Separation Anxiety

[Sallylou]

Hi
all this talk of devotion and shadowing their owners is making me nervous.  We are hoping to get a cocker soon as a family pet, but one thing which I'm apprehensive about is separation anxiety as our previous dog (Not a cocker) suffered badly and caused big problems with the neighbours.
If these dogs are getting so attached, what happens when you have to leave them alone??
Hope you can offer some reassurance to a novice!
sallylou      :cry:                    

[Mary]

Sallylou.....seperation anxiety has been discussed on here many times before so have a look back over some of the old threads.  It is important that you leave your puppy for short periods right from the beginning, increasing the time span gradually.  The puppy will learn to appreciate that being left is 'normal', don't over fuss them on your return.

Just found this thread :wink:

http://cockersonline.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4027                    

[Louis]

SallyLou

Hi there, my parent's owned a cocker while I was growing up and he suffered from separation anxiety.  This is because they did everything they shouldn't have.  They spent all there time with him then when they had to go out he didn't like it and use to bark, cry, howl, eat the doors etc.  This was because he was not used to it as they had devoted so much time to him in the early days of his life.  I now have my own cocker, he is a blue roan dog and he is 7 months.  I was worried about separation anxiety because of the experience with my parent's dog, but I read lots of books and got as much advice as possible.
The best thing you can do is buy a crate, that's my opinion.  Make it nice and comfy and get your puppy used to it from day one.  Don't just use it as somewhere for them to go when you go out, encourage the puppy to go in when your in the house.  I had a week off work when we got Louis and I used to put him in the crate then walk round the block and gradually increase the time.  This way the puppy will get used to it.  He cried at first, but you have to be tough, as it works in the long run.  
Louis now goes in the crate when he wants his own space, he goes in at night time and when we go out.  He feels secure in there, and you have the peace of mind that they aren't chewing everything in sight.
Have you heard of Kongs??  There really good, you can put food in them and this gives the dog something to work on and concentrate on, as they have to try and get the food out.  After a while the puppy will just settle down and go to sleep, but someone gave me some advice.  When you are getting the puppy used to being on it's own, give it the kong and if it's occupied for the first 10-15 mins, it will just go to sleep once it's worn itself out trying to get the food out of the kong.
Sorry the message is so long, I just feel really strongly about this issue as I saw what it did to my parent's dog, he wouldn't settle. he was anxious, his heart would be racing, and it was there fault.  So start as you mean to go on.
Hope this helps.

Gemma & Louis                    

[Sallylou]

Thanks for your good advice.  We are wondering now whether it would be better to get an adult dog, simply because we want to be responsible owners, and are not sure whether we would have the time to spend with a puppy in terms of giving it all the training etc.  Do you think that an older dog would settle with us?  I know that some very good breeders have older dogs to rehome who do not have problems, but have not made the grade for showing.  However, if they are used to living with other dogs, are they likely to suffer separation anxiety if they come to live with us?  I know the breeders would take the dog back if things didn't work out, but we don't want to cause unnecessary disruption and upset to the dog or our family who would naturally start to bond with each other.
Sorry to go on, but I hope someone can help.
Sally                    

[sweeps mum]

We have recently had a cocker spaniel puppy. He is almost nine weeks old. He has a crate in the kitchen and sleeps in it during the day when left with no problems. However at night he is not sleeping more than 2 - 21/2 hours  and when he wakes he is crying. I know he is still very young but what should we do? Should we leave him to cry or go to him for a few minutes to reassure him? Also how often should we feed as the breeder fed him every 8 hours  6am 12 noon 6pm and midnight. Will feeding him earlier help him to settle better or will it be a while before he sleeps through the night.                    

[shonajoy]

Sally, we initially had a small problem with our pup, with separation anxiety. I'm at home full time, so I think I exacerbated it by being there all the time. I was also making the mistake of going mad greeting him when I came home, and making a big deal about leaving. Since I've been going out more, he's been great, and no problems.
I
'd also recommend a crate. At first I do think you need to be there a lot when they are tiny, to be honest I still wouldn't feel comfortable leaving him for 5 hours for instance. He really needs out more often than that at the moment, but is sleeping through from 10pm-7am now. It's very very limiting early on, and a lot of work-more than I thought to be honest.

