Do your dogs struggle when left alone? How do you handle it? 0 replies

[SouthernRev]

We’ve got a lovely dog who struggles a bit when left alone: whining, sometimes pacing, and very clingy when we get back. It’s not full-on destructive behaviour, but enough that I feel guilty every time we leave the house.
Just curious:

• Does your dog show any signs of anxiety when you’re out?
• Is it something that’s caused problems or changed your routine?
• Have you found anything that actually helps?

Would be really helpful to hear what other people’s experience has been.

My DDog has always been fine being left, never for more than about 4 hours, and as far as I was aware all was well. Then about 2 years ago my neighbours told me he sounded unhappy one evening when I was out.

What caused this change I do not know but suspect that it was either a reaction to the extended period of lockdown when he got used to not being left home alone or is it just because he is getting older - 12th birthday tomorrow!
How have I dealt with his reluctance at being left? I try to plan my outings so that either DDog can come with me, sometimes being left in the car when safe to do so, but also I share dog care with my daughter who lives about 12 miles away so he goes to visit my DD and her DDog sometimes. I reciprocate by looking after both dogs when DD is struggling with her dog care.
Works for us but not for everyone I know…..

Yes, I don't leave him for longer than he can cope with. I get a sitter, or he goes to daycare. I know that doesn't work for everyone and it probably won't work for us forever, but everything I read about SA is you can't treat it while you're leaving them alone, so I'm not going to let him get distressed in the first place.

We leave ours for up to 4 hours. We built up to it gradually as soon as he was house trained, starting by just leaving him for a few minutes.

We always give him a good walk before leaving him so he’s tired. And often give him a bone or chew so he has something to distract him when we first leave. He’s a chilled dog though as most Labradors are & just sleeps when there’s nothing going on.

My rescue/rehome dog was unhappy when I left - whimpering, howling, distress barking, and panting. I think he'd brought this behaviour from his old home. I slowly accustomed him to being left with the advice / support of a good local behaviouralist. I always take him for a walk and then use a cue word to say I'm leaving (I needed this as otherwise my dog was constantly on alert in case I might leave). Leaving is low key, as is coming back.

We then did alone training. I started by going outside but in sight for 2 minutes. When he was ok with that, we built the time up but very slowly, a couple of minutes at a time. When I think we'd got up to 15 mins ish, I then went out but out of sight for 2 mins. I'd audio-record him, if he wasn't happy we'd go back a step, when he was comfortable with a step we'd extend the time. It was a very slow process and a hard slog over several months with doing alone training pretty much every day. Luckily I brought my dog home just before covid so had the luxury of working from home time to sort it (I did the training right the way through and then worked from my car a couple of times a week to maintain the fact I went out).

Before I fixed it though he came everywhere with me or I changed my plans so I didn't leave him. But the training worked for us, he's now happy to be left for 4 hours and when I audio-record him these days all I can hear are snores and happy I'm getting comfortable sounds :)

Mine gets very anxious being left alone, even for short periods. We're working on it but its a very slow work in progress. We don't leave him for longer than he's comfortable with is the answer to your question. Day to day there is usually someone in the house. Longer periods I.e. hospital appointments etc one of my family are always happy to have him for a few hours. Days out, days in the office, holidays he goes to daycare