I hope you guys enjoy! Here's a playlist that will show you how to teach your dog the basics in order: ua-cam.com/play/PLMssKIjsDxXmMGypWsr8u-yGOUSoPoozb.html Thanks for subscribing!
Zak George's Dog Training rEvolution zack i owned a 2 years german shepherd yeasterday and i feel that maybe his behave is strange he goes crazy when we leave and a reminder i owned him to be a guard THE most important thing is i feel that he's really wierd when I'm sitting close to him so plz help
Update on Ace - I have gotten him involved in playing some of the games ua-cam.com/users/postUgkx1_veP7CApJK_GWy_TczaMciuG64PqJeU and I can see a difference in his confidence already! My other dog played along and he became intrigued - now its a daily part of our routine - about 3 times a day we do the shell game and the muffin tin game. I am so grateful for coming upon your training techniques!
Having owned a dog with separation anxiety for 13 years (which two separate vets diagnosed as the worst case they had ever seen), I believe I have some first-hand knowledge of what works and doesn't work. First, let's translate this into something more relatable. Panic attacks...we've either heard of them, had them, or know someone who has experienced them. A friend who suffers from panic attacks once told me that she felt like she was dying during the attacks. Now imagine what your pet is feeling each and every time you leave home...welcome to separation anxiety. Separation anxiety is just a panic attack that your dog suffers each and every time you leave them. They come in different forms with varying degrees of stress, but make no mistake, these are doggie panic attacks. Here is a list of what to do: 1. You need to make sure that your dog is thoroughly exercised. A tired dog has less anxious energy at the time of exposure to the triggers. 2. Watch for your own type of triggers. For example, walking around while grabbing keys, wallet, purse, jacket, etc. are cues to your dog that he/she should start getting anxious. You must desensitize your pet to these triggers. This takes time and dedication, so plan ahead before having to leave the house. Add an additional 30 minutes to your routine. During that time, pretend that you are leaving. Grab your keys and jacket, go to the door, open the front door, then close it and go sit down somewhere else in a calm fashion and remain there (reading, etc.) until your dog relaxes. Then repeat a few times at different intervals. Then start exiting the front door for a minute and then return. Ignore your pet at all times during this process. Your dog will come to you all happy to see you at first. Resist the temptation to acknowledge them. Each time increase the amount of time that lapses before reentering your home. Be sure to keep your pet guessing by leaving the third time one day and the fifth time another. Keep switching it up. That will keep your dog guessing and unable to ascertain when you are actually leaving. Be patient, this may take weeks before you see major improvements. However, if you stick with it, it will work! Your dog will stop getting anxious when you leave and when you return. As time goes by, begin reducing the time that you include in your routine before leaving until you just leave without any warning. One important note...be sure you are calm (to the extent that it is possible) whenever leaving home. Dogs can literally read your emotional state by sensing your hormonal response to stimuli. If you are stressed and anxious...they will be too. Notwithstanding, keep in mind that any unexpected event may provoke an anxiety attack and you will then need to once again reinforce the routine. If your dog begins to regress, take a step back to examine what you are doing. Then begin the desensitization process once again. Even if your dog is not regressing, it's good to still do these exercises from time to time to reinforce the good behavior. Conversely, if your dog continues to regress, you need to look in the mirror as you will most likely be the cause of the regression. Sometimes we fall into patterns of behavior that inadvertently send signals out to our dog. Low energy/calm routines are the best ways to keep fido relaxed. 3. DO NOT GIVE YOUR DOG loves when he/she is in an excited state. Similarly, DO NOT OVERDO the loves. This is perhaps one of the hardest things that I had to learn. Our instinct is to shower our pet with love. However, this is disastrous with dogs that have separation anxiety. You need to give them love, but only when they are calm and in small doses. If they become too excited, you need to back away until they calm down. If they begin to regress, you need to take an honest assessment of how much affection you are giving your dog. It seems counter-intuitive at first, but you will recognize that your dog will be happier and less anxious with fewer huggies and kisses from you. If you ignore this advice, you will be unwittingly reinforcing their anxiety. 4. When coming home, DO NOT engage your pet for a good 15-30 minutes. Come into your home and go about your business completely ignoring them. He/She will be hyper-excited, so it is critical that you don't reinforce this behavior by giving them loves at that time. Wait until they are calm and then give them some brief attention and go about your business. 5. You must take steps to ensure that your dog is not always in the same room as you. Some dogs with separation anxiety exhibit velcro behavior. That is, they will be right by your side at all times. They will lay at your feet at any given moment if given the opportunity. Others will lay in different parts of the same room, but always staring at you or sleeping with their head aimed in your direction. It is important to not encourage this behavior and you MUST put your dog in a different room and/or out of your sight so that they can learn to become relaxed outside your field of view. After many...many trials and failures, I came up with a formula that worked well with my dog. It minimized the anxiety to an acceptable level and the episodes of destruction and injury greatly diminished. However, they never went away completely. Just like you don't cure autism, you don't cure separation anxiety; you just learn to work with it and make your pet's life as enjoyable and stress-free as possible. I know that even after years of conditioning, an unexpected knock at the door, a strange noise, etc., when away from home can trigger a response. Such is life when owning a dog with separation anxiety. As long as you fulfill their needs before your own, you will have a happy pet. P.S. I know some will ask about medication. I went that route for short while but abandoned it after realizing that the only way to control the behavior with medicine was to use it at levels which greatly diminished her quality of life. That was a tradeoff I was not willing to make. Anti-depressants like Clomipramine did not work for us and neither did benzodiazepines like alprazolam (Xanax). Though not particularly successful in my case, there are some reports of the successful use of medication and behavioral modification (as described above) to help control the anxiety. Each dog will respond differently. Unfortunately, my dog was not a good candidate for this approach, but it is worth taking a look at this method if your dog reacts favorably to the medication.
