# How do I help our baby boy with separation anxiety issues?



## Yogi bear (Feb 25, 2013)

Hi all, I wondered if any of you are/have experienced the same issue of separation anxiety with your poos? Seymour is 14 weeks old and is great in every way (really 'getting' toilet training, doing some tricks, sleeping in his crate-although this did take a while) but gets really quite upset when we leave him. For instance I booked a puppy sitter as we had a wedding to go to this weekend and she said he cried and yelped when we were away. I felt so bad.

When we got home he was literally glued to my feet and even cried when I shut the door to go to toilet! In preparation for this weekend, I left him alone in the house for 10 then 20, 30 mins and he seemed to do ok with a bt of a whimper for about a minute. Please help, I really hate seeing him upset but it is inevitable that he will have to stay with a sitter/friend again in the future so I'd really like to help him learn how to cope...


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## dmgalley (Aug 19, 2012)

I think leaving him for longer and longer periods sounds like a very good way to slowly train him. It is also possible he will get better as he gets older. He is still kind of young. 
Mine press themselves against the bathroom door if I go in there for two minuets. I am just lucky that they have grown up with my parents sitting them while I work, so they are fine when left with them.


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## tessybear (May 1, 2011)

You are doing all the right things and it sounds like he is doing really well. Of course he still misses his siblings he is still young. He will get better as he grows up and becomes more conifiident and learns that you are coming back to him. A good walk before you go out and a few toys and chews to distract him might help. Mine still follow me all around the houSe and sleep on my feet, I have just got used to it and find it quite endearing!


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## Yogi bear (Feb 25, 2013)

Thanks Tess and Donna. I will try a walk with him before I go out again (a short one though as he's still a baby). I always leave lots of toys etc but you're right, he must still miss his siblings and I'm sure he'll grow more confident with age. X


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## Sue T (Aug 1, 2012)

We purposefully left our girl on her own as a pup a bit longer each day and closed the door on her. Its very hard at first, and we did have some puppy wimpers! However, we didn't give in and went to her once she stopped wimpering. We purposefully also left her one evening a week on her own for a couple of hours in her crate to let her get used to us not being around and having a quiet house. It seems to have worked as she does not cry if we leave her say if we go food shopping or out in the evening for 2-3 hrs. (She is almost 11 months now). Its just really a case of leaving them a bit longer on there own on a stage by stage approach when it fits in with your lifestyle. I do think it has to be done when they are puppies and they get used to their own company. Hope this helps.


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## polly1harg (Jun 6, 2013)

I am also at this stage with my puppy... need to start to get her used to being left alone. My plan is leaving her in the crate for around 30 mins at first while i nip this evening to pick up Callum (my partner). I will ignore her for 15 mins before we leave and when we get back ignore her for a further 5 mins then out for a wee in the garden. I will then build it up throughout the week. So tomorrow for 1 hour (we are going food shopping) then the next day for 30 mins on 2 separate occasions. I also found it really hard when leaving her but i do think sometime there is a matter of fact view to have. Your pooch has to fit in with your lifestyle you are the top dog after all! Daisy tends to cry for around 10 mins then settles down. I am going film her today and see what she gets up to. Hope this helps. You are not the only one struggling with this it breaks my heart too but it is better as a puppy for her to get used to be left alone than later in her years. Enjoy.


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## tessybear (May 1, 2011)

Mine still can't bear to be parted from me in the house. They stick close to me the whole time and wait outside the loo and shower. They definitely see me as packleader as they dont follow my husband or daughter. If they can hear me and aren't with me they scratch at the door and whine. On the otherhand if I go out of the house they just sleep quite happily until I get back.


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## Yogi bear (Feb 25, 2013)

Thanks Polly! Yes, I've always wondered what he might get up to. Be interesting to see what your video reveals....x


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## polly1harg (Jun 6, 2013)

*Woops!*



Yogi bear said:


> Thanks Polly! Yes, I've always wondered what he might get up to. Be interesting to see what your video reveals....x


So i filmed Daisy and watched it back yesterday and what a mistake i made... i left the screen of the computer on so she could see herself... for 30 mins she barked at herself on the screen... woops! haha she did whine alot too then after 30 mins to chilled and relaxed and went to sleep. Funny though she ever once played with all the tops i put in and also a Kong stuffed with goodies went untouched until we got home then we could not get it off her... naughty!


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## Yogi bear (Feb 25, 2013)

Oh poor you Polly! I'm sure Seymour is much the same when I leave him. Strangely I've found that he doesn't cry for as long when I let him loose in the corridor compared to being confined in his crate. He sleeps in his crate at night no problem but its a different story when we go out. The only reason I know this is because I went to the extreme of waiting outside our house to see how long it would take him to stop crying! Oh the things we do! Lesson learnt now though-think its best we don't know what they get up to when were out for our own mental health!

Im taking my boy to doggie-daycare on the days that I am at work (I'm only part-time) so hopefully he won't find this too scary. I've heard most dogs enjoy it! On the days I need to get to the shops/run errands I'm just going to remind myself that he is safe and loved and this is a learning process. I think we should both give ourselves a pat on the back, it really is an emotional time for us an its comforting knowing I'm not alone! Thank you so much for replying to my post. Lets keep on going. We're doing ok....I think! X



polly1harg said:


> So i filmed Daisy and watched it back yesterday and what a mistake i made... i left the screen of the computer on so she could see herself... for 30 mins she barked at herself on the screen... woops! haha she did whine alot too then after 30 mins to chilled and relaxed and went to sleep. Funny though she ever once played with all the tops i put in and also a Kong stuffed with goodies went untouched until we got home then we could not get it off her... naughty!


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## tessybear (May 1, 2011)

Mine go to daycare once a week. They really enjoy it and its very good for their socialisation.


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## polly1harg (Jun 6, 2013)

Yogi bear said:


> Oh poor you Polly! I'm sure Seymour is much the same when I leave him. Strangely I've found that he doesn't cry for as long when I let him loose in the corridor compared to being confined in his crate. He sleeps in his crate at night no problem but its a different story when we go out. The only reason I know this is because I went to the extreme of waiting outside our house to see how long it would take him to stop crying! Oh the things we do! Lesson learnt now though-think its best we don't know what they get up to when were out for our own mental health!
> 
> Im taking my boy to doggie-daycare on the days that I am at work (I'm only part-time) so hopefully he won't find this too scary. I've heard most dogs enjoy it! On the days I need to get to the shops/run errands I'm just going to remind myself that he is safe and loved and this is a learning process. I think we should both give ourselves a pat on the back, it really is an emotional time for us an its comforting knowing I'm not alone! Thank you so much for replying to my post. Lets keep on going. We're doing ok....I think! X


I was also thinking about doggy daycare i was thinking 2 days a week doggy daycare and 2 days have a dog walker... mix it up a bit.


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