When out on a walk if one of us walks away Hollie goes mad......high pitched barking, crying even if she can see us. How can we help her with this? Thanks
Re: Some advice needed please I've never had this problem so am really just thinking aloud but can you think of a game that involves fun and rewards to play to get her used to thinking you being apart is a good thing? Maybe recall between you gradually working further apart in distance and further apart in time between recalls?.....
Re: Some advice needed please I'd train her to sit quietly when someone walks away by starting small. Go somewhere familiar, like just outside your house. Have one of you with Hollie and with a heap of tasty treats. The other person is 'the walker'. The one holding Hollie starts giving her treats, like 1 every second or faster. The walker takes a step away. If Hollie is quiet, the walker steps back. Repeat, but the walker takes two steps, then steps back if she is quiet. Etc. you want to go slow so she never feels anxious enough to bark. Just achieve a short distance on day 1 and then have another session the next day. The walker shouldn't always go further than the last time. Sometimes make it only a short distance again. Kind of yoyo the distance up and down, gradually stretching it. Do it till the walker can go out of sight. Then move it to a slightly less familiar situation. Gradually you can increase the gap between treats too.
Re: Some advice needed please I found when Riley was anxious about something keeping him moving helped. If I asked for a sit it added pressure. I think I imagined the same thing as Rachael has described(better than me as usual) but on the move. So heading in the same direction walk a pace or two apart and get her to yo-yo between you. Then a little further apart. Then hold her with one of you for a second before calling her to the other person. Then have one person walking faster than the other, then at a slight angle etc until she can cope staying with one person while the other one goes elsewhere....
