I have a confession to make. I have a day job. My husband works shifts. Sometimes we have to leave our dog at home. Alone.
For some of you that's a no-brainer. Easiest thing in the world. Just pat the puppy on the head and close the door behind you. Not so for us. You see, Tofu for the longest time suffered from separation anxiety.
The only reason he learned to climb up and down stairs was so that he could be with us at all times. And if we were each on different floors? Well, let's just say that's how he stayed so trim all winter long.
If we ever had to leave the house, even for a few minutes he would work himself into a frenzy. Crate training very quickly became out of the question when he desperately tried to burrow his way out to get to us, causing a bloody cut on his nose which he would rub all around the inside in order to find a weakness in the plastic. We tried leaving him shut in the bathroom but that would cause him to try digging and burrowing his way back to us.
On top of which was the howling. And the pooping. Even if he had just gone for a walk and potty he would get so worked up that it caused his stomach to get upset. There's nothing worse in the world for Tofu than to be apart from his pack.
So, what's a person to do with a five-month-old mini dachshund who isn't housebroken?
There's not exactly a lot online to help in these situations. I know. I've looked. Much like sites that tell you how to crate train your dog, there's always the missing step. What happens if steps one through whatever don't work? What then? In my case, I improvised.
We started off slowly. With things like the stay command. The fact that he found it difficult to stay put while we walked just a few paces away is a testament to just how much he needed to be with us. Eventually, we worked our way to greater distances. And then moved on to getting him to stay at the top of the stairs while we went downstairs.
To this day, if I say "I'll be right back" it's an indication to him that he doesn't need to expend the energy to follow me as I'll return within moments. The key throughout this training process was to reward him with lots of praise for bearing the separation.
Next came our focus on actually leaving the house. The key here is to work with a tired dog because the more energy that's drained, the less energy is available for anxiety. We typically go for about a 40 minute walk. Some days more, some days less.
Because crate training was not an option we had to figure out a way of confining him to a space where he couldn't hurt himself. So, we got a puppy gate to block access to the stairs. Then we closed all doors to the upstairs rooms. And then we prayed that the place was puppy-proofed enough that the only thing he could damage were our belongings. Those things we could replace.
I'm a prisoner in my own house...A number of sites recommended things like leaving a worn shirt out with your scent on it, not paying attention to the dog about five minutes before you leave, and giving a special treat or toy before you step out the front door (to be taken away when you return). Some of these worked better than others.
Leaving the shirt with hidden treats worked for the first little while but then I found he was getting attracted to our laundry and had to nip that in the bud. The toy didn't work as well as the treat so we would give him either a lightly filled peanut butter kong or something special in his Tricky Treat ball (which has now been replaced by the more engaging Atomic Treat Ball).
Ignoring him only sort of worked. So, one morning I tried what would become our routine. I said the same words that I say to my husband when I leave in the morning and he's sleeping in with Tofu. And that has worked like a charm since. Somehow, Tofu acknowledges that he's hearing the same words that my husband hears and doesn't get worked up. I give him a pat on the head (the dog that is) and I'm off to work while Tofu works away at his treat dispenser.
If you can take a week off work or work from home or juggle your schedule otherwise throughout this process, it certainly helps to speed up the conditioning. Ideally, you want to leave in short spurts, eventually leaving for longer periods over the course of weeks.
For the first week we'd still come home to find an accident here and there but nothing destroyed. Eventually as housebreaking progressed and we continued our practice, the messes decreased until they stopped altogether. He's just under 15 months now and has found things to fill his time while we're out of the house. Primarily, it's perching on a stack of pillows on the couch to nap or people watch.
Of course, coming home to a dog with separation anxiety sometimes means you've got a submissive urinator on your hands. That's what we discovered in Tofu. But that's for another post.
I don't believe there's any one solution that fits all dogs. They each have unique personalities and what worked for Tofu may not necessarily work for your dog. The key is to be patient and figure out what's going to work in your situation.
That said, does/did your dog suffer from separation anxiety? Share your stories and your advice here.
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First off, you all have to understand how Tofu is. He just DRIPS love and affection. He always looks genuinely concerned for your well-being and happiness and I have the biggest Uncle love for him :)
Calvin took a while to get used to the crate but took to it much quicker than Tofu. First he adjusted to being in it to sleep at night, then on occasion while we were home, and then very slowly for when we left him - this took the longest to get without barks and howls.
