# Another Separation Anxiety Post



## JALVizsla (Nov 16, 2016)

Hey everyone --

First off, I have read through old threads on separation anxiety, and I found some really good advice there. Ultimately, I felt it was worth another thread as I can't accommodate the #1 suggestion.

I made a post that goes in depth on what I've attempted with crate training (add to that that I did indeed pick up a plastic crate, and I recently started playing classical music). I've basically tried everything I can think of/have read about, with the exception of products (i.e. DAP, Bach's), which I may try soon. My 11 week old puppy is great at night - the odd whimper here and there - but absolutely hates it during the day. She screams bloody murder, and I'm quite sure keeps it up all day long... she's starting to sound raspy when I get home from work.

So, the biggest piece of advice I've read is to slooowly build up the time they spend in the crate alone over weeks/months. I did this to the best of my ability when I was off for the first ~10 days when I got her, but I'm back to work now (this is my second full week), so puppy MUST be in the crate 7-8 hours a day.

The first week, I went home for an hour over lunch (so 4 hours in the morning, out for lunch, 3 hours in afternoon). I thought we had maybe made some progress on Friday, as she was quiet when I got home for lunch (and then I took her into the office, as I will likely do on Friday afternoons). Monday, she was back to square one. I'm not sure if it's because the weekend threw her off - she did spend time in the crate over the weekend to try and avoid disrupting her schedule too much, but obviously not as much time as the weekdays - or if Friday was just one of those fluke days as the success isn't consistent yet.

The rest of the time this week I've been splitting my lunch into two 30s instead of an hour, so she's out of the kennel for 15-20 minutes every 2-2.5 hours. I don't know yet if this has made a difference (yesterday she was literally screaming every single time I left the house, and still screaming every single time I went back... today she wasn't screaming for trip #1 but was when I returned for trip #2). I would gladly accept opinions on what is thought to be better for a dog with separation anxiety: more frequent breaks (so she learns that I'm not gone forever), or less frequent breaks (so she doesn't have to repeatedly self-settle).

In any case... does anyone have any extra advice for a puppy showing signs of separation anxiety, when there is literally no way to avoid her spending several hours in the crate at a time? If this is normal for her age and it will just get better with time, please chime in! It just seems like a long time to not be settling in more. It's no surprise, but my Labs were way more laid back!


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## Canadian Expy (Feb 27, 2013)

Some pups are easy to crate train, but most scream bloody murder for the first bit. If the dog is only crying in the crate and isn't chewing the crate, peeing, pooping, vomiting, etc I would stay the course, but add the following suggestions. 

Before you go to work make sure you take the pup for a walk, and give time for play and training to tire the pup out.

Get a couple puppy Kongs and put peanut butter, yogurt, pumpkin, whatever you want in it and freeze it and only give it to the pup when you put it in the crate before you leave for work. 

If you weren't having issues with the pup going to the bathroom in the crate between morning and lunch, I would suggest coming home for the 1 hour break and do lots of play and training to tire the pup out in the afternoon. Again when you leave give the pup a frozen Kong.

On weekends make sure you give the pup some crate time even when your home to keep working on the crate training. Some dogs will scream for a bit and eventually stop. Others (like my now 1 year old pup) would scream bloody murder forever so we started telling her to "hush!" which would break her crying and within a short time she stopped her crying. 

Crate training is all about you being consistent and not giving in and eventually the pup is fine. I would say it took a couple of months for my now 1 year old pup to stop crying entirely - sometimes I would come home and she would be crying and other times she would be fine. 

Now she happily runs into her crate as soon as you grab your Kong from the freezer, or if you say crate.

Stick with it. At this point it doesn't sound like medication is needed, you just need to be persistent.

If your worried about what neighbours think, get them a card and a bottle of wine. 




Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk


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## Betty (Apr 14, 2016)

I have also raised labs, they don't care a whole lot whether you are visible or not. Our velcro Vizslas care a WHOLE LOT. Leaving a young puppy in a crate for long periods of time will make them crazy...they NEED their people. If she has had all her vaccinations, you could take her to someone who would be there for her; Doggy daycare, or a home familiar with Vizslas. Good luck.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

I agree that vizslas want/need to physically be with us, more than some of the other breeds. But they also need to learn to settle on their own. I say Learn, because it's a learned trait. Most don't come to us knowing this. There are some breeders that start crate training, for their puppy buyers. But not all of them do.


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## pez999 (Apr 22, 2017)

We've had this issue and still do to an extent (Bandi is almost 9 months). It's not so much as whining anymore but more of just the "boredom chewing".

