# Need help with separation anxiety



## Annamaria (Dec 10, 2011)

I have a 10-week old puppy who will not leave my side. He does great in the crate but when I put him in his larger pen, he cries and screams. He will play with his toys as long as I sit with him but screams as soon as I go away. I am trying to spend as much time as I can with him (which is a lot) but need for him to occupy himself when I do chores around the house and cannot have him at my feet. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!


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## charley_brown (Mar 6, 2011)

I know this may sounds weird... but my Mom used to have this nap sack that went around her waist & would carry her Yorkie around the house in it. He is so little and was taken from mom & siblings so your little one is attached to you. 
I mean, the other suggestion is when he/she is in the crate just ignore them when they cry and eventually they will realize you're coming back for them & not leaving them forever. 
Charley rarely cried when he was in his crate but sometimes he just wanted to be reassured I wasn't abandoning him & we would stick a finger in the crate & then walk away. But that rarely happened. 

I personally like the idea of the waist carrier thing. Idk where you would find it but my mom loved it! And no, the Yorkie is NOT up her butt anymore haha. She just needed time to adjust to a new home.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

A 10 week old puppy is still a VERY young baby. At thins point, you really do have to devote a lot of time to them, just as you would a newborn infant. Try to do your chores while your pup is napping, or put him in his crate and bring the crate from room to room with you as you work. Over time, a little bit at a time, you can teach him that it's OK to be alone, but a lot of them NEVER like being shut up when you are in the house with them.

Kodi loves to be in his crate at night and when we are out of the house. But if he is gated off away from me, even if I am RIGHT on the other side of the gate, (which is happening sometimes right now because our floors are being refinished) he will make a ruckus. They are real people dogs, and just want to be with you!


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## narci (Sep 6, 2011)

I have worked with my puppy on separation anxiety by leaving him in his expen and coming back every so often, each time a longer period and giving him a treat.

For the most part it works, we're 15 minutes at a time. Once 15 minutes are up, he's screaming his head off to get out.

I've come to the realization that Hav's are needy dogs and will always want to be by your side.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

With separation anxiety , puppies are more susceptable when there is a drastic change in attention. Initially many people make the mistake of constantly fussing with and paying attention to the new arrival. And this can go on for weeks. Then suddenly they are forced to be separated in an abrupt manner. It is essential to leave them alone for brief and frequent times at this early age. Leave them after a good workout ,walk and tire them out. Leave them with a yummy kong. But slowly add the time duration. 
S.A. is workable . The treatment depends on how severe it is. True S. A. is generally deemed to be when they have panic attacks , elimination , chewing on furniture etc, and constant vocalization. If the dog has these sort of episodes, it might be best to get a professional in. This is when a formal program of desensitizaion is done. At this point most dogs become stressed well before you leave. They have learned all the signs that indicate that you are about to leave. They know you are leaving before you know you're leaving, LOL. The dog will start to display certain anxious signs ,eg, panting, pacing, drooling or whining. And here is where a professional will slowly desensitize the dog to these triggers. He will repeat these trigger events by making the dog comfortable by not taking the next step in the departure routine. Gradually the dog is taken one step further in departure process . Eventually real departures are incorporated. It's a slow process but it is quite often succesful. 
Some dogs are just more anxious than others. Separation anxiety is quite often brought on by our constant attention to them. We have bred dogs to be social and this has come along with the ride. It is sad when we leave, Molly's face tell's the whole story. She just sits at the top of the steps well before we actually leave. She knows. Dogs are watching us all the time. It's hard not to suck them up.
My good friend Anner, has a good article on this http://petcentralpawsitivepetcare.wordpress.com/2010/04/23/home-alone-calming-for-separation/ And if you really want a good book http://dogwise.com/ItemDetails.cfm?ID=DTB1179


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