Is this behavioural

I have rescued a 5 month old Rhodesian Ridgeback. the biggest problem i have with his at the moment is being left alone. He doesnt like going to bed at night and often barks. We have tried different methods which then he usually settles. However most mornings we come down to several poos....no weeing...just poo. I think he is quite well trained all day long but usually will do one at night time. We take him out for a toilet visit and walk last thing at night and he goes but always will do another one, averaging of 3-4 poos a day. i think its behavouiral as he seems to have some seperation anxiety and want to overcome this as quickly as possible.

Also now he has found his bark he will do so when he is seperated from us at any point, for example yesterday I opened back door and put him in his bed area in conservatory so i could do some house work and he barked the whole time he couldnt see me at the door!

STUBURN is the word i would use.As u say hes quite a good dog at night,but leaving u little prezzies in the morning.I say stuburn because ridgebacks can be very stuburn and at 5mths old he is starting to show dominance.do u keep him in a crate a night or not,it doesnt realy matter but i have a solution for u.He is as you say suffering from a little anxiety because he thinks your not coming back thats why you get these prezzies,thats how dogs see it, so we have to change his way of thinking.This is the very (HARD PART)and u have to b consistant.I know he's good at night but we have to change the routine slighty.put him in his cage (NO EYE CONTACT,NO SPEAKING TO HIM)just walk away and leave him.now give it a couple of mins and go back to him,let him out and praise him.again repeat this process but gradually extend the time, each time u put him in, as he will see this as a good thing and realise you are coming back for him,dogs love to learn.i understand u have to get up for work so do it during the day if u can at least 3 to 4 times and u will see results.i am a behaviourist and have worked with many dogs and urs is no different.

sorry i forgot to mention his barking.when he barks dont SHOUT at him u will make it worse.as soon as he starts put him in another room were there is quite.leave him until he stops then let him out, and keep repeating if he stats again.

hello smellfear.

I think your advice how to use a crate is good, but i was a bit confused by one thing.
You rightly said this 'could' be an anxiety issue, but earlier mentioned the ladies dog is showing dominance and stubborness.
Im not too sure on that one?
Do you mean the both are connected?
As dominant and/or stubborn dogs arent normally associated with anxiety, and vice versa.
(You could even say the same for people).

Also, you mentioned on your intro thread that you are a behaviourist, but also implied that you dont have a lot of experience and didn't explain what your qualifications are?

Not meaning to be personal, but their is a problem in the companion dog advice industry at the moment whereby people can basically just say they are a behaviourist without explaining why, as their are no set standards.
Unfortunately, some members of the public are gullible and/or ill-informed, and if someone tells them they are an expert, they just accept this without question!
And they loose money or harm is given.
This happens in all industries, but the dog one isn't regulated.
At the moment, via the CAWC, the gov is looking to have all dog trainers and behaviourists licensed to local councils within 2 to 3 years.
Im not saying you arent qualified, but dogsey members naturally have the same sort of concerns when someone brand new just turns up immediately stating they are a behaviourist.
Lots of people come on here and give advice just to be helpful, just like you are, but usually do so in a more informal way, building up their profile over time.
I know what it's like.
In my time, I have also been pulled up for my over-enthusiasm to race ahead and knock people over with my new found skills and expertise.

Hi and welcome. You get all sorts of views on here....just do your own research and make your own mind up! You know your dog best.
My 2-pennorth is:
I`d be looking at feeding - dogs do poop when stressed but this sounds like it`s very regular. If his motions are normal, maybe change the time you feed, and make sure he `goes` before bedtime? Some dogfoods do prduce a lot of waste. I found the tinned foods (Pedigree in particular) produce a lot of waste.
Dominance is a disproved and outdated theory (there - I`ve said it!). You got a very young dog there, not Hitler. You could try a DAP diffuser to help him settle, or leave a radio on? I`m sure it will improve - he`s only a baby after all.

eta - Krusewalker...empty your stored messages!

I Thanks to all for your help, I was talking to my partner about trying out some of the advice given last night and we are going to give them a go, currently he is not in a crate, do you think he should be as alot of people have advised me for this breed of dog it is a good idea?

Hi Shooshoo you say you have rescued your puppy, how long have you had it? A new puppy will take time to settle into a new home, to learn to trust an owner and to develop confidence. I am afraid you can't always overcome problems quickly it takes time if you don't want to create more problems.

Firstly how many meals is your puppy on/what do you fee/how often/how late is the last meal. At 5 months it should be on three small meals a day of good quality food.

Dogs are very social animals and I think it is natural for them to dislike being left alone, some cope better than others. I think this depends partly on their disposition but also how they have been taught to cope with separation from being small puppies.

You should aim to teach your puppy..
..your not being there is no big deal,
..when you leave you will always return,
..when you are with him he will not automatically get your attention all the time,
..he will get attention when you are ready (so that he doesn't become too dependant on you).
You can only do this slowly and it may take some time.
First take your puppy out to relieve himself, (so you know he does not need to go) then using the room he spends the most time in and where his bed is, go out of the room ignoring him and close the door (the bed should be comfortable with a toy and something you have worn like socks or a tee shirt to give a degree of security ).
..after a moment return to the room and do something like going in the cupboards ignoring the puppy, no word no eye contact,
...go in and out of the room a couple of times always shutting the door and ignoring the puppy both when you leave the room and return. If he is whining or making any sound wait for a pause and go back only when he is quiet,
...eventually go back in the room and perform some task or sit with a book still ignoring the puppy, remember no word no eye contact,
...when he is quiet and not bothering you speak to him and give him lots of praise,
...you need to do this exercise a few times each day, vary the length of time you stay out of the room and gradually increase it. Progress to leaving the house for a few moments following the same ignore/no fuss routine.

Also try leaving the radio on with a voice programme, this will mask the sound of your movements and be comforting to the puppy.

If you have not already done so get an interesting toy to occupy him like the ones with small holes that allow treats to fall through.

Ok thank you, only had him for a month, he is fed twice a day now but was on three meals a day only a few weeks ago. I will try all the things you have suggessted, many thanks, do you think i should get him a crate? Or is that really the issue here?

Hi Shooshoo If your puppy is not used to a crate and you decide to get one you will need to introduce it very gradually or you may create further problems. In case you decide to get one here is an article on crates by one of our members..
http://www.dogsey.com/dog-articles.php?t=15552

I can't really say if you should get one, unless the puppy is chewing excessively I don't think I would but others may disagree , I prefer a dog gate .
Your puppy is approaching 6 months when he can be on two meals a day. I would give one meal early morning and the second not too late, it is important the food is of a good quality as Claire says poor foods are full of bulking agents and make a lot of poo. What are you feeding at the moment?

done!