Good luck with whatever you decide.                    

[speedyjaney]

Hi There

I have 2 puppies, both brought home a week apart and to date (touch wood) have never had a sleepless night.  
They are now 8 months old and I hope they never start waking us up! Best buy when thinking of a puppy is, in my opinion a crate. Our two are crated together and cry to get into it when we have closed it. They go in it overnight and also when no-one is in and up to 4/5 hours now (this is the longest stretch we leave them for!!)
Never use the crate when punishing the puppy as it is their safe haven, we used to close the door so they COULDNT get into it when they were naughty  :wink:
Our crate is downstairs in our dining room and at times the pups are in there asleep when we are in the living room, the door is open they choose to be snug in their crate rather than on the very comfy sofabed that we have in 'their' room.
Build up gradually the time you leave them alone, use kongs and other toys to amuse them for the 1st few mins and as long as you are consistent, dont make a fuss when you leave or come back I am sure the dog will be fine. Puppies are very hard work but I have to say that it gets better very quickly...I would say the 1st 3/4 weeks after they come home are the most difficult.
Hope this advice helps
Cheers Jane, Saffi (a westie) and Jessie ( a cocker!)                    

[Sallylou]

Hi all,
it is really interesting to read different experiences, and also noting the common ideas such as using a crate, I think we will definitely take this on board.  I have just got back in from taking my brother's 8 month old labrador for a little walk to school to pick up my children.  She is left quite often for the whole day, and today she had scratched some plaster from the wall and eaten her cuddly jumper into pieces!  When we got to school she was very excited and she insisted on jumping at everyone, which was rather embarassing, as it is obviously scary for little ones.  If she was mine I think I would have her on a halti or similar, to control her better, as she just pulls against her collar.
Anyway, this rather sweaty experience has really given me food for thought; I think we will definitely try to find an older dog who has outgrown this kind of puppy behaviour.  It has also convinced me 100% that we are right to be thinking of a smaller breed like a cocker.  Sorry I can't type anymore, I think I need a lie down somewhere peaceful ....!!!!
Best wishes to all you fellow dog fans
Sally                    

[Louis]

Hi Sweeps mum

You say you leave your puppy during the day and he is fine.  How do you know this??  He probably does cry when you are out but you can't hear him, then when you go to bed because you are in the house you can hear everything.  9 weeks is very young, I got Louis when he was 11 weeks and I had a good few weeks of sleepless nights before he eventually slept all night.  The first time he did it I thought there was something wrong with him and was tempted to check on him!!
I know it's hard to ignore the crying when you just want to give them a cuddle, but try not to.  If your puppy cries, leave it for as long as you can, then if you need to go down, as I always used to worry that he needed a wee/poo etc, I didn't used to look at him or speak to him, I just used to open the crate and send him straight into the back garden, no cuddles or comforting words.  Sometimes I used to say from the top of the stairs so he couldn't see me, "get in you bed".  He could hear my voice and knew I was there but wasn't getting what he wanted.  
They are very clever, even at that age, and they will try anything for your attention.
Things I tried in Louis bed was a ticking clock, hot water bottle, item of my clothing, anything to settle him.  Eventually your puppy will settle down it's just hard work at the minute!!

Gemma&Louis                    

[watermelon0719]

Hi,
We got our cocker spaniel at a rescue shelter when he was about 5 months old. At the time I didn't have a job so I was home with him a lot, and when I was in school my husband would be home. We only left him alone for an hour at most at the beginning and he would do okay as long as we picked up and didn't leave anything out for him to chew on. When I got my job he had turned 1 year, and at first he had problems with us both being gone for about 8 hours a day (my husband would come home for an hour for lunch, but that was about it). He would go potty in the house and chew up house plants but that was about it. Now he realizes that we will come back, and when we are home we spend quality time with him, so he has settled into a routine. Cocker Spaniels are very accomodating dogs, and I think that as long as you spend time with your dog when you are home, he/she will be okay when you leave.