# Separation Anxiety Prevention



## CaroleG

I have read that Havanese are prone to Separation Anxiety. My sweet pup is 13 weeks. He sometimes has puppy fits while in his crate or in his pen. I ignore his screaming and sometimes howling. I walk him morning and night. I am a stay at home owner so I am here, but try to avoid having him expect to be with me 24/7. So, for experienced havanese owners: what steps should one take to avoid a pup becoming an adult dog with separation issues?


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## krandall

I honestly haven't had a problem with any of mine with separation anxiety. From the beginning, I made it a point to leave them alone, starting for very short periods of time, and increasing in length as time went on. It was really easiest with my oldest, because it was just him. When each of the girls came along, I wanted to make sure that ALL of them were comfortable being left completely alone or in any configuration of two or as a group. Likewise, I wanted them to be comfortable going places with us either individually or together. So with each added dog, it took a little more conscious thought about who was going to go on which outings with us and who was going to stay home.

As a result, any one or all of them can comfortably stay home alone or go out and about or on a long road trip with us.


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## Barbara Levy

This is a good article that was shared with me. If you are home you might be able to do it. I wish I had seen the article before we brought Loki home. I took the first week off work and would have tried it. He still doesn't like to be in the crate/ex pen when he knows I am in the house and not with him. Good luck!
Taking Measures to Prevent Separation Anxiety Related Behaviors | Whole Dog Journal


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## Molly120213

Use opportunities throughout the day to leave him alone in the crate or pen so he learns that you leave him at times but you do return. Taking a shower, getting the mail, running errands, or cleaning house are examples of when I crated Molly during the day. She used to stand up in her crate and scream at first but settled in nicely after awhile. He will learn to love the crate and consider it a safe haven. Molly goes in there on her own throughout the day for naps or just hanging out.


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## Molly120213

This was Molly standing up and screaming in protest because I put her in the crate when she was a puppy.


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## CaroleG

Awesome article and I will do everything written. Thank you so much for this. Also, you pup is adorable and looks a bit like my cubby. He puts his nose through the wires like he is in prison, too. So adorable.


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## davetgabby

yes all dogs can be prone to separation issues. The key is early prevention. Pat's article is good, here's another one https://pawsitivedawgs.wordpress.com/2010/12/27/alonetraining/


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## Chasing Mayzie

I am so grateful to get these articles. Mayzie is very anxious when I leave a room. If I get up in the night to use the restroom, she can hear me and starts crying from her crate beside the bed. If I am out of her sight for 5 minutes during the day when she's in her ex pen, she will bark and cry. It is almost funny how much she matches the stereotype. One thing that seems to help is if the other 2 dogs are around. I have left her in the laundry room in a crate with the dryer running and the other dogs in the room before with some luck. But I'll be reading those articles for certain!


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## Roz

I worked on this with Chico from the first week and he is fine in his expen, whether we are out or in other rooms of the house. In the beginning when he barked and whined, I tapped the door of the expen with a can filled with money and said "quiet". He went to his towel quietly and I treated him. I worried that he would make a game of it to get the treats but he didn't. If I give him 2 treats he is fine. Also, in one month, only once have we heard him barking when we approached the front door of our house. We always listen before inserting the key and he is quiet. When we enter, we don't go to him immediately. Sometimes, I go upstairs and change my clothes and he still doesn't cry. He is so patient most of the time. This method also taught him to stop barking when I say the word "quiet". I wasn't expecting that!


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## krandall

Roz said:


> I worked on this with Chico from the first week and he is fine in his expen, whether we are out or in other rooms of the house. In the beginning when he barked and whined, I tapped the door of the expen with a can filled with money and said "quiet". He went to his towel quietly and I treated him. I worried that he would make a game of it to get the treats but he didn't. If I give him 2 treats he is fine. Also, in one month, only once have we heard him barking when we approached the front door of our house. We always listen before inserting the key and he is quiet. When we enter, we don't go to him immediately. Sometimes, I go upstairs and change my clothes and he still doesn't cry. He is so patient most of the time. This method also taught him to stop barking when I say the word "quiet". I wasn't expecting that!


The problem is, that this type of "punishment" (mild as it is) may work for a puppy that is demand barking. But if the puppy actually has an ANXIETY problem, this is likely to make the problem much worse. I'm glad it has worked for your puppy, but I really hope most people try to approach it in a more positive manner.

The way you are handling getting home is PERFECT! A calm, quiet re-entry into the house teaches the puppy that his family going out and coming back is no big deal!


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## Roz

I didn't know this was a mild form of punishment. I'm so glad it worked out okay. I only had to use the can for one afternoon, then he was fine staying in the pen with his treats. I do let him bark and don't attempt to quiet him when the barking is for noises, doorbells, etc. After all, he is a dog. When he started demand barking at the dinner table, I say "quiet" and he does stop and goes on to other things like playing with his toys.


