. She usually stops before I reach the door these days, but I'm amazed the crate is still in one piece. I think rescue/shelter dogs tend towards sep. anx. (some, not all, but higher % than other populations) because of the uncertainty in their lives. Especially if they've been bounced a bit as Dazz has, though she probably showed sep anx as a pup which was how she ended up in rescue (how's that for circular reasoning?  ) Then she was placed -and returned. Not for separation anxiety, but for being a big mouth in general  She threw a fit the first time they put her in a crate and when they returned her they informed me btw she couldn't be crated. They'd tried it once and never again. Well, she's not STUPID. Now she knows it is possible some softie will give in to her tantrums.Anyway, she HAD been crated at my house just fine and she WOULD be crated again. I'm not thrilled about needing to crate her, but would be less thrilled if I came home and found she had killed my cat (I don't think she would but...) or broken another window (that she's done, while I was home with her  ), so, I crate, she throws a tantrum, and life goes on. It really doesn't seem to stress her. I come home to a relaxed dog - she's gotten really good about that. Amazingly so, in fact. She used to play human bowling when I let her out. It just is what it is and if you make it as much a non-event as possible, yeah, you know the drill. Though I agree with Mim that Patricia's book is excellent.Kristine |
| When my Fozzie was younger, he needed to be crated when left alone, and he pulled the same kind of dramatics. I had great success leaving him with a kong stuffed with little cookies, tidbits and sealed with peanut butter. That would keep him occupied till after I was long gone, and by that time there was nobody to perform for. |
| Oh poor rudie and poor Mommy! We leave a radio/tv on tuned to a show that is mellow with people talking...like the cooking channel. Not animal planet where other dogs might start barking on the tv and can drive a dog nutty! We've also used the dog CDwhile you were Gone".. and it leave it on repeat so it plays over and over...Nice mellow music...The sounds on the TV and the radio or CD can do more harm than good so best to find something mellow, not loud noises, not other animal noises... Bach's Rescue remedy has helped us too...There is a new formula out without alcohol...but I will I use more than the three drops they recommend... Also, maybe leave him with something that smells like you...maybe something you can sleep in a few days in a row and leave with him...t-shirt, nightgown...maybe sleep with a blanket of his under your nightshirt. A few days in a row. Get your scent on it And leave it with him...We did that when my dog was in the hospital. the staff there said he would smell it and sleep on it like a pillow. Reminded him of us while he was all alone... |
| To make myself feel better, I leave my laptop running with the camera on. I can check it from my iPhone. I can see exactly how long it takes for any of my dogs to settle down. You can also use a web browser to view if you use Ustream. |
Ashley wrote: Oh poor rudie and poor Mommy! Bach's Rescue remedy has helped us too...There is a new formula out without alcohol...but I will I use more than the three drops they recommend... You mean that alcohol wasn't the active ingredient? Should I stop putting the rum in Chauncey's water? |
LolasMama wrote: To make myself feel better, I leave my laptop running with the camera on. I can check it from my iPhone. I can see exactly how long it takes for any of my dogs to settle down. You can also use a web browser to view if you use Ustream. I want to do that see what they are up to! No internet in my neck of the woods yet. When I drive down the my driveway they seem to be there waiting I wonder if they can hear the car or if they know time I am lucking they don't make a stink when I leave they just quietly watch me go with big puppy dog eyes. I not sure if it is was because I took them to daycare until they were old enough to come to work and then they were with me at work. I do leave them at home sometimes but they seem fine neither has destroyed a thing while I was gone they have free roam of the house and a doggie door out into a kennel as well. |
Didn't find exactly what you're looking for? Search again here:
Custom Search
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|