Is it Separation Anxiety already?

[Sue and Cash]

I did a search and didn't find much to relate too.  Cash seems to have issues with crating already.  My fault (isn't everything) that I didn't use it enough in the first few weeks now that we have him.  He only needs to be in one a couple hours a few days a week.  Of course I blew it somehow along the way because everytime we leave him in there, he screams and barks and carries on for the entire time.  It's making me feel badly and breaks my heart.  Dublin didn't have problems with this, so I have forgotten how to deal with this.  Cold turkey, tough love I expect to hear back from you.  Short intervals like I tried today and he still was so upset that he literally whines and sobs in my arms for a half hour upon my return.  I am a wimp!  I melt at the sight of him.  He knows it!  Now while we are home, he will go upstairs and be by himself for a short time to play with a toy or even sleep upstairs while I cook.  But if I go in the basement to do laundry for a brief few minutes he waits outside the door upstairs and cries.  Is this normal puppy stuff?  Do I have to send him to boot camp????

[Louise Perry]

Hi Susan and sorry you are having a hard time with little Cash. But you must try and be 'cruel to be kind' I think and maybe get some ear plugs for a while! Reuben follows me around alot at home as I am around most of the day but I do completely ignore him for periods of time in order that he doesn't end up as my shadow. I find that when I have ignored him for a while he then kind of sighs (in dog language of course) and goes to either his crate or cushion and settles down. I have always had it in mind that when he is home he has to keep a low profile apart form a few training sessions, playtime and cuddles but when I am available. I do also try to pop out at least once a day without him even If I have no where to go and sometimes just sit in the car and read a book (my neighbours think I am potty). Also after our morning walk I tell him to go to crate (as often wet/mucky) and shut the door for an hour so he can dry off and settle. Hopefully in the future I will not have to shut the door. He can see me wandering about getting on with things etc and I find he will then go to sleep and then I will open the door again. Also when he is very excitable/naughty etc I use the crate as time out but direct him in and give him a bone or biscuit so he associates it with something nice and not punishment. i find this useful particulary if I find myself become angry and losing control etc or have my lots of my little boys friends over. The position of his crate is good to as it is in the hallway and my downstairs is fairly open planned so he is not in isolation and can hear and see us most of the time unless I am upstairs. For me the crate is a godsend and I couldn't imagine being without it at the moment.
I do agree with fran that ignoring bad behaviour depends on the feedback as their are certain behaviours I do ignore ie, pinching my socks of radiator & scratching the bin as he is only doing this to get my attention. So when I ignore this he knows it isn't working and will give up and then later I discreetly go round picking up socks and knickers, lol. Infact it is comical when he steals my socks and comes looking for me with them hanging out of his mouth as if to say "haha, what you gonna do".
As you know I am a novice owner and it has been a case of working out what best works with my dog as they all have their own lovely behaviours!
I hope it improves for you.

[Sue and Cash]

I threw a bunch of his toys in his large metal crate which is downstairs versus the small one which is upstairs. He went in and out of the metal crate to get toys and just sniff around yesterday. I left the door open. Today I am going to start tossing him little treats in there and I am thinking he seems to be much better in the large open one, versus the very dark small one. Since the large one will be his crate in a month at the rate he is growing, him liking it would be helpful. Today he will spend time in the little one since I have errands to run. Will be about an hour. I am trying you guys! Other than the crate this is the sweetest, loveliest little boy. His temperment is wonderful, he is bright and playful but not overly active at all. He sleeps 8 hours a night before bathrooming and well I couldn't ask for a nicer puppy. I just wanted to say that! This little issues will all but resolve themselves overtime. He is a keeper!

[Louise Perry]

Arrh, he sounds lovely and i have no doubt he is a keeper. I am sure you will crack the crate issues with time. My goodness I have loads of issues to get through but all are entirely worth it. My latest problem is digging the garden up, any advice on that one is welcome!

