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Post by smilesbetter on Jul 26, 2014 22:03:22 GMT
Hello!
So when I broke my ankle I obviously couldn't move much, and Rosa got used to me always being there I guess. She'd been doing okay with the separation training and was mostly fine alone. Unfortunately she is no longer fine alone. Most of the time she's alright after a couple barks and sometimes she even happily goes to sleep but tonight I got a call from a neighbour to say that Rosa had been barking and howling for 20 mins (and I could hear it on the phone). She seems to be okay in her pen alone as long as she's been to the loo, isn't hungry or anything. The problem is that she needs to stay in the bathroom now when I'm out as it's super sunny here and I've made the bathroom nice and cool for her. She hates being alone in there and especially today for some reason (despite having slept there some nights) seems to particularly hate it.
I've been doing training where I never go in when she's barking, only when she's been quiet for increasing lengths of time, but unfortunately today she has started doing this non stop howling and barking. I've put a sign up to apologise to the neighbours and to explain that she's in training so hopefully that will appease them for now.
She is usually left with a nice chew and her favourite toy (the highland coo), as well as a chew toy and loads of water.
So does anyone have any other separation training tips?
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Post by cazypops on Jul 26, 2014 22:17:34 GMT
You could try putting something of yours in with her so she gets a bit of comfort from it. Just a thought.  |
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Post by smilesbetter on Jul 26, 2014 23:00:40 GMT
Hey there cazypops thanks, I'll give that a try tomorrow. It's weird, she has slept in the bathroom some nights, I can't figure out the problem today. She had been out for a walk and swim, had her tea and been out to the loo. She was quiet the first time I left but I got down the stairs (we live on the third floor, technically fourth urgh haha) and remembered that I forgot something and had to run back up. When I got there,mshe'd got out of the bathroom so I put her back in and shut the door and propped something against it as she likes to lie against the bathroom door which pops it open. I've done this before no problem usually. The second time I left she started barking, but usually when she does that it's only a few times and then she's fine. She barks sometimes when alone but never normally this much, and the howling is a fairly new development, she started doing it about three weeks ago once or twice but very briefly. It seems to have developed into a full blown thing now unfortunately. My main worry is that she's upset and I want to alleviate that, which is why I feel that the not answering till she stops barking training isn't enough, because then she would just be suffering in silence. I want her to enjoy being on her own or at least go for a snooze. Then obviously I feel bad for the neighbours as it was like 11 at night tonight, although usually I am in at nights so it's not something regular, but there is a dog in the next building (kinda shared middle garden, the houses are in a rectangle with an enclosed garden which has a bush splitting the two sides) who barks aaaaall the time, I even hear it barking constantly as it's being walked up the street. It's usually through the day but still I worry that the neighbours have a low enough tolerance of dog barking as it is (I know I do haha, this dog has a seriously annoying bark) and that they'll phone the landlord or police or someone. Hopefully they don't then thing that the barking from that dog has actually been Rosa all along haha, as she is hardly ever alone to cause her to bark at the moment! This other dog barks for ages every single day. |
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Post by zahada on Jul 27, 2014 12:23:21 GMT
Maybe being closed in upsets her? Could you not leave the door open so she doesn't feel claustrophobic? Use her pen in whatever form as a sort gate?
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Post by smilesbetter on Jul 27, 2014 12:46:08 GMT
She's fine being closed in her dog cage usually, it's weird she seems to have more trouble being closed in a room than a much smaller cage. I can't trust her in any other room of the flat alone yet though (plus the bathroom is the coldest). We could try putting something in to block the door but we've not really got anything we could put in temporarily and she is fantastic at jumping too. She can easily jump her old pen (which has now been taken down). Would like her to learn to be okay being closed in somewhere alone too though. She's a bit needy at the moment haha.
Had her closed in her cage this morning while I nipped out and she barked twice then was fine, and she can be in her feeding pen happily until she's finished her meal (she usually then barks once to let me know she's done haha and I think would whine in that one if left alone without food there).
Has anyone found that having a radio on helps? I'd have to go out and buy one, but if it works then it would be worth it.