I wish there was a way to save your advice. I will need it for future reference. I really like the detail and believe this could work. I have a 6 month GSD that didn't exhibit SA when I got her, until the last couple of weeks
Only One Cannoli, I NEED to try this I have a 14 year only dog and SHE IS VERY ANNOYING at night, like barking, scratching, jumping in her food bowl, and also trying to get out. We let her out and she just quit going crazy.
Thank you for the detailed advice, this is actually a lot more helpful than the video (for instance any kind of toy is completely useless when dealing with strong separation anxiety, our dog would not even care about it).
***** We haven't even tried. After that last incident, it's too scary. So he's basically been with somebody 24/7. We've got to do some long term training, I think.
That's exactly what I did with my sheltie. He was starting crying and barking immediately I leave the house. So went out just for 1 second and got back instantly. Then I went for 2 seconds, then 3, and so on up to 10. 15 seconds, 20 seconds, etc. Yes it took a few hours to teach him to wait calmly just for 20 minutes. But at the end he understood that I'm not going forever and that me leaving and returning is not a big deal.
You were incredibly lucky for this to only take a few hours, in fact makes me wonder if he had real SA if it was that quick. For most people, 20 minutes will take weeks or months to work up to
I wish that was working with my dog :( I've been teaching her for probably over a week now, I still only go out for a minute to a minute and a half, I started with 30 or fewer seconds, and she still cries within the first 10 seconds. I'm gonna start over with clicker training and if she's quiet for longer than 10 seconds click and come back in until it's consistent.
I could cry - thank you Zac! I’ve watched this video maybe 5 times in the past year as I’ve dealt with my babies extreme separation anxiety. I’ve tried big areas, his crate, I’ve tried kongs, CBD, thunder shirt, pheromones - EVERYTHING and nothing worked... UNTIL I rewatched this video this weekend and realized the key ingredient I was missing was to put him in a separate room (one he can’t see me leave from and is comfortable in). THIS HAS HELPED TREMENDOUSLY! He’s happy and calm and so far (knock on wood) his constant crying is little to none. So grateful for this advice! After a year of struggling I can finally leave the house again without worrying myself silly.
Assalamu Aalikum Courtney, I have watched this video couple times now and I haven't noticed the advice you shared right now either, Thank you for pointing it out.
I did cry today as my dog departed for the Lakes region, (NH) with a new friend! The first time we will be away from each other for an extended period. Lindsay & I spent an afternoon together with my new surrogate and friend and now she is having fun and the time of her life playing with the goldie who is being fostered.. I raised my dog right & she has never had any trauma or abuse so this and have socialized her considerably in my life but she was around so many, kids, caTs, cows goats, and a bunch of yard dogs that ran in a pack sometimes total wide open fun. Now as a pup on the farm and was raised with her litter, staying together with most of them for over one year. Amazing results and my dog loves everyone and bays hello and talks to some like a true hound. So chill. I realize now I could crumble without her as pal & mate. my home is eerily empty without her right now. Due to me being so sensitive I could not support a rescue dog and I was blessed with the pick of the litter when she was 5 months old. My hard work on the farm. She is fine and it is I who feels messed up a little but the excitement of a tropical destination getaway is an electric feeling! Happy Thanksgiving as we give thanks to what we have achieved and do not take it for granted.
*video about dogs systematically destroying your belongings because you have to leave the house for work* WHaT hAVe wE DOnE tO DEsERvE SuCH LoVInG CReATurEs
@@dckeater3534 You should have thought about the consequences of having a dog before getting one. Sounds like you shouldn't have a dog because you're not willing to work with them. They're probably better off with someone else.
Just got a new puppy and his anxiety gives me anxiety. I can’t even go to the bathroom without him freaking out. My kids take turn sleeping on the couch because he needs to be with someone. He is an 11 week old Siberian husky. I hope this video helps me a bit. Thank you!
@@ender2664 yes!!!! My fur baby will be 3 and did everything but the long. Not a fan. I started with doggy daycare during the day for few days a week. I also noticed he was low energy after a full day at school so we then started minimizing daycare and increased time at home alone. When we would come home he would get crazy praise. And he figured out like....ooooooo I get to rest when they aren’t here but I get crazy love when they come home and they happy. Ok I’ll wait and be a good boy. Never miss a treat. A beat. A pet or a love any minute ur baby is alone. This video was excellent!!!
