Being Left Alone

[KEVIN]

Looking for a little help and advice!!

Will have to start getting nevis used to being alone in the house while my wife goes to the shops or collect kids from school as not all the time we can take him. His cage sits in our bedroom as this is where he sleeps at night, have tried to put him in a couple of times when we are still in the house sitting in the living room to see how he would react, goes in to his cage no problems at night when its bed time and you dont hear a peep, but when we tried it during the day he just barks like a banshee!!! Any advice from the pros would be much appreciated.

Kevin

[Ashley]

Why don't you maybe try putting his crate in the living room during the day? And use treats, or chews to get him used to being in it in the living room whilst you are all there. I done this with Holly.. if I was giving her a pigs ear, she had to go in to her crate and eat it in there (therefore associating the crate with 'good' things). Have him in there for short periods to begin with whilst your wife is in the kitchen, or at the loo, and dont make a fuss of putting him in. Likewise, when you let him out, just let him out and dont pay him attention. He wont see going in and out the crate as a big deal, that way.

Tell your wife not to make a fuss if she has to leave... no "Aww goodbye sweetheart yada yada yada...". Just pop him in and leave. Oh... let him go in himself... dont place him there!

Just have everyone leaving for a few minutes and start to increase the time.
You can leave the tv on, or the radio on so there is still some noise. I still sometimes to do this for my two, but mainly to drown noise out from next door or out on the street so that they dont bark!

Hope that helped a bit!
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Ashley with Holly & Murphy.
I hope to one day be as great as my dog thinks I am right now!!

[kirsty]

Kevin

Put him in for short periods of 5 to 10 minutes and leave the house, even if you just go into the garden. It will let him know that when you leave you are coming back for him.

The reason he is barking is probably because he knows you are all still about.

Do you want the cage in the bedroom indefinitely? maybe through the day you could bring his cage downstairs and he is likely to go in at times during the day. One of my dogs sometimes takes himself off to his bed when we are still sitting downstairs, he treats it as his wee retreat and this is quite common, but his bed is just in the next room a dog may be less likely to do that if there is a bit of distance between him and everything that is going on
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"In a perfect world, every dog would have a home and every home would have a dog."

[John Thomson]

Sound advice from Ashley and Kirsty..............it is important not to make a fuss..........
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John Thomson
www.cumbernaulddogtraining.co.uk

[KEVIN]

Am I best to leave his cage door open or closed? Whats best?

[Ashley]

Whilst you are there, leave it open so that he can wander in and out as he pleases, but when you usher him in because you are going to leave for a few mins, then close it over.

My two crates are in the living room with the doors open all day..
Doors are closed when I need to leave them!
_________________
Ashley with Holly & Murphy.
I hope to one day be as great as my dog thinks I am right now!!

[KEVIN]

Thanks for the advice guys will give it a go over the weekend and see how we get on.

Will keep you posted

Kevin

[Suzanne H]

Ah I remember that very long night where Otto barked till 4am and we just had to ignore him - but we never looked back from that night. We knew he could last that long as we'd tested it in our room.

He still sometimes crawls to his crate like something you'd see in a Dogs Trust ad because he'd rather NOT be in there, but at tea time or at night he knows that's where he has to go and now goes in without being told.

You just have to spot the difference between real distress and Daniel Day Lewis-worthy acting And perservere with it.

I'd say it keeps them out of harms way and out of mischief, and keeps them calm and quiet....but we all know young dogs don't really look for that in life.

[KEVIN]

Left nevis for 30 mins today for the first time and he seemned to be fine.

Took his Care Bear into his cage (on his own) after we sprayed it with DAP, when my wife left she said that he went into his cage his self and when she left she stood at the door for a minute or two to listen just in case he barked but he seemned to be fine, when we came back he looked so happy to see us his little tale waggling away (how cute ), sucess first time round will see how we get on next time. Thanks for all the advice.

Kevin

P.S. He seems to like the tennis as thats what was on the telly.