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Post by zahada on Jul 27, 2014 12:56:31 GMT
Just remembered that your cage is not the wire fold up type. What I had in mind was standing the folded or partly folded cage in the doorway of the bathroom. Perhaps you might be able to find www.orvis.co.uk/p/wrought-iron-door-frame-gate/0x4tOr something similar? To make it taller you could fix it few inches above the floor. |
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Post by smilesbetter on Jul 27, 2014 12:58:45 GMT
Haha wow that looks lovely, I'm pretty poor at the moment though  fancy adding it to your lottery handouts list haha? We have a baby gate for my dog Sasha back home and she has learned to open it haha. Wonder if I posted the video on here... |
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Post by alfiemummy on Jul 27, 2014 13:05:35 GMT
Has anyone found that having a radio on helps? I'd have to go out and buy one, but if it works then it would be worth it. We always put a radio on for Alfie and have done ever since he was a puppy. He sometimes does a few barks just as you leave but we always come back to a sleepy dog that has just woken up so we know he is ok on his own. We have also asked the neighbours and they say he doesn't make a sound while we're out. Not sure what he would be like without his radio as we have never tried it. I like to use it mainly because it drowns out other noises such as the postman or voices outside that might worry him. Also, if you did want a baby gate you can get them for as cheap as about £30 which is a bit more affordable! Or even cheaper if you could find one second hand. We had one for our utility room when Alfie was a puppy and it's where he goes when we are out. But we fitted a proper door afterwards as we have a house alarm and we had to disable the sensor in the utility room while we were using the baby gate or he could set it off. I think the house alarm is the only reason he actually does a few barks as we are leaving the house. When you set the alarm it will beep for about 30 seconds as you are leaving. He hates beeping noises so I'm guessing it's more to do with that as I have hung around the house for a few minutes after leaving and he never barks more than a few times. |
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Post by smilesbetter on Jul 27, 2014 15:22:02 GMT
Awesome, I'll definitely try the radio as I do think that sounds outside might set her off when she's on her own or at least prevent her from being able to sleep, whereas maybe if there was a constant noise she'd get use to it and learn to sleep through it. Do you use any particular station alfiemummy haha? I heard that dogs particularly like opera  |
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Post by cazypops on Jul 27, 2014 15:34:26 GMT
You could try Classic FM, or the german equivalent Ha ha!  |
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Post by zahada on Jul 27, 2014 16:38:18 GMT
Haha wow that looks lovely, I'm pretty poor at the moment though fancy adding it to your lottery handouts list haha? We have a baby gate for my dog Sasha back home and she has learned to open it haha. Wonder if I posted the video on here... Yep, added you to my list of euromillions win beneficiaries. Might be a long time...... |
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Post by alfiemummy on Jul 27, 2014 17:51:03 GMT
Awesome, I'll definitely try the radio as I do think that sounds outside might set her off when she's on her own or at least prevent her from being able to sleep, whereas maybe if there was a constant noise she'd get use to it and learn to sleep through it. Do you use any particular station alfiemummy haha? I heard that dogs particularly like opera We have always used our local radio station. It used to be called Ten-17 but it got taken over by Heart on the same frequency, so now he listens to Heart. We only really chose that as it is the closest to us so it is a very good signal. I do know they recommend classical music as it's calming. Or a radio station where they talk a lot if the dog likes to hear voices of people. He is used to listening to music from when we are at home, he sleeps soundly while I'm blaring out rock music as he's used to it from when he was a puppy so music is fine for him. |
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Post by zahada on Jul 27, 2014 17:53:44 GMT
I sometimes leave radio 4 on,but not sure if it helps as the dogs tend to sleep anyway.
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Post by tonib on Jul 27, 2014 22:07:33 GMT
Don't know if its feasible but could you put her normal crate in the bathroom when you go & put her in that with the door open. Obviously I don't know the sizes involved I d agree with the others that the shut door could well be the issue. There's a lot of difference between being confined in a small space but seeing a bigger area around you & being confined in a larger but fully enclosed space as regards vision range. Leaving something with your scent on & a radio on are both good ideas. |
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Post by smilesbetter on Jul 28, 2014 0:38:48 GMT
tonib great idea about the crate! I could try putting half of in the bathroom so she has her familiar den in their with her. I got woken up tonight by Rosa moving in her pen - she was too hot. So I have her a freezing cold shower and soaked the rug in the bathroom (which was destroyed yesterday in the wash and has a huge hole, whoops) and put in some water. I knew she'd howl if I left her there but told her to wait, lying down on the rug, to show her that it's okay for her to be in another room from me if it's cooler or better for her. She's still there now although can hear her moving a little for a drink so she might come through after. It's horribly hot in the bedroom, and we're not wearing fur coats & can sweat when we're too hot! She has been out her pen at nights before and is very well behaved (but if alone in the room she gets destructive), she's usually in her pen though as she is good in it and it forces her to lie on the cold wet towel which she usually avoids, and means the cats can have some play time without Rosa around. Anyway have shut off all rooms except part of the hall, bathroom and bedroom. At the very least she can choose to go where she feels most comfortable and hopefully this way she can see the bathroom is nice and cool and best for her. Gonna try short bursts tomorrow of her being in there with half her den, classical music and something that smells strong of me. And bulls penis haha. Hopefully I can build up a good association, as it's really the best place for her to be in summer and I'd like her to enjoy it in there. She has now come back to the bedroom haha. Hopefully she will go to the bathroom again if she gets too hot again, she really doesn't seem to like going into rooms that my man and I aren't in haha. Thanks so much for the tips, some things I should have thought of but never.
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fancy adding it to your lottery handouts list haha? 
