# Struggling to be left alone.



## Raydek (Dec 30, 2015)

Hi all

We have been trying to leave or 13 week old female V alone for 30-60 minutes every day as eventually she will need to spend time alone when my wife and I are at work.

It is not going well. We walk her, play with her and do some training before leaving her alone.

We leave her with access to her crate with a nice chew and a toy or two, yet as soon as we leave she goes mental (have a camera watching her so we could see). She doesn't touch any of her treats or toys, she just moans and howls and barks.... 

Any advise would be awesome. 

Thanks


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## gingerling (Jun 20, 2015)

Try using the crate. Humans like space, Vizsla babies find security in smaller spaces. She'll still miss you, but she'll feel safer being alone in a more confined space.

If you're not already doing so, try feeding her in there, put new toys and treats for her to find (with the door open), and on a regular schedule, put her in there while you're in the same room for a little while..if she fusses, wait until she stops...so she experiences the crate as a more positive environment, and not just a tool for isolation.


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## jld640 (Sep 29, 2010)

You might consider several short training sessions (5 minutes or so) each day instead of one long 30 minute session. Let her get used to the idea that you always come back before going for endurance.

Also, set a routine (Actions, words, and tone of voice) so she knows what is going on. For Savannah it is always: 'Wait here.' 'Watch the house.' 'I'll be right back.'

Even after you get her used to being alone while you are at work, make sure when you are home on the weekends or other days off that you give her a chance to practice being alone. After 5 years, I can still tell when I miss a day giving Savannah that practice.


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## Raydek (Dec 30, 2015)

I am happy to say that Zara is doing much better on her own! 

We found that she doesn't like being outside on her own, so we have now given her access to a small section of the house the she can get to from the garden, we also leave her crate in this small area and she is more than happy to be alone. We leave chews and toys and she entertains herself or sleeps.

We have slowly been increasing the time she is alone and made it to 3 hours, we were then going to try for 4 hours this past weekend, but as fate has it we were not able to get back home due to circumstances out of our control so she ended up being alone for almost 6 and a half hours and no problems. I set up a baby monitor app on my mobile phone and checked in every so often on the video feed and she was either playing it sleeping.

I am so happy.


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## WyattBoy (Jan 14, 2016)

Oh my gosh, I am glad you are succeeding with incremental time increases. I can't get my dog to stop freaking out when I go to the gas station (with him in it) and get out to pump the gas! He is such an awesome dog but has tremendous separation anxiety.


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## Abahn (Nov 7, 2015)

I'll have the same task ahead of me!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## KodasMom (Oct 15, 2015)

Has she done any damage to the house when she has been left alone? That's awesome that she doesn't need to be crated while you are gone!


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## Raydek (Dec 30, 2015)

As yet she has not damaged anything, but she has never been one for chewing on stuff, we leave shoes and things lying around and she pays them no attention. Sure it will happen one day though if she gets bored.

On that note though, we fill the area we she is when she is alone with many chews and toys to keep her entertained for a while.


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