# Avoiding separation anxiety



## FirstTimeVizsOwners (Dec 29, 2014)

Hello, everyone! We brought our sweet, 8-week old Jake home on Valentine's Day. He is absolutely precious and becoming very well-acclimated to his new home! Crate training has been a breeze thus far with whining on the first two nights only. He now crates up nicely and sleeps without a peep from 9:30-6:30. He is doing FABULOUS with potty training too...even with the sub-zero temps in Western New York...Brr! My worry is separation anxiety in the future when he has to be crated for longer periods of time when both my husband and I are back to work full-time. I am self-employed so am able to rearrange my schedule on some days to come home during lunch time to let him out for potty, exercise and play. I also have a trust-worthy neighbor coming to let him out in the afternoon when I can't be come home, until summer. I have a very light caseload during the summer, so will be home most days, all day long. In the fall, I will be back to work full-time for 6-8 hour days. We live on an Angus beef farm with over 100 acres and outside of our day jobs, we are home bodies, working on the farm. We are very active and will give him a morning run/off-leash play and of course lots of exercise after we get home. When old enough, we also have a 2-acre invisible fenced in area for him to have the run of during the day. Do I need to worry about separation anxiety when we are both gone for the day from 730-330? Any and all suggestions are welcome! We live in a very rural area, so doggy daycare is not available. THANK YOU!!


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## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

Congratulations!! I'm sure Jake is fast becoming the light of your lives!! ;D ;D Photos?

I've read this, and it has always seemed to work for me: When you have to leave and you can't take him with you, don't try to sneak out. Just tell him the truth. I tell Willie, "Mom has to go bye-bye now, and I can't take you with me. You stay home and be a good boy." Speak in a matter-of-fact tone of voice. Then leave without making a big fuss about it. It's been my experience that dogs will adjust to whatever schedule you set for them. That 7:30 to 3:30 schedule is a long stretch, but as an adult dog, he should be able to make it. Don't feed him more than a snack in the morning, and make sure he has a good opportunity to relieve himself before you leave. 

I would be cautious about leaving Jake in the invisible fenced area when he's home alone during the day (later). Invisible fences might keep your dog in, but they don't keep other critters out (coyotes, for example). Maybe some other members will give you suggestions, too. ;D


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## Janders (Feb 27, 2014)

I work from home so Gus is with me all day every day. This was such an advantage with potty training and crate training. However, I feel like I made some big mistakes that are getting harder by the day to overcome. I only kept Gus in his crate while I was working. This lasted for a few months-now he just stays in my office on the couch. He was such a ball of energy I hated to leave him with my parents for too long so he's only ever spent two nights away from us in the past year we've had him. I have started to gradually leave him home alone for short periods of time. He's really good about not chewing what he's not supposed to and stuff so I don't worry about that. My biggest worry is how sad he gets when I leave. My husband said he's just pitiful when he gets home. Instead of being destructive - he just mourns. It's heart breaking. I wish I had given him a little more time to himself when he was smaller. We also live on a farm in a very rural area so day cares are non existent. I think it's a good idea that you leave him alone some, especially at first so he doesn't have a hard time later.


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## FirstTimeVizsOwners (Dec 29, 2014)

Thank you, both! @mswhipple yes, Jake is the light of our lives! Oh my word! Thank you for the tips!! He has been super the few times that I've had to leave him this week, leaving for 2-3 hours at a time. He hasn't messed in his crate and so far has been very calm when I walk through the door and when I let him out. Fingers crossed it will continue.  @Janders - Yes, I am glad that I am starting this soon with leaving him at bits of time. I'm hopeful that this will make longer leaves easier. Good luck! I'm excited to see what others have to share with me.


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## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

Jake is just adorable!!  

You should understand that he will probably get a broken heart every time you leave... just like Janders described with Gus. Vizslas do become very attached to their people! That's why it's best to try not to make a big deal of it when you do have to leave.


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## jld640 (Sep 29, 2010)

I absolutely agree with mswhipple about having a routine for leaving and not sneaking out. I also tell Savannah to 'watch the house' or the office or the car or wherever she is being left so she has a job.

The best info I have for you is that at 4.5 years old, Savannah still has to practice being alone. Every. Single. Day. Being alone is a difficult skill that she has mastered with practice.


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## dextersmom (Oct 29, 2013)

jld640 said:


> The best info I have for you is that at 4.5 years old, Savannah still has to practice being alone. Every. Single. Day. Being alone is a difficult skill that she has mastered with practice.


x 100! Jake is such a handsome fellow


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## mlg1900 (Jun 12, 2013)

When our puppy was first brought home, I had a few days off to get her settled in. But my husband had to go back to work right away. We wanted to make sure that leaving was not a "big deal" to avoid separation anxiety. We started the phrase. "gotta go to work!" So, pretty much anytime anyone leaves the house that is what we say. If we don't make it a big deal, they don't seem to act like it is big deal either. Also, when you get home and the puppy is crated. They usually are super noisy, active, and excited. Try not to give in to all that noise. Try to only open the crate when they have stopped jumping around. I saw a nice video on this on the internet. Puppies learn very quickly that quiet gets them out!


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