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## littlebuddy

My sweet Django who will be 13 in January has dealt with various stages of Separation Anxiety from the time he was very young. The one recommendation I have is to change your departures. Dogs are creatures of habit and they slowly begin to learn that when you put your shoes on and grab the keys, it means you are leaven them. We would depart from the home through different doors, I would leave my purse in various locations through out the house, I would even not put my shoes on until I got in the car. Many would say these are crazy things however by eliminating the "triggers" it helps with a dog who might have a mild case of SA. The articles are also very good reads.


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## Zoe093014

I would start by just going to get the mail and tell her that you'll be back or any other keyword or phrase. Tell her she has to stay to be a good girl. Then when I return I would praise her. I know some people say to ignore them but I prefer the other method which worked for me. Then maybe go out and do some yard work. Repeat the same phrase that you'll be back. Then return and act happy to see her again. Keep repeating, and do this over a long period of time. Eventually you can leave for an hour. My dogs have never had separation anxiety. Also leave them with different people in your home while you are gone. This way they won't feel they're going to die if you are not there. Greet them happily and praise them when you return. Anyway, this is what worked for me.


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## littlebuddy

That also worked for me as well. WE also had a "catch phrase" that we would used only when we left. We would tell Django to "guard the house".


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## Zoe093014

littlebuddy said:


> That also worked for me as well. WE also had a "catch phrase" that we would used only when we left. We would tell Django to "guard the house".


I bet he did a great job!  We used that exact phrase with our Doberman. I told her to stay
and to "guard the house!"
But little Django looks like a little guy that's up for the job!


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## Chasing Mayzie

Maybe this will work. ;D https://petchatz.com


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## Chasing Mayzie

Roz said:


> I worked on this with Chico from the first week and he is fine in his expen, whether we are out or in other rooms of the house. In the beginning when he barked and whined, I tapped the door of the expen with a can filled with money and said "quiet". He went to his towel quietly and I treated him. I worried that he would make a game of it to get the treats but he didn't. If I give him 2 treats he is fine. Also, in one month, only once have we heard him barking when we approached the front door of our house. We always listen before inserting the key and he is quiet. When we enter, we don't go to him immediately. Sometimes, I go upstairs and change my clothes and he still doesn't cry. He is so patient most of the time. This method also taught him to stop barking when I say the word "quiet". I wasn't expecting that!


I am a big believer in positive reinforcement over punishment too, but I to think there is a place for very mild punishment in training too. A jar full of pennies that makes an unpleasant sound is so mild, and if it works, I say go for it. But since it has already worked, I guess that's moot,eh?

Mayzie is the smartest dog I have ever had. Using positive training methods, she has learned down (lay down), sit pretty (as in a beg position), sit, off (get off my patio before you poop!), and is doing great on her housebreaking as well as rolling over. However, her barking and whining in her ex pen while I was sitting a mere 4 feet away was so disruptive that I had to get a little squirt bottle with water in it. When she barked, I said, "hush" and gave her a squirt in the face which fortunately, she hated. It took about 3 squirts to learn it for the short term, and about 3 evenings of using the squirt bottle to teach her "hush" for the long term.

I tremendously prefer positive training methods, but this worked so quickly and her behavior was just so disruptive that I think this one was worth it.


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## Chasing Mayzie

I want to just explain that a bit because I think I'm coming off as sort of a "no nonsense, puppies-can't-be-puppies" meanie. I would never punish in a way that hurt a puppy psychologically or physically, such as shutting in a dark room or smacking them or using an e-collar. Those are abusive...puppies are puppies, dogs are dogs, and it is our job to teach them to live in our world. I would only resort to mild unpleasantries - an unpleasant sound like pennies in a jar, an unpleasant taste like Bitter Apple, or an unpleasant but painless sensation like an unexpected squirt of water in the face - to train, and only then in the right situation where you need an instant stop. Barking inappropriately is the only thing I can really think of, honestly. Other things, such as running off or puppy-type biting or chewing on stuff, well, those just have to be taught differently.

Again, this is a very kind and informative board, and I am not trying to squelch other opinions by this caveat. I love to hear other thoughts - I learn from them! I just wanted to give a caveat in case a future newbie misunderstood what I was saying.


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## Melissa Brill

*Perry's separate distress*

Hi Everyone

I adopted Perry 2 months ago. He's a rescue. I was told that he (and the other Havs that the rescue had) came from a breeder that was going out of business. I don't have any details about the type of breeder (but his fear of men and general fear/ anxiety of anything new makes me doubt the quality of the facility).

