Leaving pup alone for first time help?

[CS86]

So I’m thinking about starting a part time job but I’m concerned about my 6 month old Weimaraner cross girl. She’s used to me being at home with her all day, everyday, and her schedule which will obviously change. She has recently become quite clingy and will most of the time cry if I put her in a separate room which she never did before. We’ve had to put a nail in the doorframe and tie rope around the handle so she can’t escape during the night or day when I’m busy doing other things. She sometimes gets really destructive but she is getting better I know I just have to be consistent. Now she will never be completely alone as there will always be someone in the house but she does not settle for anyone else. I don’t want to leave her if it will only cause her stress but tbh I could do with the extra money so she can have the best life with us. If anyone has any tips that could help her feel safe and secure in her own company it would be much appreciated!

Why lock her away if you are busy? She will know you are there and get distressed!

She’s not locked away she’s in her bed with her toys, water and food if it’s feeding time. If I’m cleaning, bathing or whatever else I can’t watch her at the same time. It’s never for longer than a hour and she’s not hard done to. Like I said she was perfectly fine spending time on her own until a couple of weeks ago as I always made that a priority to teach her being alone is okay. She is a very good pup who is loved loads and gets lots of attention.

You need to get her to see you going out as a good thing (or at least not a bad thing).

You need to build her being left alone gradually. Don't just go out one day for five hours.

Get her a Kong and hide her favourite food in it.
As you are getting ready to go out tell her what you're doing and be consistent with this. Say something like "Mummy's going to work" and say this every time she will be left alone. She'll know what it means and what's expected from her.

Then give her the Kong and leave. Don't fuss her, don't coo, just leave.
The first time, go out for about 10 minutes then come back.

When you come back, fuss her but don't go over the top. Give her a biscuit and a stroke and tell her she's a good girl.

Next time, do the same but leave her alone for longer. Keep doing this, gradually increasing the length of time you're out.

She will learn that (a) you always come back (b) she always get s treat when you come back and (c) she always gets something nice to eat/play with when you're out.

I'd recommend changing up the treat/toy as well so it's not always the same Kong with the same food in it.

When I go out, I leave lots of little toys dotted all around the house for my dog to find and then figure out how to get the food out. As soon as she sees me putting on my shoes now, she gets really excited because she knows it means I'm going out!

If I’m cleaning, bathing or whatever else I can’t watch her at the same time

Why can't she come with you when you're doing these things? Not being goady, genuinely just asking.

Did anything happen in the last couple of weeks to make her clingy? It could be something really minor that you might not have thought about but that has upset her.

You can't use a nail and rope. You need to deal with her anxiety. That means not leaving her for longer than she can cope with. It could be a passing developmental phase but if you leave her to get distressed she could end up with proper separation anxiety.
Can anyone else look after her whilst you work?

Thank you for the idea. It will be hard as when she sees me getting my shoes on she knows it’s time for a walk so she will no doubt cry when I walk out without her. She does have a kong that I’ve been trying out with different foods in to see what she likes and what doesn’t upset her stomach. I will just have to suck it up and be consistent!

Our ddogs are never happier than sat on the bath mats while I clean the bathroom!! Even when dc are in the bath!!

So don't walk out without her. If she's anxious then don't leave her for any longer than she is comfortable with.

Her anxiety will get worse if you lock her away especially if she can hear you. She has to get used to you coming and going about the house.
You’ll make her worse if you lock her away.
My puppy was a nightmare into everything but I just got on with my stuff and he came too.

She is a chewer and not a 100% potty trained as of yet. It’s really difficult for me to get things done quickly and stop her from doing something naughty at the same time. She is never punished but corrected. Something that would take me 10 minutes alone to do takes 3x as much time if she’s running around creating more mess. I can’t see anything that could have upset her. I honestly just think it’s for more attention as she’s learned to open doors hence the rope as she was escaping in the middle of the night and every time I put her back to bed. She does not sleep with me at night and I don’t think that makes me a bad owner. Like I said before she has gotten better now that she realises she can’t open the door and is more settled. She is just a very clingy dog and if it was aniexty (which I have read up on), she would be doing it all the time and not just now and again.