Theo is currently in the stage where he's fine in the crate if he knows we're at home although he's adjusting quickly to being home alone it in.
Luckily, they've both made it a source of comfort, retreating to their 'den' when they need some downtime.
We started Calvin off slowly with unsupervised freedom during the day. Again, like Kimberly, trying to close in the areas available with closed doors and barriers. Of course, we leave the crate so if he gets nervous, he can pop in there. We first crated him during our full days at work, coming home at lunch to take him for vigorous exercise. This helped him understand that he only gets to use the washroom at certain times and it's always outside.
Since we unleashed him on our house in July, he has only had one accident.
Woot!
Theo? Well...he's going to take more work...
I'm looking forward to a post about submissive urination! Bink had major separation anxiety for a while, but it is mostly under control now. But when I get home, he's way too excited to see me. Usually when I leave him during the day, I leave a shirt of mine that he sleeps with while I'm gone.
Yup, that was Bogey. When we first started putting Bogey in the kennel, I use to pretend to leave by shutting the front door. instantly he'd start whining and I would "shhh" him. I did it a lot to get him use the door noise.
Then when I really left, I'd give him a kong.
Since he's mostly potty trained, we just stick him in the bathroom at night in his bed (otherwise he wakes me up because he's always moving, scratching, or licking himself) and even when we're gone during the day. The only time we really use the kennel now is when he's left with family (they use the crate at night for their dog) and when he's avoided going outside due to not so pleasant weather.
Off topic...but Miss Burb reminded me:
How freaking loud is a dachshund's licking noise in the middle of the night?? It drives me BONKERS.
One of the most interesting descriptions of separation anxiety that I've read is that the dogs lose their minds because they believe they are in charge and need to protect you - they go ballistic because if they're not there, they can't be supervising us. That totally blew my mind, and re-framed the way we approached our puppy's anxiety.
I'm so glad you guys were so diligent and worked towards a solution that would work for you guys! We started crating our dogs because they were extremely hyper & were using their play area as a bathroom, and then continuing the play. I can come home at lunch and take them for a 30 mins walk, one of three they get during the day, so crating is alright for now.
We're getting close, but when they're wholly house broken they're going to have a section of the house and I won't be coming home at lunch, but it's definitely one or the other. I found that since we got our second puppy their separation anxiety is much more in hand, and we've worked hard to be the alpha so they don't have to worry about where we're going.
Evidently I major in knitting, and minor in dog pseudo-psychology. ;)
We do crate train, especially Radish, because her potty training skills are subpar due to the medicine she had to take for heartworms, but she is improving. She, more than Adley, has anxiety problems. We'll leave her crate somewhere, with her locked tight in it, and when we get home, the crate will be on the other side of the room. We were perplexed at first, but then we realized it was because she was banging her head against it so hard trying to get out. Crazyness. We usually leave her out now so she won't hurt herself, but at the same time, it's not getting us any closer to being accident-free.
@Ben: oh, I know! I want to just toss ike into another room when he starts making freaking licking noises...
that said...
Ike has SEVERE separation anxiety. But only when put in his crate. He is well trained now in the house and I usually just let him run free. No accidents over the last couple of months.
But in his crate? It's another story. He barks, whines, cries, and when I was living in a different apartment? The apartment had a stairway that was open into the apartment coming from the downstairs entrance. GORGEOUS.
But Ike managed to scoot his crate from the other side of the living room, through a pair of french doors...and down to the first landing of the stair case.
Then there was the time, when I was living with my boyfriend, that he moved from the living room, through the dining room, through the KITCHEN and then down the basement stairs. IN THE CRATE.
Er....Yikes.
Ben: I know, right? I totally use to let Bogey sleep in our room but I woke up every other hour to him licking himself. I know they gotta do their business but damn, it's loud and really, I don't want to see that.
Ben: And Tofu has the biggest "nephew" love for you. I'm so glad your boys have made dens of their crates. Tofu will only enter his to retrieve his cuddle pal or dig the blanket. Maybe one day?
Raechelle: The submissive urination post is definitely coming. I know first hand what an embarrassing ordeal it is for all parties (puppy included).
Miss Burb: Poor Radish! Unfortunately for us the combo separation anxiety and submissive urination meant any form of shushing early on resulted in an accident. On the plus side, they say a submissive urinator is easy to train in general and that's what we found with housebreaking and other areas.
