# Crying when I leave



## Vizslalover925 (Mar 15, 2013)

I posted this question in a different thread as a comment, but I wanted to make an actual post about it too. Is it normal for a V to cry for an hour straight when I leave the home? I'm trying to prepare him for when I start work next week. He has a playpen where he can go potty, eat, drink, sleep, and play. I have a live camera to watch him. Monday I left him for an hour and he cried the whole time. Tuesday i left for 2 hours (yesterday) he cried for about 5 mins and then fell asleep for about 40 mins, and then cried for an hour straight. Today the plan was to leave for 2 1/2 hours. I just hate to hear him cry. Even if I have to shower and put him in his playpen he'll cry the whole time. Or if I'm making dinner right near the pen he still cries. Is this normal??


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## MilesMom (Jun 21, 2012)

Normal but you should still work to combat it. 

Exercise before crate
Firm "no" every 10 min, don't baby talk him or acknowledge every sound
Leave music/ TV/ Kong/ other safe crate toy
Cover crate


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## SuperV (Oct 18, 2011)

Did you get this dog as a pup? If so how long have you been staying home with the pup?

Just trying to get an understanding of the circumstances. My guess is that if you got him/her as a pup and someone has always been around for the first few months of life, the dog doesn't know how to be alone or how to entertain himself. So you'll need to work on showing the dog that being alone is OK.

Nate


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## Vizslalover925 (Mar 15, 2013)

Yes I picked him up on Saturday when he was 8 weeks and 1 day. Now he's 8 weeks and 5 days old. He was always around other dogs/puppies before I picked him up. He'll eat and drink, sleep, and cry while I'm gone but he will not play.


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## Kafka (Jul 24, 2013)

He is still really young. It might be easier for him to get used to being left along if you would start with smaller increments of time. A few times 20 minutes a day instead of 2.5 hours at once. 
Make sure he's tired before you leave him, and give him something that he really loves (and only give that when you leave him, like a stuffed kong). 
Only let him out when he's quiet, so that he doesn't start thinking that crying works.
I don't remember exactly, but I think it took a couple of weeks for my pup to stop crying when left alone. 
Just take it slow.
Good luck!


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## solefald (May 16, 2013)

Vizslalover925 said:


> Yes I picked him up on Saturday when he was 8 weeks and 1 day. Now he's 8 weeks and 5 days old. He was always around other dogs/puppies before I picked him up. He'll eat and drink, sleep, and cry while I'm gone but he will not play.


You never replied to my post couple of days ago, but if Jax is Dre's brother from Vicki, his birthday is 6/9/13' so he is 8 weeks and 4 days old today.


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## MilesMom (Jun 21, 2012)

If you have DogTV, that helped Miles a lot. We would set up his little puppy crate in front of the TV with a Kong and he would be fine. Chase crate trained really easily, but he has Miles for company.


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## born36 (Jun 28, 2011)

I would crate him. Play pens might seem like a great idea as you think the pup is free to play and move. What is often the case is that a crate makes them feel safe. A play pen makes them feel exposed.


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## Vizslalover925 (Mar 15, 2013)

I got him from Peggy Vistercil, so they are not siblings! :/


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