Seperation

[~Jilly~]

Hi all,

I think I see a problem approaching with Bella and I'd like to head it off before it starts....

She is an absolute angel at night, goes straight off at 11pm when we put her in her crate and wakes us at about 6.30/7.00.

She also seems to be fine when my husband and I are both here, i.e. weekends but during the week when hubby's at work, she is becoming my little shadow. She follows me everywhere, even if I try and sneak off when she's fast asleep. I don't mind that so much because at least I can keep my eye on her but I think she may be getting just a little too attached.

She has taken to not sleeping in her bed or open crate during the day now and will try and sleep on my lap/arm/foot (anything she can manage to rest/lean on), I can usually get away with slipping my foot out of my slipper and she'll just sleep on my slipper then.

She has also taken to crying a little bit when I put her in her crate during the day, I'm trying to put her in her crate for 30 mins to an hour in the morning and again in the afternoon. I am mainly doing this so she does get used to being on her own and if she does cry I don't let her out again until she is quiet.

Other than that she is an angel really and we're so proud of what a good girl she is - even this isn't a problem at the moment, I'd just like to stop it before it starts sort of thing.

Any advice?

[Bob's mum]

Hi
This sounds exactly like Bob!!!! We have the same routine with regards to the sleeping, and he has settled really well, but a similar thing happened during the day with uslast week. It didn't matter who it was me or Neil, he followed us everywhere. We  started by trying to leave him on his own  just bit by bit. We went upstairs for something so he couldn't see us then came down, initially he tried to follow us, we just said NO and kept repeating this until he stayed downstairs on his own. He eventually found a toy to play with and seems to cope with this ok now. Interestingly the day after we bought a stair gate he stopped trying to climb the stairs-typical!!!! When we want to go out of the house we have found he settles if we ignore him but potter around in the kitchen where his bed is. He settles to sleep/doze within 5 mins and we can then leave the room and shut the door without any major dramas. He doesn't seem to hear us leaving the house. We have left him for 2.5 hrs so far and apart from a puddle when we get back he has been dozing when we walk in. I don't know if he cries when we are out-the neighbours haven't said anything, but he certainly isn't stressed when we get back-just pleased to see us with that full body wagg they have!!!

[clairep4]

My little Bella was a bit like this at the start and as I work part-time, I had to get her used to being on her own. This is what I did:

1. Got a kong filled with lovely mashed banana and peanut butter ready.
2. Put the radio on and a DAP diffuser on in the room she was to be left in.
3. Brought her into the room, gave her the kong and went out straight away with no fuss and shut the door.
4. Waited 10 seconds and then went back in and took the Kong off her.
5. Started all over again but waited 15 or 20 seconds.

Initially she did howl and cry but gradually she started being more interested in the Kong. Now when I leave her she knows that she is going to get something yummy (I vary what I give her) and seems to actually look forward to it. I think it just takes lots of practise - the key thing is getting them confident that you will come back to them and also making sure they know you are the pack leader so they don't worry about you coming and going.

Hope this helps - I'm sure others will be along with more advice soon!

[Pammy]

There are some good tips there for you. I think the main thing is to be confident and not make a big thing of going out. Don't go all mushy on your puppy ar they'll sense something is going on and soon work out what it is. Just go about your business and, as has been suggested, play a few dummies too - pretend to go - but don't, but make sure there is stuff to keep her occupied .

Make her like going in her crate - give her a tsaty treat or something nice to chew. She'll then associate it with nice things and be happy to go in.

Good luck and keep up the good work, sounds like it's going very well generally.

[Bo's Mum]

My little Bella was a bit like this at the start and as I work part-time, I had to get her used to being on her own. This is what I did:

1. Got a kong filled with lovely mashed banana and peanut butter ready.
2. Put the radio on and a DAP diffuser on in the room she was to be left in.
3. Brought her into the room, gave her the kong and went out straight away with no fuss and shut the door.
4. Waited 10 seconds and then went back in and took the Kong off her.
5. Started all over again but waited 15 or 20 seconds.

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is it ok to give the kong filled with banana peanut butter etc to puppies around 8 weeks? and what is a DAP diffuser?  

[Cob-Web]

Jilly - we have two golden rules in our house that are never broken no matter what - 1) never open the crate door until Molo is sitting quietly - once he is, open the crate and give him a really big fuss and 2) Molo always gets given a treat when he goes into bed/crate - we use mini-markies and graveybones in  tin next to his crate, if he hears the tin shake he's straight in. I'm not sure if this will help you and Bella, but Molo bounds into his bed on command now as he knows what is coming    

is it ok to give the kong filled with banana peanut butter etc to puppies around 8 weeks? and what is a DAP diffuser? 

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I would stick to the breeders diet sheet for the first few weeks - Bo may have an upset tummy for a few days caused by the change in his environment, and he will need to have any changes in his diet very gradually introduced  

When Molo came home to us at 10 weeks old, I began teaching him to be left alone from the second day - for short periods, building up gradually. I left him in his playpen (a giant-breed crate   ), with his  snuggle puppy and a nylabone chew. I left the radio on quietly, and made sure he had a full tummy and had been out to the toilet   At first I just went to a different part of the house, but he did settle really well, and we have been lucky that he has adapted to our household routine very quickly.

Now he i left for a bit longer, I do give him a treat when I leave    He can't be bothered to un-stuff a kong   , so I use an empty marrowbone, and stuff it with "wet" dogfood, sometimes with a few sticks of carrot or cubes of cheese hidden in it. I did try other stuffings, but it doesn't agree with his tummy    ::