Separation anxiety or just being a puppy ?

[Helenluvsrob]

6 month cavalier. Gorgeous dog. 1st ever and he’s trained us well 😂 More “ my” dog than husbands as I’m home with him more.

Just a few teenage moments eg not walking when he doesn’t want to. Like if I’ve popped into Aldi and husband is supposed to walk him home - he stands and waits ( me taking him and husband shopping is fine )

Goes to dog minder when I work. Adores him. Now sits waiting to go in the morning !

However - should I dare to go upstairs however briefly he’s scratching the gate / kitchen door like mad.

Can be left for up to 4hrs crated after a lovely morning in the woods and a bath - I try to do 2hrs or maybe more a couple of times a week so he doesn’t forget how. - he’s fine - I don’t have a camera but use Alexa as an audio monitor.

However I couldn’t think of leaving him free range in the kitchen when he’s not feeling dozy , he would probably scratch and bark - he may settle ( sometimes he does when I’m upstairs but like kids I then wonder what he’s doing 😂).

I’m trying my hardest but I really can’t work out how to tell if the scratching is just “ how dare you go “ or “ I’m devastated and think you’ll never return “. I don’t fuss him much when I come down and he doesn’t actually demand it either just a bit of wagging and off to pootle again.

What do you think ? It’s always been the same.

And no we don’t want him upstairs regularly - it’s full of stuff and apart from anything I’d probably fall over him bring washing down 😂 he’s crated happily from when ever he falls asleep to getting up - up to 12hrs but that’s his choice as it were.

I’d quite like to work up to leaving him in the kitchen not crated for a few hours eventually.

Oh forgot this ... just so yknow him 😂

My adult dog hates being left in a room with the door closed. I can't tell if that's what you are doing?

With a door closed he would bark and scratch because he knows we are doing stuff without him. However, behind a baby gate he is totally fine and will just lie on the sofa waiting for me to return.

We got an emergency foster (cocker) just before christmas. She was only 6 weeks old so spent most of her time on me for the first 2 weeks. She was tiny, struggled to keep warm etc.

At about 2 weeks she started peeing and crying if I left the room. Instantly she would pee. So we started with me going in and iur quickly, then I would go for slightly longer and guilt it up. Dp took over more of her care. Dp goes to bed after me so instead of coming up with me, she stayed down and he looked after her..
The kids also got more involved. More taking her to the toilet, feeding, training. My kids are 9 and 18, so supervised the younger one. Let the older one get on with it. We have had puppies before.

Now she is used to us all being equal owners she is happy and doesnt get upset when I leave.

I was a bit devastated to give up having g ci start puppy cuddles but she is much more settled and happy for it.

Our older year old cocker was treated the same. I got her with exh. We both worked from home so both did equal amounts with her and she is fine too.

I don't know - you are crating your dog for up to 16 hours a day some days. 12 hours overnight, even though you say it's his choice, is a very long time. I don't think I have ever left a dog that long overnight, 7 to 8 hours is more normal, surely.
I think you might be crating too much, so that, when your dog is at liberty (which might only be for 8 hours on some days) you are very much the novelty and companion to be kept an eye on. Your dog may very well not crave your company so much if it is always there for the asking. A comparison would be when my own dog has been in kennels when we go away. When we get her back she is all over me like a rash for about 12 hours, then she reverts to normal, which is doing her own thing a lot of the time (in the garden mooching, sitting in another room that has got the sun etc etc, you get the picture). I think your dog needs to be allowed more independence to stop becoming so dependent iyswim.
When we go out our (3 y.o.) dog is left in the kitchen, and has been since she was a tiny puppy. However, I know it depends on your set up. She is a small dog (so can't counter surf), the floor is washable and there's space to play in a warm safe room that has lights and music!. Much better than being in a crate.
I am not a fan of crates, and only tend to use them for safely reasons while a dog is young.

Longeard

I get what you at about overnight crating but if he’s asleep in the crate what am I supposed to do ? He has been later going to bed recently so it was 11 last night ( but can be 8.30-9) but I can open the crate at 8 and he doesn’t get up !!

DH used to let him out at 6am but now he goes into the same room as pup and pup doesn’t even stir ....

Had the door open this morning and he was mooching one the garden whilst I cooked. So he doesn’t need to be with me all the time.