My dog has EXTREME separating anxiety, if I go to the bathroom for like 2 mins she'll be screaming and clawing the door and the way she screams make it sound as if she's being abused. Same with if we leave she goes ballistic and I can hear her crying all the way from my car.
I spend a lot of time in my room or outside and not so much in the living room area and my dog will only eat if I'm within 5 feet of her and the food bowl, she won't eat on her own so she ends up eating only once and MAYBE twice a day. I've got some vitamin stuff that is also suppose to help her gain weight but I just find it a little strange. (she's a fully grown 3 pound chihuahua)
HI, I have a dog with severe SA too, but it has gotten a little better with years of training. in my opinion the only way to treat this condition is to do it step by step, very slowly. Make sure your dog is in a calm state o mind. (Like go for a walk, let it come home, settle down: then it's time to train). First you can just put on your jacket, pick up your keys or anything that you normally do when you're about to leave, but then not actually leave, just take off the jacket again and go back to doing what you normally do. Do this exercise at least 3-4 times a day. When your dog doesn't freak out cause of this anymore (like after a week or smth) you can go a step further and try opening the door and closing it again, without going anywhere. In a few weeks you can probably go outside for a few seconds, then minutes, after a few months maybe half an hour. It is important not to pay any attention to your dog while you're training! (Coming and going shouldn't be any big business at all, if you compliment your dog a lot for just managing to be alone it can think being along is quite scary). This is the way! Patience is all that you need - it is very difficult but completely possible. My dog can be alone for about 20 minutes now without starting to pant, run around and howl. Yay.
lotta green What you may want to include is with each departure leave him/her with a special treat or toy they get only when you leave, and a nice verbal cue like "watch the house". When you return, take the treat from them, give it back and tell them their verbal cue and repeat the departure. This conditions them to know you will be returning when they receive the treat and verbal cue. Simple conditioning. Also, if you have such a severe case you may want to talk to your vet about supplementing training with medication. There should be no stigma in that if it helps your dog live a better life!
Louis DeMarinis Yes, that is a good point! But one has to make sure that special treat or toy doesn''t get associated with panic - this happened to me during the first year. Like when I gave the kong, the dog kinda froze, knew soon it's panic time. I didn't realize that first. Last week my dog was alone for an hour without going berserk! I'm so happy :)
lotta green Exactly, that is important! That is why it should be given with the verbal cue at least 10 times before even stepping towards a door. Then one step towards the door, then two, then three.... before you even think about leaving. This will help anyone new to the process ensure that the treat doesn't become associated with panic. It is also important to stuff the Kong with a very high value prize, one they will only get when you do the training. I have been able to get my dog I am newly training to 10+ departures within a couple weeks. Then again, she is also on medication to help with training.
Nice intro to SA, Zak! I'm a Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer (CSAT) and sadly hear a great deal of misinformation out there. Thanks for shedding true light on this topic!
This video is so helpful! Thank you! My Belgian Malinois has SEVERE seperation anxiety. The things she's destroyed have cost much more than anything I have bought/paid for her the past 2yrs I've had her. And she's very loved and cared for, so essentially, she's caused thousands of dollars in property damage. Multiple times. I've tried everything, but absolutely refuse to give up on her. I even moved houses, got her trained as a therapy dog, and have all her papers. It's just very frustrating, as it gives ME anxiety to leave her at all, especially because she's so big, and I'm so tiny. No one else has the patience with her like I do. Before I got her from the pound, it was clear she had been abused. Huge gash missing from her tongue, and road-rashes on her leg. But she has the most beautiful soul I've ever seen! I know she loves me with all her heart, but it is frustrating to pay all the money for everything she destroys, complaints from neighbors, constantly ruined kennels, jumping fences taller than a grown man, constant barking, worrying about her, etc. I just want her to have the best life possible!
@Random dude 'Waits patiently', keys words there brotha. We're here because our dogs certainly do not wait patiently. They wait with high levels of anxiety, bark, cry, piss and shit when we're not around.
How long did it take for her to be Quite I work with dogs rescues Foster’s etc.I’ve never seen a case this bad as my Lab/Dalmatian She’s gonna pee in her cage and never quit till you let her outside Then ignore her while her 85lb body his bumping all around you!! This is hard when your disabled...We’ve has her for 3 years she sees we always come back never crate longer than 4-5 Hours...I have no idea what’s she’s liken when I’m gone...I know when we pull in the garage she don’t stop!! Till after being out of crate in back yard for about 10-15 mins
Anyone new here scroll down to lengthy comment below. Fabulous detailed tips from a viewer that gives you steps to take. You definitely want to read those tips
I got a dog two weeks ago. Her name is Emma. I work from home but there are certain days where I have to leave the house for 4 hours at the most. She definitely has separation anxiety even if I leave for a second. She's a mutt so I'm not sure what breeds she has in her but she's very affectionate even around my 3 year old. Her last family I was told abandoned her so I wouldn't be surprised if the anxiety stems from that but I'm going to start doing this exercise with her now. She listens pretty good during other training so I don't think this will be too tough on her but thank you so much for showing people freely how to be patient with their animals. It's so important to remember that they are curious of life as we are and that if they are able to be patient with us we should show them the same respect.
