All of a sudden hates being left alone?!

[hihelloitsnina]

Hello everyone,

Been a very long time since I’ve posted on here! Wonderful two year old cocker spaniel, he is insane and crazy but wonderful! Recently has began whining, howling, crying when he’s left alone in his crate (only in the last 5 days, Monday and Tuesday of last week he was left alone for an hour and more and was totally okay.) We are moving house at the end of this week and not sure if he’s picked up on all the boxes/suitcases. However, he can’t even be left in his crate for longer than 10 minutes without howling and crying and barking, pawing at the cage etc. Unsure if it’s because he hasn’t been left for a while as due to lockdown my partner has been home all the time. We don’t want to move into a flat with him howling the flat down when he’s left, he has never done this over the two years we have had him. We only recently decided to crate train him after having a behaviourist come in (to help us calm him down haha!) and he’s been totally fine but recently has been waking up at 4/5am and howls when left alone, really unsettled two weeks! We have no clue why! He has an apt at the vet tomorrow and hoping to get checked then. Any advice would be great. We have been trying to leave him alone for shorter periods of time so he can get used to it again but just freaks out and howls! Not sure if it is anxiety about the move and he senses it or separate anxiety beginning. One thing we have never had a problem with is leaving him and now it’s happening after two years, it’s very bizarre (and frustrating!) many thanks!

[Mari]

In my experience separation anxiety can happen even if they are ok alone for years before it appears. Typically after or during changes. Maybe it is the stress of packing, maybe it's because you've been home more than normal, maybe a loud noise happened when you were out one day and it scared him... Who knows?

My girl was about 2 years old when she started struggling with it. We had moved and she did not settle into the new flat at all. After much training, she got better, and when we moved again one year later she settled quickly and had no issue being left alone at all. But then two years later it happened again when we moved (student life). I had to start home alone training again and eventually, she was ok being left alone and has been since.

Have you tried without the crate? It could be an easy fix if he just doesn't like to be in the crate alone. Crates should not be used for hours at the time anyway so if he is ok in a room or free in the house that's better. If that does not help then I'm afraid you'll have to start training as if he was a puppy. Especially until he settles in after you move so he does not get any anxiety and associates it with the new place.

If he is ok for ten minutes then you have a starting point for training. Come back in before he starts barking and slowly build up his tolerance. It is very, very frustrating, you are right about that. But better to get ahead of it and start training now before it gets worse. Use treat balls or stuffed kongs to distract him. Make sure he is walked before you leave. And don't make a fuss about leaving or returning.

Hope the move goes well and that he settles in the new place when you get there. Good luck with the training!

[bizzylizzy]

hi!
Just wondered what the behavourist‘s reason was for the crate ?
I‘ve heard from a couple of friends that their dogs have become more clingy since they‘ve been in home office and that, coupled with the general upheaval of the move preparations might possibly be causing stress but perhaps the crate is exaspering things?

[hihelloitsnina]

In my experience separation anxiety can happen even if they are ok alone for years before it appears. Typically after or during changes. Maybe it is the stress of packing, maybe it's because you've been home more than normal, maybe a loud noise happened when you were out one day and it scared him... Who knows?

My girl was about 2 years old when she started struggling with it. We had moved and she did not settle into the new flat at all. After much training, she got better, and when we moved again one year later she settled quickly and had no issue being left alone at all. But then two years later it happened again when we moved (student life). I had to start home alone training again and eventually, she was ok being left alone and has been since.

Have you tried without the crate? It could be an easy fix if he just doesn't like to be in the crate alone. Crates should not be used for hours at the time anyway so if he is ok in a room or free in the house that's better. If that does not help then I'm afraid you'll have to start training as if he was a puppy. Especially until he settles in after you move so he does not get any anxiety and associates it with the new place.

If he is ok for ten minutes then you have a starting point for training. Come back in before he starts barking and slowly build up his tolerance. It is very, very frustrating, you are right about that. But better to get ahead of it and start training now before it gets worse. Use treat balls or stuffed kongs to distract him. Make sure he is walked before you leave. And don't make a fuss about leaving or returning.

Hope the move goes well and that he settles in the new place when you get there. Good luck with the training!

Thank you so much for sharing all of this! We tried it with him out of his crate and he was completely fine! We’re hooping he’ll be okay in the new place but just going to try build him up. Fingers crossed he settles!

[hihelloitsnina]

hi!
Just wondered what the behavourist‘s reason was for the crate ?
I‘ve heard from a couple of friends that their dogs have become more clingy since they‘ve been in home office and that, coupled with the general upheaval of the move preparations might possibly be causing stress but perhaps the crate is exaspering things?

He was getting quite “I’m the one in charge!” So she thought introducing a crate would help that, however, just keeping him off our bed and sofas and introducing him to his own bed in our living room has done wonders! He has been left since without his crate and has been totally fine! Thank you so much for responding!!