How did you train dog to be home alone?

[apricotwheat]

We have a 2.5 year old poodle who is a lovely and docile boy but has never enjoyed being home alone. Shamefully, we haven't really worked on it as we both work from home and have a neighbour who adores him and is happy to take him any time we are off somewhere that isn't dog friendly. However, I would really like to get him to the point where we can leave him if we are off to the shops for example.

Dog is perfectly content when anyone (us, friend, tradesperson etc!) is in the house with him. He is happy to amuse himself and usually sleeps alone in a different room to us during the day. One of the rooms he likes to sleep in has a door that swings shut and he has no issue being in this room and will usually give a short sharp bark after a few hours to let us know he is there and wants to leave! However, as soon as we leave him fully alone he barks. He does not bark continuously but it is very unpredictable (some times he barks instantly, sometimes after five minutes or so) and sits very alert in front of the front door until we return (we have a dog cam).

We are trying a new routine of, after a walk, popping the radio on (this is often on when we are in), giving him a biscuit and leaving the house. We then sit (away from his view!) outside for a few minutes. Is this the right thing to be doing? What should we be doing when we come back in? I've read conflicting advice about remaining calm in this time vs. giving him a treat and a fuss. I'm also not sure when to come back in; I currently don't come back in as soon as he barks as he's usually stopped by the time I've stood up, so instead I just try to get to 5 minutes (but abort earlier if he's particularly noisy). It's hard to even leave the house as even with a biscuit, he runs to the front door as soon as we try to go. Has anyone got any advice / words of encouragement? I feel so frustrated with ourselves for letting us get to this point and it is so difficult to marry up this dog who is so chilled and independent when someone is in the house but so on edge as soon as he is alone

You need to come back in before he barks. So you start with out door shut and straight back in again for a week or so then 30 seconds, then 1minute and so on.

It's going to be a long process but it's all about teaching him that you will come back.

Oh and no fuss. Calm as anything otherwise your making a bug event out of your return

I don't make a fuss on my return, just walk in and she doesn't even get up! Just be cool and say nothing ignore the dog when you get in.. when you've settled down, opened the back door, fed or walked the dog or what ever you then you pet and say hi.

How does he know he is fully alone?

If I go out of my back door (drive is at the back of the house) my dog can see me leave and howls and barks. If I go out of the front door (and walk around outside to the car) he thinks I’m still in the house and is as settled as if I was genuinely there. We always have the radio on so maybe he doesn’t notice the silence.

Look up advice on Dog Training Advice and Support on FB for separation anxiety.

What @Mustardandchickensandwiches said.
You need to start really low and then build up from there. Honestly once you can get to a few minutes you can make leaps.
Our behaviourist advised starting at seconds and building by 1/3 each time. We didn't start until ours was a year old and to be honest I think he was better for it. Got to over an hour within a month and absolutely no issue. It's really quick once you get to 30 mins.
Greet when you come in but just don't make it super exciting so that you're not building anticipation.

Wow, thanks for all the advice - feeling much more positive now! We now have a bit more of an action plan in place, starting with simply going in and out the door which we have been practicing this afternoon. I think our issue so far has been the lack of consistency. Also good to know that not fussing him is the right thing to do. @quietheart he definitely knows he is alone as we can only leave from the front door and even if he is really settled he gets up to see what is going on as soon as we are at the door ...

I second this approach.

Just about to start this with our 11mo springer who currently doesn't like being in a room on his own! So going to be a slow process.

I recently read that you should give your dog 30mins to an hour to decompress after a walk before you leave.

Otherwise it's as others have said - start with seconds and build up slowly.

I assume we should only do this once a day?

We got a camera so that we could see how he was reacting, that really helped. Also we built up the time slowly and are now up to four hours which is enough for us.

The decompression walks have worked really well for our dog...she is so much more relaxed
We can now leave via front door for 5 mins, hoping things progress a little quicker now.

You have to break the triggers so the anxiety is removed, pick up keys, put them down. Shoes on, shoes off, leaving via back door not front door etc, all food treats on her bed (safe place to self settle) and build the leaving up really slowly

It's hard work but we can see light at the end of the tunnel
Good luck!!

If he’s anxious as soon as you walk to the door then don’t leave him. Walk to the door then away again. You need to stop before he becomes anxious. Even if that means no more than walking towards your shoes or touching your keys.

It’s not that he’s anxious when we are at the door I don’t think, I think he thinks he’s coming out with us so jumps up ready for a walk and then we can’t sneak out whilst he is relaxed. But you’re right, we definitely need to practice going to the door without doing anything so he doesn’t become alert (whether it’s anxiety or excitement) every time we go there.

Method I've used with all our rescue dogs;

When new dog was settled in his bed in the sitting room, I went to another room closing the sr door behind me. I didn't say goodbye or speak to him. A minute later I went back in, again with no comment or contact.
I repeated this at regular intervals through the day, slowly expanding the exit time .

Never make a comforting fuss of the dog/no fond goodbyes before going out of the room and closing the door; always return before they show any anxiety/ distress (whining, scratching, barking) , and when you come back in pay no attention; no greetings rewards or fuss. Some dogs may only tolerate seconds, then a minute, two minutes.Gradually expand the time they can comfortably be alone in a closed room; take it at the dogs speed. Frequent repetition builds confidence.

When they can happily stay alone in a room for an hour you can start popping out to the garden for a few minutes; leaving the dog indoors.