@@LifeWithKishaKayy haha. Let him/her stay out, she/he will cry but get use to slowly. My bathroom/shower peoblem is gone but my puppy hates to be home alone
My dog Barks and whimpers like crazy when I leave her alone. Even if I sit in front of her when she is in her X-pen! I think you should make a video about that,
I work at a doggy daycare and boarding, and there’s this dog who screeches for their owner the entire time. I usually spend the entire work day just petting him, holding him, teaching him to sit.
It was three months exactly yesterday when my family adopted our Beligian Malinois, Koda, from an interim shelter. We are her third home, so when we first got her she was a confused, emaciated 13 month old. She has anxiety identical to the dog in this video and whines instantaneously with any of us leaving the house. This video is a great starting point for me in figuring out how to begin to curb her anxiety. Thank you for uploading! :)
We just adopted a 7 year old pup. Not completely sure what he is, but they told us a jack russell mix. I recorded him today when I was away for about 30 minutes. He howled a bit, cried, etc.. When we get home he is always kind of whining and Super excited to see us. We are both teachers so I am trying to get him used to us being gone as much as possible!
We have a jack Russell mix too! He does the exact same thing. Trying really hard to work on this with him as we live in an apartment. One day at a time!
I guess it might be hard to be in solitary confinement 8 hrs a day and to know that’s all you have to look forward to every day. Sad. Poor dog. What did he do to deserve that. He’s a pack animal by nature so solitary confinement is an anathema to him and painful.
7 minutes of offering background to the potential causes for such behavior, which can be very helpful. It's a good thing you can skip around in a UA-cam video based on your particular needs, huh?
I got a puppy and she cries and whine everytime I leave her. But I am also working ftom home so I need her to stop. Watching your videos really helps me. Thank you!
I just got a dog from the pound 2 weeks ago, within our first 4 hours together he bonded with me and started with this behavior very next day. I walk him for an hour and half in the morning and an hour at the dog park every single day and challenging him with learning commands every day. He is amazing and perfect in every way, except for this problem. Working hard to resolve it, but it is painfully slow.
High thoughts: I would really love to see Zak George helping with the school system bc his way of teaching is great! Definitely helping me raise my puppy together one video at a time lmao. 😂
My dog has really bad separation anxiety... if I leave her alone for an hour my house will be tore up. I came home today to my bathroom cabinets ripped off and my door chewed up, as well as a towel. I’m not sure how to handle it because when I kennel her she just breaks her kennel or hurt herself
Anna We have the same problem with our dog, shes 5 yrs old....we leave her in the garage when we are gone out, when we come back, she will have a lot of things torn apart...we cant leave her in the main house area cause she will chew door knobs, door casings,,,etc.We are trying to find ways to resolve this but no luck as of yet, we thought of getting a cage and trying that during the day but we are thinking she will injure herself...
I’m having the exact same problem! The house has been torn apart poos everywhere just because I left the room for a bit! She does this quietly, so it’s either this or her barking and whining extremely loud. We put her in the cage once but she was biting it all and ended up hurting herself and crying out (luckily I was home at this time). We have to leave her for 5 hours tomorrow I can’t stand the thought :(
I'm about one year late but what I do is just leave for 5 min,then come back,do this like 10 times until he gets used to the fact that you'll come back.Once you do this leave him for longer periods of time
@@48Drummer Hi, in a case of anxiety like that please consult a veterinary behaviorist. Your dog will need medication to bring his stress level down enough to be able to train separation protocol.
I just got a 4 month old mini goldendoodle. She wants to be with me all the time, follows me and goes crazy when I put her in a crate. I am watching all of your videos in hopes I find an answer for her. She is a wonderful puppy. Last night she pooped in her crate and caused her mouth to bleed from mouthing the crate. She barked and whined continuously for 4 hours. Needless to say she is exhausted today and my heart is breaking for her! I’m going to try the tips from this video. 🙏🏼 they work!
We have 2 new rescue dogs and are having a difficult time leaving our home. They whine so much and we feel bad when we have to go to work. I found your vlog here and it has helped my partner and I immensely, thank you.
one of the worst things you can do with s.a dogs is to greet, say good bye, talk in a way you would to comfort a child. don't greet your dog, don't say good bye, spend two hours going in and out of your house picking up and dropping off your keys every time. do that three or four days, when you enter, far from door, wait until your dog has four on the floor, then don't speak, but give deep massage. you are looking to reduce anxiety, not bring up arousal which can translate into fear. you want complete calm when you enter and exit, then there will be complete calm when you are away.
* Zak you are seriously AMAZING! (My name's Jill Buchheit I'm on my friends account). I found you and your videos about a month or two ago when I just got my puppy. I just wanted to thank you for everything! You and Caesar Milan (911) are the only two guys I completely trust with the info and tips. You are VERY smart Zak. Please don't stop making your great videos. I have learned so much from you... THANK YOU ZAK! *
Listening to how this pup reacted to his parents leaving is pretty much identical to our English Bulldog. He's a year old, is SUPER attached to us and the only way we can leave him is in his cage - he doesn't destroy anything inside of it, but if he's not inside it and we walk out, he will bark and jump at the door. Watching this video gives me hope that we still can get to the point where I don't have to cage him when I leave.. I'll start working on the short periods of separation and gradually increase - thank you for this amazing video!
