Hi All, I'm after some advice about how to train my puppy to be left alone please. For the first 10 days of having him home we have perhaps made a rod for our own back as between myself and my other half we have made sure one of us is at home with puppy all the time. Once he completed his vaccs and we had our first trip out it suddenly occurred to me that he needed to learn to be left alone. For the last few days I've been making kongs up and once a day, putting him in his crate with the Kong and disappearing into a different part of the house. He is fine and completely occupied whilst he is eating the good stuff from his Kong but as soon as he finishes the crying / whining / barking starts. Every time we've waited for silence before going back to him and then let him see us for 20 seconds or so before letting him out - for which he remains quiet. However, today, after I let him out he fell asleep at my feet and then twice must have been dreaming about being left alone as he started squealing the place down in his sleep, until he woke himself up. I'm wondering what the best way forward is? I don't want him to have separation anxiety and we do need to be able to leave him on his own from time to time. Up until this week when we've started using the kongs he's only been crated at night which he has accepted really well and remains quiet all night. Thanks in advance for any advice.
I had a very similar situation with my puppy, Stanley. He was a nightmare! I couldn't even nip to the toilet without him crying. I eventually couldn't cope and got a dog trainer out. His advice was to "click for quiet". So you build up very slowly and try and reward before the puppy starts to cry. I.e leave the room for 2 seconds, if quiet click and reward. Then build up 3 seconds/4 seconds/5 seconds etc. Eventually you can go a bit quicker, so from 5 minutes to 6 minutes etc. Your puppy should hit a certain point and be ok after that, for Stanley it was about 10 minutes. It takes some serious perseverance and patience but it's definitely worth it. Once I knew he was quiet in his cage I started leaving him with a Kong and now he will happily go in his crate if I need to leave the house for a good 2-3 hours. I can also happily shower in peace which is heaven after being harassed for too long!! http://www.thelabradorsite.com/click-for-quiet/ This article explains it probably better than me. Good luck!
Cooper is much older now...2-1/2 years but when he was a pup I used to crate, kong and leave TV or radio on. Yes, he would bark/whine for a few minutes but I would walk outside the house and look in through a window (he couldnt see me) and he would settle after about five mins....some will take much longer. Yes,it takes patience and time but you can do it. Good luck.....
Thank you both for the replies. I'm torn between the nicey nicey approach or the cold turkey approach, the latter of which is what we did over night and seemed to work. Should I be crating him during the day when I'm around as well as when I can't be with him? Wondering if that's where we've gone wrong as I can leave him for brief periods in his safe area while I nip upstairs for example, and he stays quiet, just not in his crate.
Don't worry, you are on the right track! Your puppy is still very young, and I don't think has been with you very long? Crate training is a gradual process, and you build duration slowly. Crate training during the day is slightly different from nighttime. Puppy is more alert, and although sleeps a lot, does need frequent wee breaks. Choose your crate time carefully. Pup has been exercised, has had a wee, is calm, then pop him in his crate with a chew toy, or frozen kong. Then leave him. Not for too long. When the kong is finished, you can reward quiet by dropping a treat in his crate as you walk by. Thus you are rewarding calm behaviour. Don't engage, simply drop a tasty treat. Walk out of the room, if pup is quiet leave for a few minutes then let pup out. Rinse and repeat, gradually building up time. I don't use a clicker for crate training, as it is quite activating, and generally I use a clicker when engaging in more focused work. I want the opposite for crate training, a calm, disengaged but relaxed puppy. It also helps to feed all meals, chews even toys in the crate. Good luck!
I've been struggling to find time alone too! I've solved it now by going for a good romp in the fields at 9ish and after a quick drink on return I put Libby straight in the crate for a sleep. That gives me over an hour to do something like relax, shower, put washing on etc. It really is like having a baby isn't it! I'm also braver now about nipping upstairs whilst leaving her shut in the kitchen. She used to jump up at the door continuously but now, only a week later, she will calm after a minute and lie quietly beside the door. You can set your own rules, just make sure 'you' are ok. You'll get there! X
It certainly is like having a baby DebzC! He's adorable though. Thank you both for your advice. Beanwood today we've pretty much done what you suggested and he was better than expected so we'll continue with that method and see how we get on. Love this forum for the advice and reassurance.
New here; just wanted to say thanks as this is the exact problem I'm having with my 12-week-old lab mix. Doing click for quiet during a crate session today helped SO much. She also follows me everywhere - to the bathroom, tries to climb in the tub while I shower, tries to bite the vacuum while I clean, etc. It's either that or crate or if I'm lucky, she might continue a nap on the couch while I get up and do something. I feel like I have a baby, yup! It's crazy and I'm rather exhausted and nothing's getting done. Hoping click to quiet helps me get a few more breaks during the day and helps her adjust to being alone for a bit. Luckily I work from home but there are times when I will have to leave her.
Welcome b&blabs You are right - at first nothing else gets done! (another reason I love having pups - a marvellous excuse for doing no housework!) ...
Welcome to the forum! You'll get there. I couldn't even pee without the screeching at first. I started to go a bit crazy and genuinely thought I was going to be stuck with the crying forever. I'm currently sat upstairs sorting washing out, after having a shower, doing hair and make up and even having a little chat with my friend on the telephone - not a peep from the puppy who was left with a Kong stuffed with ham and Philadelphia cheese. It really does get better (although now I worry about what he's up to when he's so quiet - mischief no doubt).
Thanks for the welcome! Relieved to know it gets better. I don't remember this with Burke. I did manage to get the vacuuming done, as she's toned down chase-the-vacuum to something manageable (i.e. she doesn't actually bite the brush as it goes, but was happy to run up to it, play bow, bite at it, then run away, rinse and repeat). Phew!
