anxiety-- how long did it take you?

i am really ready to get serious about this, and correct this. i'm kicking myself because i've let it go on so long, but there were times when i thought it was getting better, but it hasn't really.

anyway, here's a scenario. when i leave, my dog will stand by the door and bark for up to an hour, and then stop, and is quiet the rest of the day. of course the dog walker comes, and she barks (but not as much) when he leaves too.

well i live in an apt building, so my neighbors don't like me too much.

anyway, i got a call from the landlord, and an anonymous neighbor was complaining, so for a quick fix i got her a citronella collar. She does great with this, doesn't even try to bark when it is on, but now she knows when it is on /not on.

i know there are things i have to do, and in certain orders, and for certain lengths of time, right? put on my shoes and take them off? i know that at this point she associates putting on shoes/coat/e tc with going out, and not necessarily with me leaving because i will put all these things on, take her out, then bring her back in, and leave with my stuff already on.

picking up the keys/purse is another issue.

so i put on shoes, take them off, and how long do i do this for? i get the technique, but am never sure how long i need to put them on for, and how much time in between. if that makes sense.

anyway, i would love to hear others experiences, and how they have done it, and how long it took.

btw, yea we got a lot of problems over here

oh- btw, i should mention that the reason i know about how long she barks, is because i have set up a web cam to record her, many many many times. she is also not destructive, sometimes she will pant. also she seems to be more upset in the mornings when i leave than if i am going out on a saturday night or something when it is a bit dark. not sure if that makes any difference.

What do you normally do to the dog when you leave? Talk to her at all or anything? What exactly do you do when you get home?

Working on it slowly is ideal, but realistically you have to go to work and such; it is VERY important that when you get home you completely ignore the dog. Completely. She isn't there at all. Ignore her for seriously like 20 minutes if you have to, until she is completely calm and no longer focused on you.

I have never had a dog with SA (knock!) however I have had lots of rescue dogs and i always implement an ignore policy for 10 minutes before I leave and 10 minutes after I get home from day 1. My dogs are in their beds snoring when I leave and greet me calmly when I get home. Keep comings and goings very low key - this is important.

Have you recorded what your dog does when you leave and she has the citronella collar on? Does she still pace and pant? Or does she relax better?

I would also recommend taking her for a looong walk first. Leave her tired, with a bone or something.

hi there,

yep i completely ignore her before i leave and when i come home, except for taking her outside, and feeding her. basically our routine is, I wake up, and get ready, then take her out for about 20 mins (I know, I really need to start taking her out longer in the AM), then we come in and put the citro collar on, turn the radio on high (so as to block out outside sounds) i place a treat (stuffed kong usually) in the bedroom and lately i've been scattering little treats around the room for her to find.
when i come home, i ignore her, change my clothes, and by the time i've changed she's calmed down a bit, and take her out.

i have recorded her with the collar on, and she still does pace, and sit by the front door for about an hour (i usually have the cam pointed at the front door), then after about an hour (sometimes a little longer), i don't see her there anymore, or hear or for that matter.

you know even when growing up, we had a dog who did not want to be left alone, so when people say they have dogs that just lay there when they leave, i can't imagine it! but i feel like they are so lucky. to be able to come and go without worrying, and having to have a set routine every time you do it.

Have you ever done the whole "leave for two minutes, come back casually, leave for ten minutes, come back casually" routine?

Like on a weekend?

 Quote: jenn verrier

... people say they have dogs that just lay there when they leave, i can't imagine it! but i feel like they are so lucky. to be able to come and go without worrying, and having to have a set routine every time you do it.

One of mine is calm when I leave, and luck has nothing to do with it.

This dog screamed (not barked) when I left, and I live with neighbors all close around too.

It took a lot of work, with hovering at the door and then popping up at an open window to say "NO!" when the screaming started (and did THAT surprise him!) and all of the above casual and random short leave-takings.

I was wondering if you had crate trained the dog at all. If you can crate her in a room away from where you normally are, to have separation when you are at home. I brought home a new rescue last week and the first thing I did in the home was introduce the crate. Rewarded for being calm in the crate, and I just went about my daily things. Would peak in from time to time to reward. He has to learn it is okay to be alone. It was a week yesterday, and he has done fabulous. I feed him in there, he gets treats in there, he sleeps in there.

Oh, good catch, if you mean the O.P.

How did I miss that?!

And good job, Sue. That's the first thing I always do, too: intro the crate as a good thing, and NOT put the dog in only when I am leaving.

I hadn't had screamers before. One whiner, and I did the same routine, but the screamer was something else. I put notes in all the neighbors' mailboxes explaining that I was working on it and no, he was not have root canals with no novocaine.

Jenn, do you have a crate?

i tried using the crate a couple times, and no i didn't give it a fair shot, but i put her in there a couple times when i left and she continued the barking, and also peed in it, and then layed in it because there was no where else to go. once she did that i felt so bad about it. then we went to a behaviorist who said some dogs anxiety will increase when confined to a small space like that... so i gave up on it just like that..and i have gated her in several areas of the house before such as a hall way, the kitchen, and she seemed to do better in the whole place i guess.

yea i also left notes for my neighbors. i don't think they really cared about my note though

maybe i should try the crate again? should i get a cover for it? should i make her sleep in it? (she used to sleep in the bed but for the last few weeks, i've been making her sleep on the floor on her bed)

re: departures, i do this every once in a while, but i never know exactly how long i should leave for, and if should take all my stuff with my like i am really leaving leaving, or just walk out without the keys/shoes etc. also unfortunatley i don't have a window to yell into! lol hence the spray collar. should i make her wear the spray collar when i am doing the practice departures?

connie how long did it take your screamer to calm down?

i actually started fostering cats to keep my dog company lol. it didn't work though. once i had another dog over for a week too (only one she ever liked), to see if THAT would help, turned out the other dog had a problem with it too... sigh