Zak..my mini-Dachshund was vet diagnosed with separation anxiety, and would often throw up.We experimented with different methods- when I just allowed her to stay/sleep in my chair with her fave blanket- the anxiety issue was resolved. She lived to be fourteen years and never was comfortable in a crate. With love and patience we can enjoy a full life with our Adorables🐶
Just got a two year old Vizsla-Pit mix. I’ve had him for three days, and noticed right away that he has separation anxiety. We are already bonding, but in addition to his breed, he’s been returned to the shelter twice for his high jumping. I appreciate this video, and the one featuring Vizslas. My new boy loves the human tot lot way better than the dog park. So, exercising him is the easy part. I may change jobs to help this boy relax; although, I haven’t gone back to work since getting him. We live on a sailboat, which is great for his agility.
Just discovered this channel and loving it because it aligns with the training style we’ve been using with our rescued 1 year old border collie mix! She is exactly like Colston with her separation anxiety. I had to lock her out of the bathroom to shower the first week I got her because she would open the door and hop right in with me. It was super cute but difficult. Now she has learned what shoes we put on when we are leaving her at home, goes in her crate on her own, gets a treat, and is quiet while we’re away (we’ve videoed her). It took about 3 months of intentionally leaving her every day (with set backs when we were home all day for a few days) but she has finally learned it’s not horrible for us to be gone and we will be back. Hopefully we can let her roam our home while we’re away soon. She would anxiously pace between our front and back door and bark the entire time we were gone (she’s not a loud dog indoors) so having the crate has been good for not allowing her to build her anxiety. I make sure she gets at least a half hour walk in every day before I leave. I try getting her to run by playing outside during our walk but she has zero interest in playing while outside, but loves playing inside, to the point where she will retrieve and drop toys in my hand or lap. I often wish she had some labrador in her so she is more interested in retrieving.
Thanks for mentioning that puppies under 3 months aren’t necessarily exhibiting separation anxiety and that they need more attention. I stay at home with my puppy and I was wondering if constant attention might instill separation anxiety.
I have a 3 years old miniature poodle, that has had separation anxiety since I got him when he was 8 weeks old. He howled and chewed on the wall beside the front door. I solved(?) the problem by setting up alarms on my phone 10 minutes before I leave and when I leave and also give him a kong. This way he knows that I'm going to leave but is calm about it.
@Zak George,This is a nice introduction to the problem of separation anxiety, one common area that this video doesn't touch is surgery, or really any time a dog can't have access to their routine of exercise and play. It can be a crippling period for both dog and owner. If you can either offer any advice or content on this specific area it would be a great addition to your already amazing lexicon of information. Thank you again for all you have done to help improve communication and relationships to animals and us as owners. :)
I have a three month puppy, and I’m a recent graduate from college and she was a gift. Now, since she’s a puppy she’s very attached to me and I’ve been trying to teach her how to stay home with other people but she’s cry’s until I come back or naps after crying for a period of time. I will start working soon and I’m worried she’s not going to last the 5 hours she will be alone until someone gets home. This video was helpful. I can use all the tips I can get!
I’m here because I got my dog during the beginning of Covid and now this is the first year I’m going back to homeschool in person and he’s been he’s never been alone for that long before
absolutely ridiculous. talking to them and exciting them just before you leave and when you return is creating an issue not alleviating it. silence and calmness is the key when leaving not telling them continuously "ill be right back". dogs dont understand english stop babying them and treat and respect them as the animal they are.
Our dog, Magic, was a shelter dog who my husband and I adopted a few days ago. He definitely has separation anxiety as his old owner neglected him and left him in a cage. Naturally, he gets scared when we leave because he feels he's being abandoned again. We're trying to train him on staying home alone and not crying/barking. Thankfully he's already potty trained and doesn't ruin our furniture (as he's 7 years old and past that stage) but he will cry forever until we come home (even though he's only be left alone for 3 hours till my hubby comes home from work since he works nights) and it breaks my heart. Hopefully, this video will help Magic not feel so scared when he's alone.
If you are going out hun go to UA-cam and type in Dog tv I watch it with my little one they have adventure walks they also have dog music. Trust me this works and it will help your pets too.
@@corina9269 I’ve actually used this for thunderstorms and it works well for him but not when we leave him alone :( we’ve even tried getting a second dog and he still cries. It’s specifically me and my husband because if we leave him with a relative he still cries at the door. I appreciate the help though!!! ♥️
@@corina9269 nope. It’s like he completely blacks out and doesn’t focus on anything except the fact that we’re gone. We’ve had people squeak toys, give him treats, keep him inside and outside and it makes no difference. Best thing to do is wait for him to tire himself out.
My Staffie is a rescue dog that doesn’t seem to have ever been socialized. She has terrible separation anxiety no matter what I do. I’ve tried the exercising and being playful before leaving. She screams like a banshee. Also she’s always great with people but not other dogs. She’s pulls when walking trying to get at them. She will snort growl and do her scream. I keep at it and hope that with time she will relax. I’ve had to put her in a heavy duty crate when I leave the house. She destroyed the regular one and I was afraid she would hurt herself. With me she’s a complete love 💕
I really find your video useful. we just adopted an 8th month old small dog and she definitely has all of these symptoms. i will try some of the stuff you said hopefully she will start getting more comfortable as the time goes by.
