Need Some Help With Alone Training

[Guest MountainRunner]

I've had my Grey for just over a month and only recently (this past week) she has started showing signs of separation anxiety. This comes in the form of her whining and howling a bit for ~30 min after I leave (according to my neighbors) and, more worryingly to me, she doesn’t touch her water, Kong, or the treats I hide about while I’m gone.

 

As soon as I get home she’ll run around and be excited (I remain calm) and THEN she’ll go after her Kong and her treats.

 

I’m trying to work on alone training with her, but I could really use some advice. For the past week, every day I’ve been stepping outside and closing the door. I started just very quickly closing and then opening the door and then I went up to 10 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute, and we can get up to ~3 minutes. I've been putting ~2 hours a day into this, but each day I have to start over at 10 seconds so I’m feeling discouraged. The way I’m training is I’m trying to come back inside before she shows ANY signs of anxiety (This has included for me if I hear her come to stand in front of the door). Should I change my training tactic to come back in just before she starts whining and ignore her coming to the door?

 

I know that this can be a very long process for some dogs, and I’m willing to keep at it, but I worry because I have to continue to work right now and as I mentioned before she doesn’t drink her water or pay any attention to the things I leave to entertain her. I also leave the radio on while I’m gone.

 

Any and all advice would be extremely appreciated. Thank you!

[Guest Scouts_mom]

Here is my 2 cents worth of advice:

 

I won't worry about her not drinking or eating while you are away. Water and snacks are there if she wants them--if she doesn't she isn't going to starve or be dehydrated.

 

Next, when I have done alone training, I have started at 5 minutes (walk to the end of the block and back) and gone up from there in 10 or 15 minute intervals. If the dog is whining I don't go in until it stops. 1/2 hour of whining and then quiet for the rest of the day is not bad for a new dog. The whining period will decrease..

Edited April 20, 2015 by Scouts_mom

[Guest Scouts_mom]

Also, Welcome to Greytalk! and what is your girl's name?

[Guest MountainRunner]

Thanks! That helps calm my mind a bit.

 

Yeah, I am mostly worried about the not-drinking water in this whole situation, especially because the weather will turn soon and I don't want her to dehydrate herself over stress.

 

And she's called Nadia Her racing name was Rosie Little I believe.

[GeorgeofNE]

Honestly? 30 minutes out of the whole day? I'd write your neighbor a nice note and explain that the dog just needs a little more time. Don't stress yourself so much over what is really quite manageable!

 

My dog doesn't drink when I'm not home either--because he sleeps all day!

 

Is your dog crated? If so, the howling, since it's new, is most likely a sign she's had enough of the crate.

[Guest mirko]

We just got our pup this past Sunday. Macsaurus (a.k.a. Mac) He just retired and has been in crates his whole life so far, but there were always other dogs around. He has not barked, whined, or howled around us since we've had him. Yesterday I setup a webcam to watch him remotely. The poor guy was whining and howling off and on. Every once and a while he appeared to nap. It broke my heart to see that. So today I did two things different. First I left the TV on. A radio would In the racing kennels and at the adoption kennel they play a radio all day long for the dogs. I also put in his crate a t-shirt that I had slept in. He didn't make a peep this morning, but I went home for lunch and a few minutes after I left he whined a bit. He's quite right now.