Ben: Yeah, how is it that they make such ungodly noises? I couldn't fall asleep last night for all the licking that was going on.
Kyla Bea: I've read so many things about separation anxiety that I can't make heads or tails of much of it any more. One article I read said it was unknown what truly caused it. Another said a second dog wouldn't fix it. I only really know what worked for us. I think in our case the anxiety wasn't related to dominance though because he's also a submissive urinator. Who knows though? I'm just glad we have his issues under control now!
thespottedottoman: I really wish the crate would have worked for Tofu early on as it would have saved us a lot of heartache. Even now I'm a bit afraid to try it but I know eventually we'll have to get him used to it just in case.
Mel: I do not have any words for you. That's pretty severe! Tofu, thankfully, was OK in the crate while we were right next to him in bed overnight. But that was the limit of his tolerance. We constantly had to be in sight. Otherwise he'd go nuts even for very short periods.
Wow...the dogs here can really motor in that crate, can't they?
Mine are luckily always in the same spot that I leave them!
woah. i thought woody was bad! he knows that the black pants and white shirt mean i am leaving for work. as soon as i take them off the hanger he immediately retires to the farthest corner under my bed. it has taken him awhile to gett used to being alone, many books, shoes, pillows, and accidents later, i find leaving him with a peanutbutter filled kong, and leaving the tv on kind of soothes his nerves. something about the noise is reassuring.
i second the need for a post on submissive urination. this is a habit that i absolutely need help breaking. its terrible!!
i was a pushover. i took my puppy everywhere inside a louis vuitton tote.
It helps that we have two that are growing up together. Lila and Rusty know that when we leave in the morning we'll come back. So they don't freak out too much. But when we get home...oh boy. They bark and whine and wag and lick.
They stay outside because we have a rather big yard and we also have a very high brick wall around the house. We leave toys and their bed under the roofed area and they're usually in bed when we stop and our (equally high) gate.
Wow! Firstly, I have to commend you for your wonderful techniques with Tofu! Kudos to you for hanging in there & finding out what works best for him (and his hoomans).
Our Schatzi (first to arrive on the scene as a pup) suffered separation anxiety AND was a submissive pee'er, as well. I quickly had the peeing under control - simply by ignoring her when we first arrive home - until she has calmed down - then would give her a calm hello & go about feeding, pottying her, etc. I quickly realized I was the reason she was peeing - by getting her so excited!! So, by keeping the excitement level down - the peeing stopped.
The separation anxiety was another matter, however once Oskar arrived on the scene & she had company - she was much more content.
While Xena is our third, without Schatzi - I suspect we would have a situation on our hands. She is extremely "needy" - she either needs to be in the middle of her pack or with me.
Miss Burb: Once I'm out for the night, I usually don't get up again but trying to get to sleep in the midst of Tofu's licking party is next to impossible.
Ben: It could almost be like a weird sport if the poor puppies inside weren't so anxious.
Bodelou: Thankfully, Tofu doesn't have that destructive instinct. I didn't think his separation anxiety at the time could have been worse but a tornado of destruction would have probably put me over the edge. Post on submissive urination is definitely on its way!
Savvy: Tofu is now 15 lbs. I don't even like carrying around my 5 lb MacBook for too long...
Sleepyjane: It's sounds like you have a wonderful setup for your little ones!
Three Dogs Long: It was definitely a challenge but as my husband will attest, I'm quite stubborn! We're still in discussion about getting a second doxie as I think the addition to the household will only help Tofu even more, now that he's got this issue under control.
@Ben: You have NO IDEA how much I would give...or PAY to have my dog in the the crate...in the same spot as I left him in! :p
My Penny has the same problems. We got here from a friend who bascially let her get away with murder and couldn't deal with her nor had the time to. We started out building her a gate to stay on the tiled area in the kitchen so if there was an accident it wasn't a big deal. We would take her out to potty at specific times of the day (my fiance and I have the same type of arrangement where I work full-time and he has shifts). She started doing really great at night in the crate barking alot at first but it started to become less and less.
Lately though she has been just a mess with no changes to her schedule. She Barks in the crate, when we walk to the other room, when I put her behind the gate (which she somehow figured out how to get over, she can barely peek over it standing up on her hind legs). She was getting by without accidents when we were home and let her roam a little but now if im gone for even a minute there is a urine spot right outside the door.