It's not really resentment. The best way to get over this is to provide another activity before you leave. Walk your dog then play fetch or something this will train him that your not just waiting on him to use the bathroom to leave. Another thing to watch out for is calling him inside right after going. Make sure you don't associate the end of anything with using the bathroom. The next thing is to teach them where to go when your gone. My dogs know to go on tile. If they go elsewhere they are called out on it, not punished just a negative tone to the household. If they go on tile then everything is good. My one dog recently started going in the shower and is praised for it. Dogs will have accidents during training. Don't punish something after it is done. Puppy pee pads are a great training tool.
I always feel so bad for my 3 month old puppy! Even when I leave to grab a water bottle from the garage he whines and barks as if he was I pain. He doesn't even let me shower with out him being in the shower room. It's it's not even leaving him alone, he hates it when i leave him with my mom or brother. He follows me everywhere around the house and hates to leave me
+Raging baby3 I am going through literally the same exact thing!! The only thing that help my puppy is a juicy bone, but that's only for when I leave him for longer periods of time like five hours or so. Without it I have to shut the door in his face, it's so sad!
It is naturally for dogs to be in a pack and ALWAYS be together when eating, sleeping, playing, etc. It takes kind, calm, patience training to reverse that part of a dogs bature.🙂
A second dog helped mine. TV series help them pass time. We leash walk before work (a second dog can be more challenging.) Then we walk in an open field with hills and swim after work. Sometimes we hit the trails, they like to feel like their hunting. We do pack walks at least 4 times a week, makes a huge difference.
Zak George's Dog Training rEvolution So Bruce Wayne, I work with dogs like this often. You can't be a good dog trainer without understanding how to handle these situations. Each case is unique. Several of the dogs in my videos have a bite history and I keep that in mind when working with them to keep them below threshold as any responsible trainer would, but who knows, I may make more videos on this in the future to show the power of positive training. However, I know that many skeptics of positive training will ask a question like this because they believe that force and dominance is the way to handle this and if memory serves me right, you may be from that "camp". If you are not, then I may be confusing you with someone else. I will tell you that every case is special and no one should work with a truly aggressive dog unless they are well versed in the modern science of dog behavior and that is not the average person watching my videos. My main concern in featuring content like this is that the average person, the people who watch my videos most, may wrongfully diagnose their dogs as aggressive when talking about something as basic as leash reactivity.
Zak George's Dog Training rEvolution I would be more likely to accept your method if you proved it on some aggressive dogs too. Also working with aggressive dogs is what made Cesar Millans show famous. So I bet it would help your channel out.
Bruce Wayne What would it take for you to believe that a dog is "aggressive"? Us filming snapping dogs and dog fights? Here's the thing, of the dogs with a bite history that I work with, primary goal #1 is that you do not push your dog to bite, because at that point you've lost them. It is not realistic to ethically communicate with a dog once they have gone into this state. It is the peak of irresponsibility to stand by and tolerate this behavior from a dog to then "put them in their place" by showing your "dominance" from someone who is truly trying to rehabilitate a dog. Having worked in TV for years, when I see these dogs going crazy and biting, it is painfully obvious that in more cases than not the behavior is being encouraged for the sake of getting the shot. I don't care about being "famous", I care about showing people the ethical ways to interact with dogs. The best teachers of dogs know how to teach a dog not to bite without pushing them to that point. Now this does take more skill than physically dominating a dog into submission. The best trainers or "rehabilitators" know how to teach without pushing a dog to biting. I hope this makes sense. Stick around, because when my "methods" click with you, you are going to get it as long as your mind is open:) Good question though! Zak
our dog has bad speration anixety he cries, barks and whin when we leave or if he's I'm his cage I'm the same room as us. he pees in the house and poops when he knows we are about to leave. it's getting really hard for us to deal with and we're trying to find different ways to deal. he's an very affectionate dog likes to be close to you in the same room and etc. he follows us around the house and walks back and forth between rooms if we're not all in the same room. what should we do to help him
+Amir McDaniel my dog had a mild case of separation anxiety, she would cry and whine even if i was in another room. she will wait for me and not move until i was with her again and this is what i did. when i left her i did not give her any attention and the same when i came back to her i dint even look at her, i came back to her and gave her no attention until she was calm or laying down in her bed. we play frizbe and do alot to tire her out we even train. i have only done the ignoring thing for only two days now and she hasnt barked or whined at all. she used to wait for me and just now i came down stairs and saw her laying on my floor so relaxed i was so surprised. shes learning and being more confident in doing things on her own. i even used to go and wait out with her for her to potty outside and now she just ventures out on her own and does her thing. i think its important to not give sympathy or attention when they freak out. its like having a puppy in the crate and you hear them cry so you take them out and they learn that crying gets them what they want. be strong and i know it hurts to hear them cry but trust me its what they need to learn to be a little more confident and always start slow. start with a baby gate and leave them in the other room and slowly distance it once they are calm just a few feet away. anyway hope i helped and good luck!!!