I've been reading on separation anxiety. Perry doesn't have to stay alone for long - my husband is home most days - but he had to head back to the US for a while (we live in Uganda) so Perry has to stay alone until my housekeeper arrives (probably about 3 hours).

He goes willingly into his crate and he has a couple of his toys (including his very favorite one) with him.

My problem is that most of the articles talk about having them spend time in the crate while you're around til they get used to being away from you. However, that's not Perry's problem (he's not totally velcro - he likes to know where I am, and if I getup and move around he'll follow me, but he's just as likely to lie down on the floor as he is to be on the couch beside me). He is amazing in his crate (or his travel bag when we're flying) - not a peep out of him - as long as you're there with him. He sleeps in his crate at night (until I'm sure that the potty training is done) and even if I sleep in an extra hour in the morning he doesn't make a sound.

But once I put him in his crate, he's fine as long as I'm still in the house, but within 5 minutes of me leaving the house he's barking, and continues for who knows how long (I went grocery shopping one day and he was barking when I left, and was barking an hour later when I returned so I assume he continued the whole time).

He's not what I would call very anxious - he doesn't try to get out of the crate or destroy anything (his blanket, toys, etc). He's not drooling or manic when I get home and let him out (in fact, as soon as he hears me on my patio he stops barking and waits patiently).

I do need to fix this though because while it's not an issue at our current house we travel a lot and move around a lot and I can't leave him in a hotel room like this, and it will be a problem if we move into an apartment where ever we live next.

My last dog (Dalmatian) had separation anxiety if I left her alone in the house, but her crate was her safe place so she'd settled down and sleep if I left her in that.

I'm not sure how to deal with trying to get him to stop - especially since he won't do it if I'm anywhere near the house.

Ideas?


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## krandall

Melissa Brill said:


> But once I put him in his crate, he's fine as long as I'm still in the house, but within 5 minutes of me leaving the house he's barking, and continues for who knows how long (I went grocery shopping one day and he was barking when I left, and was barking an hour later when I returned so I assume he continued the whole time).
> 
> He's not what I would call very anxious - he doesn't try to get out of the crate or destroy anything (his blanket, toys, etc). He's not drooling or manic when I get home and let him out (in fact, as soon as he hears me on my patio he stops barking and waits patiently).
> 
> I do need to fix this though because while it's not an issue at our current house we travel a lot and move around a lot and I can't leave him in a hotel room like this, and it will be a problem if we move into an apartment where ever we live next.
> 
> I'm not sure how to deal with trying to get him to stop - especially since he won't do it if I'm anywhere near the house.
> 
> Ideas?


Very short separations at first... Leave the house and walk to the mail box. 30 seconds tops, but make sure you get far enough from the house that he can't hear you. SLOWLY increase the length of time as he learns to settle. Remember, this isn't the typical puppy, he's had a lot of change in his short life. It's not surprising that he's not positive you are coming back to him. Your job is to leave REGULARLY, but teach him that you WILL, ALWAYS come back. 

Also, you might try covering his crate with a light sheet. Many dogs will settle better if they can't see out.


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## 31818

krandall said:


> Also, you might try covering his crate with a light sheet. Many dogs will settle better if they can't see out.


This is exactly what we did with Ricky and it has worked out GREAT! We always cover his crate with a light cover, bird cage style, when he goes to bed at night. Therefore, when we cover his cage night or day, he is used to it. In the beginning, we would close him off in one room and it did not go well when we left the house. Now he settles right down in his covered crate when we leave.

Now if we can figure out how to stop him from vocally scolding us (high pitched ARFs, yips, yaps, whines, and chortles) when we return home and let him out of his crate. He remains upset for about 10 minutes and then all is forgiven after we play for a while, which sometimes includes a quick obedience training session with treats.

Ricky's Popi


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## davetgabby

Ricky Ricardo said:


> This is exactly what we did with Ricky and it has worked out GREAT! We always cover his crate with a light cover, bird cage style, when he goes to bed at night. Therefore, when we cover his cage night or day, he is used to it. In the beginning, we would close him off in one room and it did not go well when we left the house. Now he settles right down in his covered crate when we leave.
> 
> Now if we can figure out how to stop him from vocally scolding us (high pitched ARFs, yips, yaps, whines, and chortles) when we return home and let him out of his crate. He remains upset for about 10 minutes and then all is forgiven after we play for a while, which sometimes includes a quick obedience training session with treats.
> 
> Ricky's Popi


dogs are not "scolding us" when they act up due to separation anxiety. It is not recommended to play with your dog for the first half hour upon returning., as studies have shown that this can increase the chances of SA. You should really try and video when you are gone. There are lots of things one can do to help with SA and here is a good article to read. https://pawsitivedawgs.wordpress.com/2010/12/27/alonetraining/


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## ShamaMama

davetgabby said:


> It is not recommended to play with your dog for the first half hour upon returning., as studies have shown that this can increase the chances of SA.


