Hello I have an 10 week old Rhodesian Ridgeback dog.

I have him on a leash at all times - he wears when he is walking around the home. Already he is good with not pulling me, he generally lets me lead him on it, or walks along side me with slack on the lead. Whenever he is on the leash I am attached to it.

However there might be a downside as he seems to only eat when I am right next to him watching him. But if I tie him next to his food while he is eating and then leave he stops eating and tries to follow me. If I get out of eyesight he starts to whine and sometimes bark (when he does this I ignore him until well after he stops) and won't eat until I come back next to him.

(I have read that leerburg recommends feeding the dog in his crate. My dog's crate is in my bedroom though, and I don't want the smell of dog food in my bedroom. So instead he has been eating in a quiet, secluded corner of the kitchen.)

When we practice putting him in his crate while there are people in the house he does well, but when people get out of eye sight he starts to whine. It subsides after about 5-10 minutes of being ignored, but is loud. Will continuing to ignore him when he whines be enough to break him of this habit eventually?

I wonder if somehow I have created a co-dependent puppy?? What do you think?

Do you think having him on a leash while I am inside will make him co-dependent? I really want control of him while he is learning what's right and wrong and getting potty trained, but also don't want to make a dog that is whiney when he is more than 6 feet from me.

what is your advice?

thank you

My pup is older than yours but still whines if I tether him and walk away, and he wont eat if I leave him alone in a room.

But as a pup I want them to be totally and utterly attached to me, with age comes independence.

I also think tethering helps facilitate an unspoken bond where you and the pup form a good understanding of each others body language, routine, and reactions

All three of mine generally follow me from room to room, with the exception of the kitchen which they lay outside and watch me and the bathroom they are in the same room as me.

They will go outside on their own through the doggy door to potty, sun on the deck, and play.

When you go outside how much leeway do you allow him? Is he allowed to explore on his own if he so choses?

If my dog it's learning, I'm doing something wrong.
Randy

when outside as a hound his nose is often to the ground and I let him follow it for a while. Some times I need to nudge his leash to turn him (like he doesn't want to put his paws in the snow, so I turn him into it); however generally he walks by my side with a slack leash and is content to follow. If he is exploring with his nose he walks slightly ahead and moseys.

Reid, part of the purpose of tethering as you are doing is to create a bond with the pup which is what you are doing. A strong bond is a great thing to have.

Ignore the whining It will subside just make sure you do not reinforce the behavior. Your pup is only 10 weeks old, very young. Pups whine Don't talk to the pup or allow yourself to be seen by the pup while it is whining. You are lucky to have a pup that settles and quiets after only 5-10 minutes! I've dealt with pups that whine for 45 minutes before settling down and had no other reason (like potty, pain etc) for whining other than to get me back in that room with them.

Keep up the good work, sounds like you are developing a nice bond with your pup. Tethering and crate training are two big and wonderful steps in having a well balanced happy puppy!

Reid, for myself I like dogs as young as yours to be allowed to explore on their own as much as I can allow, especially outside. I want them to start developing their self confidence. After all, for the moment he can't out run you, so you can keep him out of trouble. You already have a good bond started so you can also start playing with a recall and name recognition. Let him explore his world on his terms a bit. Drop the leash outside for awhile. Dad is close, it'll be okay. And I think he'll be better for it.

If my dog isn't learning, I doing something wrong.
Randy

Hi Ried, and welcome! I also have a Rhodesian Ridgeback, mine just turned a year old. I can tell you from talking to other RR owners, this is not uncommon. Mine still doesn't want me out of his sight. But will usually do fine in the crate. It took a long time though before he would stay in his crate with out barking/whining. Be patient. It really helps if the crate is in the room where you are. These dogs REALLY want to be with thier people. Remember, you haven't had him very long, his whole world was turned upside down, and now he may have anxiety about losing you. The bond you two will have will be wonderful.

I've heard that you can train him to accept you being out of the room if you start small and work slow. Tie him, walk around a corner for just a second, not long enough for him to whine or bark, come back and praise like crazy and treat. Maybe give him a command, like "wait" or "Hold on" or whatever works for you. Do this several times a day. Gradually increase the amount of time you are out of his sight. He will eventually learn to be confident that you will always come back. At least that is the theory

Good luck!

Just to add to Shody's post .. don't reward while the pup is making noise.

I personally don't recommend having the crate in the same room as if the pup starts whining any movement you make that the pup can see just reinforces the whining. I agree that gradual is good, starting with small amounts of time and moving to longer periods, but it is easier if the pup cannot see you.

I always keep the puppy in the crate in the bedroom, if i get up and it whines, oh well, no biggie. It's a 10 wk old baby, chill out a little bit , the whining will probably go away on it's own. Also a 10 wk old IS co-dependant, can't live without you right? lol. Enjoy puppyhood and have fun with it,
AL

I have never given advice on here before, and maybe this isn't really advice but just my experience. My 5.5 (close to 6 mo) shorthair pointer still whines to this day when she sees me and i walk away, when she hears me get up, when she knows I'm home and in the backyard, etc. She is getting to where she understands that I am coming back though, i think that is the main problem she had in early days, she thought i wasn't coming back. Now i think she just wants to be near me, which is cool, the whining still irritates though. i am dealing with it and just ignore it for the most part as much as a i can.

I hope, once she gets older, she will break the habit, but who knows. she is an odd little pup sometimes.