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Daisysmama
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14-02-2015, 07:33 PM

Severe seperation anxiety in 10 week old puppy?

Hey guys so sorry i have not been on i will get to the reason why a little later but my new puppy Dakota is here its been about a week since we have gotten him so he was 9 weeks old when he arrived the first (day) was great he was quiet slept a lot just a normal puppy on their first day home he wasnt held much because i did not want him used to being held 24/7 as much as i just wanted to cuddle him a lot i refrained that night oh boy where do i start ok i am crate training him so i put him in his crate and he was ok up until i left the room that is when all hell broke loose he started screaming on the top of his lungs i thought he was hurt but nope he was fine.....as long as im in his sight he is fine and it honestly seems to be getting worse its almost like he panics whenever i get up to go somewhere his eyes get very wide starts panting and runs up to me and gets as close as he possibly can to me he also will not have anything to do with anyone else they try to love on him and pet him but he screams if anyone else pets him im at a loss and i've cried until i cant cry anymore everyone is telling me this is normal he will outgrow it (including vet) but something inside of me says this can NOT be normal please tell me what i can do to help him
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lovemybull
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14-02-2015, 08:39 PM
I don't know anything about puppies. We adopted our dogs as adults. But Sophie acted that way when we first brought her home. Whining and fussing constantly, wrapping her whole body around my legs, panic stricken if I left the room or got out of her sight.

Unfortunately she's an old dog now and although she calmed a bit she's still the neediest dog I've ever seen. Since yours is still a puppy you have quite a window of time to work on changing things. I'm sure other posters will have good advice.

One thing that they say helps when I'm not home is having my robe or jacket on her chair. She seems comforted sleeping with her nose buried in my clothes. My son says she still paces and whines until I get home.

If you saw her the other day. We went to get her nails filed. She's highly dog aggressive so I couldn't take her out into the pet shop area to pay the bill. The groomer held her leash and she could see me through the glass maybe ten feet away.

I'm sure they heard her barking a few miles out. Poor groomer didn't know how wild her reaction can be. But as soon as the leash was back in my hands of course she was fine. You want to get the right training now so your pup doesn't become a Sophie.
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Gnasher
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14-02-2015, 09:55 PM
Daisy, first of all you need to understand that this is entirely normal ... All dogs are different and some have extreme reaction to being separated from their pack as Dakota has. My advice would be not to try crating him, roll with the punches for now and have him with you at all times ... Do you go out to work? If you do this is going to be a problem with a little guy such as Dakota, but if you don't have him with you, esp at night ... Do not try and make him sleep alone, he needs to be with you at least for now. At this time he needs reassurance, not distancing.
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JoedeeUK
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14-02-2015, 10:39 PM
If you want to crate Dakota, then he has to view the crate as his bed/den/place of safety. Pop him in the crate when he is sleepy/tired with a toy. Leave the door open at first, so he can come out when hw wakes up.
Only feed him in his crate-this makes it rewarding for him to be in there.
He is only a baby & just separated from his litter so will be focusing on you as there is no other dog for him to be with.
You can start basic clicker training with him now to tire him out & make him learn what is rewarding.
Young puppies have the attention span of a gnat so a couple of minutes clicker work is ideal. Have a look on YouTube for Kikopup(sp)she has lots of videos on there that will show you what to do.
Get you visitors to ignore him, but to hold a tasty high value treat within his reach, that way he will find visitors rewarding
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CaroleC
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14-02-2015, 10:58 PM
I couldn't have said it better Joedee.
Make his crate a cosy refuge, but let him discover it by leaving the door open at first. Did you get a blanket that smelt of his littermates? If not roll up an old sweatshirt (or similar) that smells of you - as he seems to have attached to you already. Feed him in the crate, and give him cuddly toys and treats in there too.
It is an old fashioned idea, but I've always had good results by having a ticking alarm clock close by - it is supposed to remind them of another heartbeat. Give him space and time, and let him seek out affection from the other members of the family.
Be assured, it is normal behaviour, his life has changed dramatically and it will take him a little time to adjust.
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Daisysmama
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14-02-2015, 10:58 PM
Thanks guys! the reason why to me it was not normal is because i just simply havent seen a puppy behave this way but you are right i will keep him with me all the time until hes ready to venture out i work from home so im home all the time and the sole reason i chose to crate him at night is because he is soo tiny he isnt much bigger then my hand im afraid i will roll over on him or him falling off my bed its pretty high but i will take this advice to heart thank you
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Dibbythedog
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15-02-2015, 12:28 AM
Theres two things here , one your pup has to adjust to being in a crate and two , adjust to you leaving him .
Crate training doesnt just mean using a crate for house breaking , it means he has to be trained to be left in a crate .
you need to break it down into tiny stages , let him get used to being in the crate with the door open , then with the door closed for a few minutes with you in the room , build up the time , he has to be happy at each stage before you move on to the next , leave the room for a couple of minutes etc .
leave him with a kong or chew .

Also follow the good advice already given .
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mjfromga
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15-02-2015, 03:52 AM
Just to add, I do not advise leaving the crate open unless you're there to watch. He could escape and destroy things, or have a potty accident. Lock him in there if you're not around. If he yells, wait until he stops, and only then do you acknowledge him.

Some dogs will not eat where they sleep, bear that in mind. My Nigredo is one of them, as a puppy, he'd usually refuse his food in his crate and just knock it over. Since its imperative that young puppies eat properly, I had to go a different direction. Also, to assist with potty training, make sure the crate is not too big. Big crate means pee/poo on one side, sleep/eat on the other.

I don't advise leaving young puppies alone with a chew, either. You'd be surprised how destructive they can be. At 16 weeks, mine was a monster. Perhaps a Kong would be fine, but nothing that can cut gums or be easily destroyed. He will soon get that crates are not terrible places, and that resistance is futile.
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Timber-
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15-02-2015, 05:00 AM
This is only my opinion, but I wouldn't have him with me at all times. I'm not implying to ignore Dakota all the time either, but have a balance of alone time and time with you. I think it would make the separation anxiety worse when he gets older and the routine changes from being together all-the-time to being separated. Best to get it under control now so it doesn't escalate as Dakota grows.

What I have always done and found that it works is having the dog/pup gated off for crated for short times (ie, doing laundry or dishes). No matter how much of a fuss, I ignore. I find that doing this teaches the dog that it's ok to be separated at times and that you will be coming back.

I also feed in the crate like others have suggested and leave the door open when i'm home so the dog/pup can go in and take a nap or play with a toy if he chooses to.

What type of crate do you have? If it's a wire one try to place a blanket over it (not covering the door) to make it more cozy and den like. Also, depending on the dog/pup I have put warm water bottles wrapped in one of my shirts in the crate.
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