miah thanks love, those are great tips, I will try them for sure and hope for successful results, we just got him last month and he's a handful already! Sometimes I have to keep reminding myself he's only 10 weeks and he's still a baby and it's probably just puppy phase. We just dont want to carry it to adult hood, he's more closer to me than anyone else in the house so yeah. Lol he tries and challenges my granny, he doesn't seem to understand the word "no", unless you give him a light tap on the butt. Lol yeah it doesn't surprise me, we read so much about his breed. They said you have to be the dominant one, and right now I think he's dominant over me honestly lol, I will definitely try these tip's! Wish me luck! He does the same thing your baby did. I can't even go to another room for one second without him hollering 😳 he wants to be under me 24/7, I will be trying these tip's!
My puppy has it extremely bad. I have to work, 5 days a week and the first week I had her, she was great! I kept her in my room so she had my sent with puppy music playing and a clock ticking the entire time I was gone. Recently she's been getting out of the room somehow and tearing the carpet off the bottom part of the wall near the door and crying. I've gotten a complaint about her by a guy who works in my apartment building. I need every tip you have.. I work 8 hours Mon-Fri and can't take her. Should I puppy pen her while I'm gone?
arsh truth you definitely can leave a puppy this long, as long as you come home on breaks. Don't start going around UA-cam telling people to "REHOME" their dogs; you don't know what you're talking about...
Tom Lawler I mean, you *can* but that doesn't mean you should. Especially with young puppies, leaving them alone all day every day can be incredibly harmful to their development. That's clearly the reason that puppy is tearing up the apartment. A puppy needs constant attention and stimulation and it's unfair to a puppy to bring them into a situation where they can't receive that.
Our new family member is very similar to the dog in this video in that she displays the same characteristics of pacing, panting, whining, and eliminating in the cage ONLY when we leave. Very frustrating but we've tried all of the tips given in this video and we've seen a good amount of progress over the last five weeks but still a very long way to go. We got her from the pound and she was clearly abused but we don't have a whole lot of history on her. Previous owner surrender, 1.5yr female pit lab mix. Sweetest thing ever and loves anyone she comes in contact with. Our dog has slept through the night in her cage since we got her and eats her meals in her crate.n We make meal time last almost an hour with her getting about a 1/4 of a cup at a time without whineinig. She'll even put herself in the crate now on her own to take a nap which has taken about 5 weeks. I've been lucky enough to work from home during this time but now I'm getting out more and more. When we've tried to leave she just loses it in the cage. We took one of our outside monitoring cameras and put it in the bedroom with her and within 5 minutes pandemonium starts. She even bites the cage and has bent many of the wires to the point they're almost touching. We've tried putting a higher value treat in the cage with her and it's completely untouched up to two hours later. When we left her cage in the laundry with the door open and pee pads on the floor(just in case) same problem with the added benefit of trying to chew the baseboard off the wall to get in the other part of the house. Grrr. I'm concerned I'm doing damage and taking several steps back by leaving her in the crate when I just absolutely have to leave but I don't know how to get her to calm down a little. I've tried all of your suggestions with the exception of getting someone else to stay with her at the house and watch her while we drive off and back. to let her know we don't have to be around all the time. It's a challenge but she became part of the family instantly when we got her home and can only hope she's able to get the confidence that her world now will be much safer than it was before we picked her up. Hang in there everyone.
Thanks for the video!! My 8 week old puppy was showing a few signs of separation anxiety, and I got a little nervous. It's so good to know that this could just be because she's so little. :)
I love your videos! I'm going to subscribe to your Patreon account. I'm a dog mom to four rescue pups. They range in age from (our newest) 4 years to 17 years old. The latest rescue, Ruby, came from a hoarding situation. I don't know if you saw the story in the news of the woman in Coachella, CA who dumped 7 newborn puppies in a dumpster, but this dog came from her home after she was arrested. She had NO training in her life. Was severely neglected and the effects of that can be seen in her behavior. She spent two months with a rescue before coming to us. She is SO SWEET, so bonded (though it took a couple of days for her to even come to me), really smart and - sometimes - I find it hard to believe that she came from such a horrible place. She seems to have fit right in to our home. But with the bonding comes separation anxiety. I bought a doggy cam to see just how bad it was, and she pretty much barks the entire time I'm away. My husband is a musician and travels a lot, so most of the time it's just me at home with the dogs. I take her to work with me, which eliminates long hours away from one another, but if I have to go to dinner, or an event, I want her to be able to comfortably be alone for four to six hours at a time. She has only been with us for two weeks today. I'm about a week in to GRADUAL separation training with her. We made it to 90 seconds this morning, I got cocky, went to the store thinking she'd be okay, but...alas...the minute my car got to the corner, she started pacing and barking. I reward her when she doesn't bark, and I hold back rewards when I come back and she has barked. I'm not sure what to do beyond what I'm doing. I'm praying this won't take years to fix. She has quickly adapted to other aspects of her life with us (walking on a leash, learning to sit, stay, etc.) I just want her to be able to be comfortable while alone. Any tips? I wish you lived in Los Angeles so I could enlist your services on a one-on-one basis! Thank you for your videos!
