leaving dog on his own - advice please!

[thirteenchickens]

I wondered if any of you kind people could offer me any advice. Background: I rehomed a three year old cross breed (spaniel/lab) a few months ago. He is fantastic and has made great progress with socialisation with dogs and people (pretty inadequate previous home - not taken out just lived with other dogs) and training. He was very clingy with me at first and still is quite but much less so. I work from home part-time so am here all the time. DH out at work, also 2DC. The problem is leaving him for short times which I would like to do, just for dr appt's, shopping etc. Its not essential, but I would like to be able to do it, for an hour or two occasionally.

I think I am quite anxious about it, and dog likewise. I did not leave him at all whilst he was starting to settle in, but he seems a bit more relaxed now and doesn't need to be in the same room as me all the time. I left him once for half an hour and when I came home he was fine and did not seem distressed. Today I left him for 3/4 hour, again he seemed fine, but I had left my phone on to record, and when I played it back he was intermittently whimpering and barking (not continuous) for most of the time, up until about the last 10 mins before I got back. We have no near neighbours so the noise is not a problem but I am worried that he is distressed. He has had such a difficult start in life and is now doing so well, I don't want to do anything which is bad for him or will make him miserable.

nb have been leaving him for 1 - 5 mins just going out in garden which seems ok. Left him with chewy treat and had taken him for good walk and run first. He has the run of the whole house. If it is important, he sleeps in our bedroom - the rehoming centre advised against this as it meant he would be with me all the time but he was very miserable sleeping downstairs and is happy in his corner upstairs.

So my questions are two really: one, if he seems fine when I get back, has any harm been done that he was crying whilst I was out and will he get used to short intervals on his own or just carry on being distressed, and two, if I should continue trying to leave him for short spells, any suggestions for what would help.

[Xcountry]

I leave the tv on for our spaniel bitch (shes the only one of ours in the house), keep trying short spells, change your going away routine ie don't make a big fuss that you are going out and once he becomes ok with that try a bit longer etc

[timetoclean]

Definitely change up the routine so it's not always at the same time/same length of time. I was told to ignore the dog when you come back in (very hard!) so it's not a 'thing' or a big event when you're finally home. I always give a treat when I walk out of the door, which means mine also loves it when I leave! (she was previously getting agitated when she realised I was putting stuff in my bag, putting coat on, finding shoes etc). I've also seen that it's important to not put them in a room with a solid door, because then they whine to get to the other side/think you're on the other side and are just being a bastard - leave doors open so they can wander.

[muttynutty]

I disagree with everything timetoclean says.

Do not ignore the dog when you come back - the dog just thinks this is weird - the dog knows you have been away and have come back so why ignore them?

Dogs that get separation anxiety if left to roam tend to just pace and pace around the whole house.

I would work on having a relaxed area when you are around, maybe a crate or rug, Give the dog a walk etc so they are tired and relaxed and then you get a coffee, give the dog a stuffed kong and put the dog in/on the relaxed area. Try not to interact with the dog the idea being that the dog is happy and chilled without you (but you are still nearby) on the rug. Pick up the rug and kong when the dog has finished.

Do this frequently (I would feed all meals like this) gradually you will be able to increase the distance that you are to the relaxed area, so maybe after a week you could be in another room, then in another room with the door shut. DO Not let the dog get frantic or whiny on the rug or area if he does come back but do not acknowledge the whining but note to you to get back sooner.

The general idea is that the dog recognises the rug as an area to relax and welcomes seeing it when you get it out - then you can start to leave the house with the rug out. Do go very slowly though do not push the dog over threshold.

Generally you can build up independence in your dog by teaching send aways. Put a dog treat in your dogs beds and take the dog by his collar away from the dog and the treat - then release him t rush to the treat - this is rewarding him from being away from you.

[timetoclean]

tbh the ignoring thing never did go particularly well!

What I meant is that you shouldn't shut the dog in a room with a solid door - at least I've had friends who have had really bad problems with dogs being obsessed with clawing through the door/chewing door in half - when they replaced with dog gate or opened up into the next room then the dogs calmed down because they can 'see' that the owner isn't there.

[thirteenchickens]

Thank you all for your replies. There is so much different advice in books etc often contradictory so it's difficult to know what will help most. Muttynutty, the idea of introducing a "relaxing on your own area" sounds good, and as I am often at home but working have lots of opportunity to work on this.

I have found that if I leave a (really tasty and tempting) treat whilst I just go out in the garden for a couple of minutes, the dog will leave it, and then return to it as soon as I come back in, so it does make sense that I need to teach him to be able to relax and enjoy whatever morsels I have left him whilst I am a bit further away and eventually not there.

[VivaLeBeaver]

I leave the radio on. I also fill a kong with wet cat food (dog only eats dry food normally). I freeze the kong and if he's going to be left for a few hours he gets his kong.

They do say to build up the length of time he's left. So start with popping out for five/ten mins. Do this a couple of times. Then 20 mins, etc.