One thing I'd suggest is to install a pet/baby/security camera. I got one for about $70 on amazon that has 2 way communication, you can move the camera on your phone, zoom in or out, has night vision etc. It's not super fancy but it's great to be able to keep an eye on him while people are at work. Just gives you a sense of relief to be able to see him, and to be able to monitor how well he does alone during the day. And in some cases, for us anyway, to be able to tell him to stop chewing or doing something bad if he's trying to get into trouble!

Ours hated crating and obviously we couldn't leave him in it for more than 4 hours so what we did when he was at that age is, we confined him to the kitchen at first. This totally depends on the layout of your home but for us the kitchen only had one entrance/opening and we used a tall puppy gate. So he had his crate in there but with a bit of freedom and view/sun from window (he likes sleeping in the sun). It also made accidents easier to clean up because of the tiles. I won't lie he destroyed some cabinets...and even the wall for a little while because of separation anxiety but eventually stopped. We though we'd risk it and give him a little more freedom by getting those puppy training pens and blocking off the dining room/rest of house, and keeping the kitchen gate up. This way he had access to the living room only. We allow him on furniture so he absolutely loved sleeping on the couch and honestly this was the main reason he has gotten calmer alone. I don't know if it's just the comfort of the couch or because that's where we spend lot of time with him at night by the tv? But he has gotten a lot better since he's been able to spend the day there. 

Biggest problem we have now is the chewing as he gets bored, so what we do is play with him in the morning and tire him out as much as we can. Then he gets chew toys for the day, kongs with pb, beef thigh bone, interactive type chew toys etc. There have definitely been setbacks and I think that's okay. Especially when they're younger. Bandi would be fine for a few days and then after the weekend, next Monday, it's like square 1 again. It'll take time and patience but she'll get there.

They also sell these pheromone type sprays/oils that are supposed to calm dogs down who have anxiety. We had the oil diffuser type and it didn't exactly work but I've read about others that it was perfect for, some vizsla owners too. It's definitely worth a try and they even say you can return it if it doesn't work.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

A lot of the posts sound like normal puppy behavior. Puppies don't come with manners, or impluse control. They get bored easily, and have short attention spans. They explore so many things with their mouth. It's a see it, smell it, ooh I have to put my mouth on it.
Don't get me wrong, they require a lot of attention. But they need to learn to settle on their own. If you need to do something, put the puppy up. These puppies are always learning, and what we are unintentionally teaching them. Can backfire against us.
If we get up and do something, every time they want us to. We are teaching them to expect that kind of behavior. Then they start demanding it of us.
That tiny puppy, turns into a demanding teenager, that can drive you nuts.
We did it to them because they are so cute, and we had breaks when they were sleeping. Now they take less naps, and are spoiled in a manner, that we can't keep up with. 
You would think giving in to every whim, would make them happy. But it doesn't. 
They are like the spoiled child that throws a fit, and can't be pleased.
These dogs need clear rules.
Mental, and physical exercise.
A place that they can relax without us.

Please don't label a normal puppy, as a SA dog. Give them a chance to learn to like their crates.


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## JALVizsla (Nov 16, 2016)

Thanks for the responses, everyone. It sounds like I'm best to just stay the course and keep doing what I'm doing.

I do only have one Kong though, so I will pick up another so she can have one every time I leave for a chunk of time. Thanks for the thought, Canadian Expy.

texasred, I'm glad to hear that you deem this behaviour normal for Vs... after three weeks and screams 90% of the time she goes into the kennel in the daytime (and me not giving in to it!), I was worried that I was going to inadvertently make her issues (perceived or otherwise) worse and end up with a dog incapable of being left alone.

We are into week #4 now, and while she was screaming when I got home from work, she was quiet when I left in the morning and when I came home at lunch, so I'll take that progress.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

I don't see it mentioned in this post. 
You need to get up extra early before work. Make sure she has physical, and mental exercise. That she had eaten a small meal, and has had time to eliminate that meal outside. That you are putting a tired, full puppy in the crate, before you leave for work.


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## JALVizsla (Nov 16, 2016)

texasred said:


> I don't see it mentioned in this post.
> You need to get up extra early before work. Make sure she has physical, and mental exercise. That she had eaten a small meal, and has had time to eliminate that meal outside. That you are putting a tired, full puppy in the crate, before you leave for work.


I feed her breakfast in her crate at 5:30am, and we get up around 6am-ish. Leave for work just before 8am and the rest of the time is spent playing inside and out. I have less time to do this over lunch, obviously, but I do what I can to keep her active in the ~45-60 mins that she's out of her crate.


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