Needy Puppy
June 6, 2010 12:38 PM Subscribe
Five month old miniature dachshund whines and barks as soon as it's left alone.
We got a five month old dachshund pup two days ago and he barks and whines as soon as we leave the room. We got a kong toy and filled it but this only delays the barking by about a minute. We also have been putting on the radio as we leave so that he hears voices. We've been trying to leave him alone for varying amounts of time;from five to thirty five minutes but he's just not calming down. He was with his mother and brother up until Friday which I'm sure has something to do with it. Any advice at all would be really appreciated.
We got a five month old dachshund pup two days ago and he barks and whines as soon as we leave the room. We got a kong toy and filled it but this only delays the barking by about a minute. We also have been putting on the radio as we leave so that he hears voices. We've been trying to leave him alone for varying amounts of time;from five to thirty five minutes but he's just not calming down. He was with his mother and brother up until Friday which I'm sure has something to do with it. Any advice at all would be really appreciated.
Best answer: First, are you situated in a dwelling where his barking might bother others? If you aren't, don't worry too much. He's still a pretty young pup. Do you have a crate for him? Crating might help, especially if you also crate him when you are in the room some of the time. Dogs like their den... my dog managed to go under my low platform bed. Another recommendation I have seen is to get an old-school ticking alarm clock, and wrap that in a blanket. Supposedly, it resembles a heartbeat type sound which calms puppies. I don't know if that works.
posted by kellyblah at 1:17 PM on June 6, 2010
posted by kellyblah at 1:17 PM on June 6, 2010
Best answer: If I were a 5-month puppy in a strange new situation and left alone, I would bark too. He is a baby and probably scared and a bit freaked out. It will take some time. Good idea about a comfy den-like place with a ticking clock. I have been in this situation, the dog will eventually calm down.
posted by fifilaru at 2:19 PM on June 6, 2010
posted by fifilaru at 2:19 PM on June 6, 2010
two days ago
Get a dog training book, and follow it. At this point, you don't have a problem -- you just have a new puppy, and you need to take the right steps to do right by him/her.
posted by davejay at 3:37 PM on June 6, 2010 [1 favorite]
Get a dog training book, and follow it. At this point, you don't have a problem -- you just have a new puppy, and you need to take the right steps to do right by him/her.
posted by davejay at 3:37 PM on June 6, 2010 [1 favorite]
I was in precisely this place with my doxie puppy. I found out, by dawdling outside the apartment, that the crying stopped when it got through to her that I was gone. For that to happen, I had to leave the building entirely for a couple of minutes. Then it died down. I never had any noise complaints, so I suppose it never started back while I was out. Eventually, this too came to an end!
posted by Countess Elena at 4:49 PM on June 6, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Countess Elena at 4:49 PM on June 6, 2010 [1 favorite]
Is he in a crate while you're away? One thing I've read is dogs are less worried about being left alone and more worried about not being able to protect you when you leave. Make it clear that everything is okay.
One thing that helps is for the 5 or 10 minutes before you leave, assuming you crate him, put the dog in his crate. Walk around the house a bit doing your normal stuff so he can see you, but do not look at him or acknowledge his presence in any way. Leave for a short period such as 10-15 minutes. Wait around outside far enough that he can't sense you lingering, but close enough you can hear whether he's whining or not. Regardless of him whining, don't do anything until the time is up. Go back inside but don't look at him or acknowledge his presence for a few minutes. Walk around a bit doing whatever. Finally let them out, but don't make a big deal out of it.
You've only had him two days so his behavior is expected, but if you do the above it should help. Overall, I recommend crate training your puppy if you haven't started, already. It gives him a place of his own where he can feel safe. You just have to get over the first few nights of him whining, which for my pup meant me sleeping on the floor next to his crate.
posted by iamgoat at 6:49 PM on June 6, 2010
One thing that helps is for the 5 or 10 minutes before you leave, assuming you crate him, put the dog in his crate. Walk around the house a bit doing your normal stuff so he can see you, but do not look at him or acknowledge his presence in any way. Leave for a short period such as 10-15 minutes. Wait around outside far enough that he can't sense you lingering, but close enough you can hear whether he's whining or not. Regardless of him whining, don't do anything until the time is up. Go back inside but don't look at him or acknowledge his presence for a few minutes. Walk around a bit doing whatever. Finally let them out, but don't make a big deal out of it.
You've only had him two days so his behavior is expected, but if you do the above it should help. Overall, I recommend crate training your puppy if you haven't started, already. It gives him a place of his own where he can feel safe. You just have to get over the first few nights of him whining, which for my pup meant me sleeping on the floor next to his crate.
posted by iamgoat at 6:49 PM on June 6, 2010
Give him some time - he is still just a baby in a new situation.
My dachshund is most comfortable in a crate next to our bed. I think she knows that our room is a place of rest and relaxation. She will sometimes give a couple of barks as we are getting ready to leave, but she doesn't keep it up. She knows that we'll come back. She DID bark a lot when we first got her, but settled down within a week.
Feed your pup in the crate so he associates it with something good. Also, find out what food motivates him the most (for mine it is cheese and chicken jerky) and put a few pieces in his crate when you crate him. Also, have a toy or two that he can only play with in the crate.
Do not make a big deal of things or give him lots of petting when you leave. Just put him in the crate and go. When you come home., let him out and wait until he calms down until you give him attention. You want to reward the calm behavior. Dachshunds are little cuddle bugs so they do respond well to attention, you just have to give it at the right time.
posted by Ostara at 7:21 PM on June 6, 2010
My dachshund is most comfortable in a crate next to our bed. I think she knows that our room is a place of rest and relaxation. She will sometimes give a couple of barks as we are getting ready to leave, but she doesn't keep it up. She knows that we'll come back. She DID bark a lot when we first got her, but settled down within a week.
Feed your pup in the crate so he associates it with something good. Also, find out what food motivates him the most (for mine it is cheese and chicken jerky) and put a few pieces in his crate when you crate him. Also, have a toy or two that he can only play with in the crate.
Do not make a big deal of things or give him lots of petting when you leave. Just put him in the crate and go. When you come home., let him out and wait until he calms down until you give him attention. You want to reward the calm behavior. Dachshunds are little cuddle bugs so they do respond well to attention, you just have to give it at the right time.
posted by Ostara at 7:21 PM on June 6, 2010
Response by poster: Thanks everybody. We know that this is a strange situation for him and it'll take him some time to adjust. It's just that the books all say to start leaving him alone for five minutes and he couldn't handle it so we were worried. Seeing other people having the same problem has been a huge relief. We'll just have to follow the books, be patient, and apologise to our neighbours.
posted by minifigs at 3:00 AM on June 7, 2010
posted by minifigs at 3:00 AM on June 7, 2010
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A few tips for separation anxiety in general: Try to stay calm when plan to leave the house, and vary what you do before you leave. Dogs can sense that you are about to leave if you have a "ritual". Make sure he's pretty exhausted when you leave him alone.
Definitely give him time. Remember, you have a puppy! A baby dog. He's going to whine a bit. Have some patience. Good luck.
posted by Lizsterr at 12:52 PM on June 6, 2010