Dog barking non-stop while I’m out.

[PatsArrow]

I have an 11 yr old border terrier. He very mild-mannered and well behaved.
I work from home and always have done, so my Ddog is very rarely ever left alone. DH works out of the house.

Occasionally though, obviously DH and I are out together for the evening. In the past my neighbour has told us that Ddog barks non-stop while we’re out - like he’s frantic. My neighbour isn’t annoyed but says he worries Ddog is ok. Ddog is always perfectly fine when we get back, often on the sofa.
last Saturday me and a DH were out from about 7.30pm to midnight. This morning my neighbour saw me and said Ddog had barked constantly again.

How do I deal with this? Ddog doesnt bark a lot normally. I know it’s separation anxiety and we’ve probably caused it by me always working from home. He’s normally a happy, calm dog. Me and DH don’t go out very often. Our next time will be in Nov!
My DC’s are away at uni. My family live 5 hours away. DH’s family is unwell. I’ve looked at Pet sitters (for someone literally to sit with him) but most seem to only offer overnight at minimum?

anyone got some great tips?

Ask on your local fb page for someone local to either sit with him while you’re out or for him to go to their house while you’re out and pay sort of childminding costs?

Sounds like your neighbour is making it up....

Could you get one of those cameras set up so that you can see if this is true, and if so, get one you can talk to him through. I have a 6 year old Border and am in the same situation, she is with me all the time as she comes to work at my office every day so she doesn't like being left but as far as I am aware she doesn't bark. Although, when she is at my dog boarders house, if she leaves her she will howl like a wolf.

But yes, def set a camera up so you can see whether the neighbour is exaggerating.

Go out more often, i.e. go out for a very short walk, make a fuss on your return, then increase the time you are out until he gets used to you going out. Leave some of your old clothing near the door (not too near) so your scent is there for him as comfort.

I had a next door neighbour whose dog had separation anxiety and it was absolute hell to live next door to.

The only thing that made it even slightly bearable was I could hear how distressed the dog was and felt desperately sorry for it. It would literally bark continuously… it must have been absolutely exhausting for the poor dog and if it was a human, it would have had a very sore throat!

So please ignore the posters who are downplaying this and take this very seriously as I’m sure you are.

Julie Naismith gives excellent advice on separation anxiety - have a look at this book and she has a FB group as well.

Thanks all.
I get on with my neighbour very well. I doubt he would make it up. He also dog sits his daughters dogs so is used to dogs making normal noise etc.
I can believe it because sometimes he howls if I’m working outside in the garden office or even in a different room. He shuts up the moment i tell him yi be quiet. It’s almost like a manipulative thing from my Ddog to make me come and snuggle him or fuss him. So I can believe he would bark.
When we went out on Saturday, I think we made the mistake of leaving the curtains open which can’t have helped.

I have a work thing for a few hours in the afternoon on Friday. I will try a few tips from here (like clothing etc) and maybe I will close the curtains even in the afternoon. I might leave the tv on low as well. It’ll only be a few hours.

I’m currently WhatsApping some of my DD’s friend to see if they will dog sit occasionally.

Would your neighbour perhaps take him while you are out ?

We use teenage babysitters. Just ask on local Facebook.

U should get him a really tasty treat and put it in a Kong or a lick mat with frozen greek yogurt on it and some white noise I find not making a fuss when I come and go is better they get used to it I'm currently training 2 puppies it's not easy but it's best to just do things often and without too much fuss that way they become used to it x

My previous dog was like this, he was a rescue with awful separation anxiety. No amount of training or practicing going out would help (and I tried a lot!). So I just accepted he couldn’t handle being alone and I got a sitter every time. I used a few local teens and called it babysitting. They would come for an evening and bring their homework or watch TV. I’d pay them and leave a few snacks too. Dog was fine and would happily sleep all evening so long as someone was there with him so it was an easy job.

Pay for a dog sitter. Most dog walkers will offer evening sits though it won't be cheap - I charge £15 an hour for it.

Does he have access to a window he can safely lay down and look out of, it might help.

I came here to say the same. The important thing is 1. Camera. 2. Watch carefully to see how long the dog can tolerate without the first indication of distress. This is your starting point (unless they become distressed at the sign of coat, keys etc). 3. My dog could initially do 8-10 mins and would become distressed. We started at 7 mins alone time. Come back in. No fuss. Move to 8, 9 etc. do this frequently. 4. The important rule is to never let the dog become distressed. If you see this happen, drop down a minute. Do not leave the dog alone whilst you are training them.
This is the only thing that worked for me. It took months to master.
good luck.

My cockapoo used to do this to the point I thought I would never get to go out without him again! One day I realised tried leaving out of the back door which he seemed to cope with. I would say it’s worth a try!

When I moved house, I started using the front door and haven’t had a problem since but I’m not suggesting you move house!

This is what helped my dog overcome separation issues (although I audio-recorded him instead and always talk him for a walk first). However, you need to do the training regularly (several days a week) and then go out regularly as well. If you only go out together without your dog a handful of times a year, you might find it easier to get someone to sit with them instead.

Why on earth would he do that?

Thanks for trying. Our neighbours don’t give a shit and leave their dog multiple times a week to pace the fence line and bark continuously.

My 16yo dd would love to babysit a dog so I’m sure you will be able to find someone!!

my dogs bark when I first leave but then go and lie down or my little one plays with his toys. My older dog did get out of the habit during Covid so we’ve had to build up again

make a fuss on your return

Don't do this @PatsArrow you are better off ignoring the dog when you come home as if its the most normal thing that you've been out, and is no big deal.

What boundaries do you have for your dog, and what is basic obedience like? I deal with a lot of separation anxiety and a good deal of it stems from poor boundaries, and the dog worrying about the owner when the owner leaves the house.

@HappiestSleepingcan you explain what you mean by boundaries? Apologies if that’s a stupid question. Do you mean physical boundaries?

Sure. Is the dog allowed everywhere in the house? When you open a door, does he hurtle through on front of you, or do you make him wait until you've gone through? If you go up / down stairs, does he push past you? If you take him in the car and open the boot, does he jump out before being asked? When you're putting your shoes on to take him for a walk, is he fussing around getting in your way? He shouldn't be allowed to do any of those things and many more besides.

Dogs do much better when they have boundaries and are not allowed to be hooligans.

I would not assume this. Someone moved in next to me recently. Every morning, from the time she left till the time she got home her dog howled. It was distressing to hear.

Talk to your veterinarian. My dog has never been a big barker. But that’s recently changed. She’s a fifteen year old terrier mix. Starts in early evening. Vet thinks that maybe she’s “sun downing” just as some older people (especially those with dementia) do. Just out of anxiety. My vet prescribed her Gabapentin (not sure of the spelling). It helps. I also used to be a vet tech. Sometimes, the vet prescribed Amatripoline ( again, spelling might be off) it’s an old school drug. Like people Valium, maybe. BUT, I agree that a dog sitter if available and affordable would be the best idea. Get this person to visit your home, take the dog for a walk to establish a relationship. Then go out and enjoy yourselves without worry.

I agree with suggestions to try to take more outings, short to begin with, ten minutes even, and increasing the length in order to desensitise the dog. Let the neighbour know this is what you are doing. I’d get some sort of camera, not to catch the neighbour out but to see the issue for yourself.