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Jul 2016
3:06pm, 26 Jul 2016
5,675 posts
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BaronessBL
Do you leave Ernie in another room while you are somewhere else in the house hp apart from at bedtime? It may help to do so for short, even just 5/10 minute periods so he gets used to spending some time on his own.
When we first got Wanda we restricted her only to a couple of rooms in the downstairs of the house and she wasn't allowed in the lounge for example for I think at least her first week or two with us. We would make a point of going in the lounge for short periods initially so that she was on her own. Gradually we extended this to being in the garden out of sight and leaving her shut in the kitchen (the main purpose was to try to listen to see if she was barking/whining while we were 'out').
It certainly helped as far as being able to leave her on her own at home was concerned but she didn't think much of being left on her own elsewhere for a while, even in the car. Relaxed isolation is still going to be the hit or miss exercise when we next take the gold KC test I think....
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Jul 2016
3:17pm, 26 Jul 2016
3,311 posts
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Helegant
The trainers say to leave the dog alone just for a couple of seconds and to make no fuss at all about leaving or coming back. As the dog becomes used to/accepting of that then extend the time gradually.
That's what they say, but... we have a dog with a personality of his own and sometimes he'll go off on his own and snooze in his crate, and other times he's glued to us, and I never really undertand what makes the difference, so we go with what we have.
He's fine to be left when we go out but I do have a mental limit of four hours in any one day, and no more than three hours at a time.
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Jul 2016
3:25pm, 26 Jul 2016
9,524 posts
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Sharkie
I watched a prog where hidden cameras filmed how anxious and unhappy many dogs are at being left. Their owners were horrified.
If the dog has created havoc then I guess the distress is obvious, but some dogs just bark and whine and behave obsessively.
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Jul 2016
3:31pm, 26 Jul 2016
3,586 posts
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Wobbling
I saw that program too. It's the reason we don't have a dog, wouldn't be far to leave it for the 12+ hours we're out all day.
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Jul 2016
3:39pm, 26 Jul 2016
9,525 posts
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Sharkie
That's why we waited 'til we both worked at home, Wobbling.
I guess you can make it work if you get home at lunchtime and with the judicious use of dog walkers. Someone we know at training classes has two small dogs - that helps as they're company for each other AND, as she works full time, she pays £15.00 a day 5 days a week for a dog walker/visitor ie £75! They are also little dogs - I can only what imagine London prices for a big dog like Jess would be.
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Jul 2016
4:06pm, 26 Jul 2016
3,312 posts
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Helegant
I saw that programme too, and what was sad was that some dogs showed no behavioural symptoms at all and could only be seen to be distressed when their cortisol was measured.
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Jul 2016
4:12pm, 26 Jul 2016
9,527 posts
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Sharkie
Yes, you're right, Helegant - I'd forgotten that. And frequently raised cortisol levels lead to many health problems. Another reason that the owners were horrified.
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Jul 2016
4:50pm, 26 Jul 2016
15,068 posts
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LazyDaisy
I used to think Floss had separation anxiety. Maybe she did; but I'm pretty sure she's got over it because she knows the routine : walk, back home, on the sofa for a nap while I go out for anything up to a couple of hours running, swimming, shopping, whatever. Often when I get back she doesn't even get off the sofa to greet me but rolls on her back, wagging her tail, for me to tickle her tummy 
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Jul 2016
8:16pm, 26 Jul 2016
21,070 posts
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halfpint
We are leaving him to pop upstairs etc. It's very hit and miss. He did 20/25 min in crate this morning and QP said he was able to leave him for quite a while during day. Other times he cries like his world has come to an end.
On the plus side we learned at puppy class how to get Ernie to settle on a mat. We've done the exercise a few times and tonight after we finished training session he lay down on the vet bed and went to sleep.
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Jul 2016
8:23pm, 26 Jul 2016
15,074 posts
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LazyDaisy
How did you teach that HP? 'Send to mat' was a problem command for Floss in the KC tests. Mainly because she sleeps on the kitchen sofa, and we couldn't drag a sofa into the middle of the test field
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