That's so counterintuitive but such good advice. We had two breeders tell us they would not sell us Havanese puppies due to our work schedule (we are teachers with jobs two hours apart so live halfway between our jobs and are therefore gone from 6 AM to 4 PM each day during the school year, but we do have a dog walker come visit Shama around 11 AM each day), but a breeder who was a retired teacher decided we would be good dog owners. We knew that the Havanese was prone to Separation Anxiety so were determined to have our comings and goings be as low key as possible. At some point (between five and 15 minutes) before leaving, we start ignoring Shama (enclosed in her ex pen), then we eventually just leave without saying goodbye (feeling bad but knowing it's best for her mental health). Upon return from school, we ignore her a bit then greet her calmly then take her outside to go potty. Back in the house, the party begins! Now that I've read what Dave said (above), I wonder if we should delay the party a bit. (She is silent when we leave and when we return, and she's also silent when our dog walker comes and goes each day. One more thing, we have Classical MPR playing quietly on the radio whenever we leave Shama alone in the house.)


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## ShamaMama

Just ran into this article called SEVEN SEPARATION ANXIETY MYTHS:

7 Separation Anxiety Myths | Whole Dog Journal


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## davetgabby

ShamaMama said:


> Just ran into this article called SEVEN SEPARATION ANXIETY MYTHS:
> 
> 7 Separation Anxiety Myths | Whole Dog Journal


good article thanks, Nichole has good book on SA called Don't Leave Me Don't Leave Me: Step-By-Step Help for Your Dog's Seperation Anxiety: Nicole Wilde: 9780981722733: Books - Amazon.ca


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## jingerb

Thank you SO MUCH Dave and all. After reading these posts about separation anxiety, we changed our arrival behavior with our yorkie who is six years old. She has always barked like crazy when she hears the garage door and when we first enter the house. Although I'm a long-time dog mom, I just didn't know to ignore her when we arrived. Now, after just 2 days (!!!) of ignoring her when we return, she has quit barking and acting crazy when she sees us! Yayyy! The extra good news is that Stanley won't learn this behavior from her now, either. I'm so grateful! And so is Zoe! :smile2:


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## krandall

jingerb said:


> Thank you SO MUCH Dave and all. After reading these posts about separation anxiety, we changed our arrival behavior with our yorkie who is six years old. She has always barked like crazy when she hears the garage door and when we first enter the house. Although I'm a long-time dog mom, I just didn't know to ignore her when we arrived. Now, after just 2 days (!!!) of ignoring her when we return, she has quit barking and acting crazy when she sees us! Yayyy! The extra good news is that Stanley won't learn this behavior from her now, either. I'm so grateful! And so is Zoe! :smile2:


NOW, if you can just teach that to my HUSBAND!!!  H\I've told him to ignore them 38,482 times, and he still can't help himself. Riles them ALL up, every time he comes in the door!


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## 31818

krandall said:


> NOW, if you can just teach that to my HUSBAND!!!


ound: I ALWAYS bark, yip, yap, and run in circles when Momi comes home, especially from the grocery store!



> I've told him to ignore them 38,482 times, and he still can't help himself. Riles them ALL up, every time he comes in the door!


Shoots, that is what Havapopies are for, get them all riled up. Havamomies are no fun!

Ricky's Popi


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## April R

It's the same at my house! I don't want them to get so riled up when we come home. We are trying to train this pack better than the last one &#55357;&#56900;&#55357;&#56374;


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## Askavi

I have more separation anxiety than my dogs. Hubby ignores them when he comes home until he completes his "I'm home" ritual. I am more guilty about greeting them enthusiastically and getting them riled up when I get home. Oops...


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## lonnieluv

Eek! My 11 week old pup is so loving and sweet. But if I put him in the crate to calm him down because he's getting too bite-y, or because I need to contain him so that I can put my children to bed, he starts whining and barking (and it's so unpleasant). I'm just not sure what to do as I don't want to bring him upstairs as he's not potty trained. But when I leave him while I'm still in the house he just barks this awful bark. Ugh. 

Ironically, when I crate him to leave the house he seems fine and I'm pretty sure he just sleeps. 

Any thoughts??? Thanks!


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## ShamaMama

Did you read all the articles in this thread? Maybe start with very short separations so he can experience success (separation without barking), then gradually increase the time, being sure to continue to treat for very separations even as you're working toward longer ones.


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## mudpuppymama

I hope Amy—24 realizes that there are lots of wonderful and very smart people on this forum who are NOT going to fall for her propaganda.

Time to move on Amy—24, you are wasting your time on this forum.


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