It's crazy how fickle dachshunds can be in their training. Any ideas? Anyone?
It's been so helpful to read your blog and the posts following your description of Tofu. I just rescued a Dachshund/beagle mix with mostly the Dachshund personality. I've always had easily trained Labs and this has thrown our lives upside down. Baxter, 18 months, is the most loving little guy, energetic and sweet. NEEDS to be with me all the time, touching me. The separation anxiety with crying is driving me crazy. I have a kong, but he's gained so much weight I've had to reduce its use. I do crate training because he's chewed three shoes in three months. We have bones for him everywhere now and that has really helped. In the middle of the night he makes scratches his neck so as to make his collar jingle so we'll wake up (we've taken it off).
He expects to be walked (20 minutes at a time) 3-4 times per day. He cries if it's one of those times (he has an internal clock) and he's not walked. He'll follow me around barking and crying at me. He expects to be walked every time I return, even if it was a 30 minute trip to the grocery store. I can't do anything without him being at my feet and if I need to do something with my hands at his level he will not let me accomplish the task. Did I mention that I have a 4 year old son who loves him and whom Baxter jumps on hurting him (he's a pretty strong and sturdy little guy). Tug of war all the time. He is such a nipper and I don't know how to break him of that. For instance, I can take a bone from him and he's fine with it but if my son does than Baxter will bite him (lightly but enough to hurt and scare). I take him to the dog park a couple of times per week because he is so social, but he always seems to need more in every category of dog ownership.
I have a gated upstairs and if I close the gate on him he'll pee on the stairs (I think just for revenge). I gated a backyard for him and he can't be out there without me (even if my husband and son are out there, he'll be crying for me).
I've just called a trainer because I think he had a rough beginning and I want to keep him but if I can't modify these behaviors I'm afraid I won't be able to. I've taken other dogs through training classes but none have had these issues to this degree. I've seen people carrying around a can with coins in it and using it at times but I don't know the exact purpose of it. Any suggestions to help me keep this little guy whom I know could be a great companion to my whole family?
Adriana
Adriana, I feel for you. Separation anxiety is something that's hard to deal with or explain unless you've gone through it. I think you may need a dose of tough love. And by tough I simply mean not responding to the inappropriate behaviour (jumping & whining). One thing we did with Tofu was to train him to "be patient" (a.k.a. wait). If Baxter whines, you can then give the command and then praise him for doing the command. For jumping, practice stepping back while saying "no." The more you succumb to his behaviour, the more you're reinforcing it. It's easier said than done though.
The coins in a can thing is supposed to distract them. I'm not sure if it works. Have you tried clicker training to reinforce positive behaviour?
Phoebe is just about 3 1/2 years old. We got her from a breeder at 16 weeks. She is very needy, and we love her to death. She sleeps with us. We have three problems: (1) She does not like going in the car. My gut feeling is that she gets car sick. I tried short trips, treats, etc. We have a nice car seat for her that enables her to look out the rear side window. Sometimes she does, and sometimes she even likes to hang out of the window (harness intact). But if a car or truck goes by she becomes frightened and comes back inside. At other times she doesn't have anything to do with the carseat. She simply climbs out and lays on the rear bench seat in the car. I've tried shortening her "tether" from her harness to the car seat but she somehow climbs out. So I gave her a little more room to be comfortable. Any suggestions? (2) We had a pretty difficult time house breaking Phoebe, but finally did it by using pee pads, placed by the rear door where we let her out to go into the backyard, which is all concrete (no grass). After quite a while we thought she was finally trained. Then it happened. We continued using the pee pads by the back door for those "just in case" instances, but they were dry when we returned home. About a couple of months or so ago she started having accidents on the carpet. First in the dining room, then on the upstairs "landing", then in the upstairs hallway. We tried scolding her. When it continued I tried rubbing her nose in it to which she stubbornly held back. I know that is the wrong approach, but I just don't know what to do at this point. I tried leaving her in a pen in the garage, along with some toys, her floor "bed", some water, and of course the pee pad. She ignores the pad and urinates on the garage floor. Help! We love this little girl and would never consider not having her, but her constant urination on the carpets is getting out of hand. (3) She barks incessantly each time someone either knocks at the door or rings the doorbell. We've tried having her go to the stairs and waiting but she refuses. She charges the door, and when someone comes in she's all over them (she loves people, and loves attention. She is not mean or vicious). Help again! Thanks for any suggestions.
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