If she's isn't toilet trained then you can't leave her. (Why not at 6 months?)
What do you mean she's corrected?
Puppies chew. They all do. If she is with you then you can make sure she doesn't chase stuff you don't want chewed.
For attention? Puppies don't generally attention seek. She's clingy as she needs you.

Can you put up a baby gate? I put him behind the gate when I need to do things in the house and got him used to me coming and going through the baby gate. Now he sees me with cleaning stuff, knows it boring and just settles himself down on the sofa.

For some reason a closed door causes him to bark but behind a baby gate doesn't (probably because he then doesn't feel as closed off).

Would she settle down with a Kong while you're cleaning? My dog lies at the top of the stairs with her Kong when I'm cleaning. Like @BiteyShark she's realised it's quite boring so settles down where she can see me and she's got something to do.

When she drops her Kong down the stairs, she howls like she's actually dying so I pick it up and take it back to her. Try and avoid getting into this habit

I’m not planning on leaving her until she is fully potty trained. I’m thinking about looking for work and she is never left completely alone in the house so there would always be someone there to take her outside if I was gone for a little while. The breeders had her on potty pads when I got her at 9 weeks old and since there are lots of stray cats where we live I did not want to risk taking her out before she had all her injections. She does go outside now but it takes a long time (sometimes two hours). I am being as consistent as I possibly can and she is getting better. When she chews something she is not supposed to she is told a simple ‘no’ and given a chew toy. When she bites it I praise her, she is also much better with this now but still has slips as any pup would. she is a Weimaraner and Weimaraner’s are clingy dogs who like to be with their owners constantly. I came on here for genuine advice from real dog owners not to be criticised. She is not my first pet and my family have owned dogs before and said that they have never had these troubles. Every dog is different with their own personality. Is not one rule for all.

Potty pads! No wonder she's struggling. It's confusing.
Rather than staying out for two hours I would stay out a bit and then come in. Back out after 10 minutes. Wee break after playing and napping and eating and drinking and every 20 minutes too.
If she's clingy and wants to be with her then you have to let her.

I'm another vote for baby gates! A solid door is a big barrier for a dog, and they will naturally want to go through it. If she can see you through a baby gate, she should settle down quicker, and this will help with leaving her alone.
I think they find being shut in by a solid door more constricting and may panic a bit, causing the whining/toileting/chewing etc

As soon as I bring her in she will do her business even if I keep her leashed. She is distracted very easily outdoors because all she wants to do is play which is why it sometimes takes so long. And if I give in every time she’s crying for attention she will never learn to be by herself which is not healthy.

Your last post has me concerned. Poor puppy.

She hasn't learnt that outside is the place to go. Not surprising if she was using puppy pads and learnt to wee indoors for weeks. Have a look at dog training advice and support on FB. Great toilet training advice.
Giving in when she's crying? No. You don't let her cry. At all. You gradually build up her ability to be alone. If you leave her to cry she learns that being alone is scary and you get proper separation anxiety.

Posted too soon!
That FB page also has files about separation anxiety.

Sounds like you need a toilet training plan first and foremost. Then work on the separation anxiety.

You say she'll never be totally alone in the house but won't settle for anyone else. Can you get whoever else it is more involved in her care? You want to stop her being totally clingy to you, if possible, so that she's happier.

Why does it have you concerned? She is a very healthy pup who is loved lots and given loads of attention.

Probably good to go back to basics with the toilet training. I know some people really advocate puppy pads but it does sound like that may be confusing your puppy. Get rid of them and think of her like a young pup again so watch her like a hawk, take her out more frequently than she needs to, stay out with her and praise praise praise when she goes outside. Use a command when she goes so she will then pee on command which is so handy. My boy is now 19 months old and he had the occasional blip onlong the way when an adolescent and every time I went straight back to basics for a short while and it worked.

Baby gates are great for working on anxiety. Yours is quite a big dog but you can get tall ones. I still have two in my house as they are so useful as I put him behind one when the Tesco's delivery comes and he just watches me (I can guarantee if he was behind a closed door he would be going crazy barking his head off).

As to the baby gate we have tried that but it seemed to stress her out more being able to see me and not come toward me.

So for now she just has to follow you around. It's hard. But it's the best way to allow her to relax and eventually be left.