# Seperation anxiety



## Chrads13 (Aug 19, 2016)

Hi I have had my cockapoo puppy 4 days now and she is doing well in terms of she knows her name (Darcy) she knows sit and has been learning fetch today . In the day she toilets outside and I've had less than 6 accidents in the house since we got her. What we're working with at the moment is her seperation anxiety I can't leave her for mins without her barking and screaming and then she will wee or poo . The last.3 nights she has barked all night except a few hours when she has stopped but then starts up again. I was just keeping her in her bed with puppy pads out in the bathroom. I want her to sleep in her crate if possible and be able to leave her if I need to nip out go to the door shower etc and not come back to her weeing or pooing and also get used to sleeping at night . As of today I've been feeding her in her crate and putting in little treats etc and leaving the door open so she can get used to it I lock her in when she is eating and give her a meal when we have our lunch and tea and shut her in and this evening she stayed in for a couple of minutes before she started to moan. She is currently taking a nap in the crate my husband sat with her at the gate until she fell asleep then shut the door. Any more help or tips would be much apreciated especially on what to do at night with her .


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## Theo961 (Aug 24, 2015)

Hi, I can only really suggest building up the time in the crate slowly. My cocker spaniel is 6 months now, I had the same issue overnight and everyone has different advice on how to deal with it from letting them settle upstairs with you In their crate or in a box next to you so you can resssure them first then start moving them out once they have settled to just letting them cry downstairs. You need to find whats best for uou as a family and try to stick yo it. I went for a crate with the door open and a pen downstairs, I stuck to the same routine of bed time, out at 10pm for toilet and a bedtime biscuit in his crate and get up time at 5 am, I would also get up once in the night to take him outside without making a fuss as its too long for their little body at that age to hold it all in. He did cry a lot the first couple of nights which was heart breaking but this did become less and less and he soon settled. To build up his time in the crate and pen during the day, I just always made it positive, he would have his food in there and treats and I built the time up in there during the day slowly with me around at first and then with me going into a different room to then going outside. I found things like the wobbly kong or stuffing a kong and feezing it would keep him distracted for much longer so he would spend more time in there. He will now happily go in when i go out with just one treat and will settle for a few hours. Your baby is still very young yet but given the time and trying to keep it a positive experience things should work out.


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## Gill57 (Mar 20, 2016)

I did the same as Theo961 with the crate door open inside a large play pen (in the kitchen). Routine is indeed the key - using the same words every night and going out of the same door. It is important though that the puppy does not become over stressed. My puppy cried for the first 20 minutes on nights one and two, but then settled - so I know I was very lucky.


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## Cat 53 (Aug 26, 2012)

My goodness we expect an awful lot from these little pups. If you think about where they have come from, their entire, short, young lives have passed in the company of litter mates and with Mum. Then new people (us) come along remove them from EVERYTHING they've ever known, all their comfort and security put them in a pen alone at night and wonder why they cry.....I'd cry too in that situation. You can make it as comfortable as you like, but essentially they are suddenly alone, and scared and insecure. . Your choice how you deal with it....my way is to put them in the same room as me. On the bed. Or with another dog. No crying. No stress. Happy puppy.


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## Doglover (May 7, 2016)

*Anxiety*

She is still young. Firstly bed time , after putting her out place her in the crate and fully cover the crate using an old sheet or fleece this will block out all the light. We have done this with our girl Molly and she has settled. I would not start leaving her until she knows to go outside to do her business. Then just start very slowly going out of the room ,close the door and re enter after a few seconds. If you can re enter via a different door then slowly build it up. I would not stay by her crate till she drops off as she will get use to this. All dogs are different she is still very young . Celebrate small steps.


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