[Sue and Cash]

Oh boy that one is tough stuff. I don't buy these reasons that people give....
1. They are bored.
2. they eat dirt because they are lacking some mineral in their diets.
3. they are making a den (that is an odd one with a house right there)
There is this thing at our dog park about all the dogs dig there. Dig like crazy and eat the dirt up with it. Of course we re direct them and such but given a chance they all do it. Taking turns even on the same hole. Personally I think dogs dig because it is fun. Getting dirty is fun for little kids as well. All my dogs dug as puppies and didn't do it as much as they aged. I knew it wasn't boredom with Dublin because he was out and about everyday including field access daily and hikes. He just seemed to like to. Someone said fill the hole with water and stick their head in it. I didn't do that. I just chased him out of there and filled the hole back up. Now something that did work a bit was putting his poop in the hole. He just would make a new one but he got tired of me filling them with poop. Will enjoy hearing others ideas on the subject.

[Louise Perry]

Stick there head in a hole of water, who on earth would do that I say! Like you say susan, I think they do it partly because it is fun and I don't think it is boredom in Reuben's case either. I do think it can be boredom in some cases if the dog doesn't get much execise or interaction as I think I would dig too if I was going stir crazy with nothing to do. I have heard the poop theory and will give this a try as I definitely don't have a supply shortage in that department. I did sneak out last night with one of my son's water pistols and squirted Reuben from a hidden spot and that seemed to stop him. And I notice that when he goes to one big crater he looks in through the window to see if i am watching and skulks away if I look at him, so he knows its wrong at least.
I like your thinking Cornelia but it is the messy paw aftermarth I struggle with!
Sorry to take the thread of the subject.

[Sue and Cash]

No I am glad we veered from the crate subject since I just had a EUREKA moment. Let's all do the Cash fell alseep in the crate happy dance!
I noticed he goes in the large crate on and off all day getting his toys etc. So I had a half hour errand today and put his favorite blanket in there that he naps on all the time. He cried and carried on when I left and when I returned he was silent, I could tell he was sleeping. I had left the TV on for him also. I am concerned because I do feel that the slats on it are to wide apart, so while gone, I did worry a lot, but he layed down and relaxed in there. Progress is in the making here. I think the TV helped him too. On to the next problem!!! So far I don't have one. Thank goodness I can just enjoy him.

[Angela Roberts]

Sorry but totally off track from the subject. My bitches dig craters and the field is like the surface of the moon and when it rains (which is all the time in Cornwall, England) they fill with water and yes they stick their own heads in and still keep digging! Louise, I wish mine only had messy paws, mine get messy all over.

[Louise Perry]

Wow fantastic Susan, well done Cash - hooray!!!!!
yes Angela, I live North Somerset and never noticed how much it rained until I got a dog. How on earthe do you cope with it?

[Katie Rogers]

Susan, so glad to hear you are making progress with Cash! With having two young children of my own I knew crate training would not be an option so I started from the minute we got home with my new girl. She went in he crate and that is where she is fed. No water in the crate and I always make sure I'm close by for the routine "call of nature" shortly after her feeding time. If Cash's crate is big enough for feeding you may want to try that. If you can get him to eat while in his crate he will teach himself to relax. A dog won't eat if they are stressed. Just a little bit of what has worked so far for me. I started out sleeping on the floor outside GiGi's crate for the first week and then on the couch next to her crate with my hand stretched over to the crate and eventually after 10-14 days was able to move back to my own bedroom and she is totally peaceful. She spends several house through the day in her crate even when I am home and has learned very quickly that just because something is going on doesn't mean she has to be a part of it. Also I always take her straight outside from being in her crate and she has learned that the only thing that will happen if she whines is she goes outside to go to the bathroom. If she is fussing in her crate, I take her out, elt her potty and then put her back in the crate and bring her back out in about 15 minutes after she has settled back down, another trip outside just in case and then let her frolic in the house. Just a couple ideas of things that worked for me. So glad to hear he is making progress, congratulations!!

[Tiffany Cook]

Hello all. My setter loves her crate like I love my bed, but this is an attachment issue so I think I'll post it here. I've spoiled my little Tomato! Now, whenever I'm in the room and she's in her crate to eat breakfast, she just stares at me and won't eat her food. My boyfriend fed her after I left the house yesterday and she was completely fine. We tried this morning for me to hide in the other room, but as soon as she heard my voice she stopped eating entirely. I always encourage her to eat and my boyfriend and I are equally responsible for feeding her each day... Do you think she's become overly attached to me in the past few days (It's spring vacation here and I've been home the whole time)? Is there an easy way to reduce this attachment that will make her calm enough to eat?