Hi Zak, I have a male black pug puppy whose 44 days old and I don't have any problems with him other than the fact that when he's done playing and finished his business , I put him in his kennel to take a nap and he keeps yapping and clawing the kennel door until he sleeps on my lap. I feel this will lead to separation anxiety. How do I make it a better situation for the both of us? Thank you.
***** see I have no problem of having him outside and roaming around the house He does that all the time he's out ,just when he's sleeping he's in in the kennel. And I put him there so that he wouldn't chew on some wires or something and for something to happen. That's what I'm worried about. He's always outta the kennel , just when he's sleeping or I'm not there to have an eye on him I put him there.
Right now, I'd work on crate training. Teach your pug that the crate is a good place (or...kennel, I suppose). Give him high-prize treats when he's in there, and toys like that Kong toy shown in this video. Since he's so young, you might also want to try leaving in something that smells like you. A favorite toy of his wouldn't hurt either. Just like this video talked about, praise him for good behavior, and try not to accidentally reward bad behavior (for example, wait until he's calm before letting him out...if he's really acting up, it's okay to try to calm him down and reassure him that everything is okay to get to this point, just next time try getting to him before he acts up). If he's a food lover, try feeding him in his crate. Make the crate a regular place to go for varying amounts of time. Give your dog a routine that involves the crate (I taught my foster dog to go to his crate immediately after coming inside from outside, and my dog and my foster dog both knew to go to their separate crates for food time, for example). Puppies tend to be really difficult when it comes to sleeping. They want to be with you; they're not used to sleeping being an alone thing (whether it's you or them). Being away from you in general is hard on puppies. Just make slow and steady progress and teach them that it's okay to be alone.
anirudh venkatachalam make sure you're not physically putting him in there you need to make sure he's used to it. At his age you shouldn't be closing the door. best thing to do is let him sleep where he wants or try to get him used to the crate. you need to give them so much love and so much attention.
anirudh venkatachalam walk your dog and really tire him out then put him in the crate with unemotional energy. dont let him out until he's calm so you're not making him feel like he needs to escape from the crate. add a kong with wet food that you've frozen in the freezer. sit next to the crate without petting him or talking to him until he calms down (which could take really long) maybe read a book then work up to moving further away without looking at him and eventually leave the room. If he starts escalating in his crate with anxiety just tap the crate to show him that you disagree with his anxiety - don't use voice or you'll just add excitement. I had a beagle who would cry and destroy things and no sleep in his crate and really the thing to cure it was a bikeride to the dog park before work then he'd be fine. dogs have a lot of energy and need to get rid of it. even in anxious people they say exercise is the best cure.
@zak george... my dog is just over a year old... he has a lot of trust issues.. he has been abandoned by about 10 families (some fosters who just let him go) in just a year.. one of the families was really abusive ...So, it is natural that he has a lot of separation anxiety.. He stays with me at a dance studio where i work cause i cant leave him home alone... but if he keeps getting in the way of rehearsals etc because of his anxiety, i will be forced to give him up too.. He follows me everywhere, doesnt even let me take a shower without freaking out.. i perfectly understand why he is like this.. but is there anything that i can do to establish the trust that he needs?
I understand what you're going through. Most of Zak's advice is really useless. The one thing he gets right is EXERCISE. Nupur you have to be creative: So training would go like this. 1-Wear him out with a long run. 2-Do tricks (Sit, down, up, speak & stay (This becomes the class room the dog can recognize) (He knows he's expected to do SOMETHING for the food. (motivation) 3-Last trick is staying in a room quiet (while you read) part of the trick is getting them to go to the room. (start off with a few seconds then a minute, 5 mins. When he's quiet for longer times GIVE BIG REWARDS and lots of verbal positive reinforcement. 4-throw several non destructible toys in the room (You can even have a certain toys that you give them that gives them a sign of how long you'll be gone (5m minute toy) (1hour toy) or the (8hour toy) I guarantee you they'll pick up on this. It's a slow process but all HINGES on how CONSISTENT YOU are because dogs naturally try to anticipate our next move. This is a routine you build up to. Running and then learning the tricks and finally after a few weeks of success learning to stay quite and calm in the other room. Practice makes perfect!!!
I adopted Jerry the German shepherd a year ago. He is very likely an Easter-German or Czechoslovakian working line GSD. He was lost or abandoned by his owner, was not altered and was ~2-3 years old. He's "fixed" now. He was probably "unadoptable" due to constant barking and was put on Trazadone, Gabapentin, and a bezo' in 3 different shelters over 3+ months. Finally, he was given to the Seattle Humane Society and was fostered out to a neighbor of mine. He is calm and attentive when I am with him and loves to play with other dogs, but he is very alpha in his play style. His only issue is moderate to severe separation anxiety. He destroyed a crate by breaking out twice and has signs of chewing on bars--worn down incisors. He will bark incessantly when left in the house or car and eventually pee or get destructive. He used to follow me around room to room, but with treats, I was able to train him to stay on his bed and let me walk around the house if I command him to. I can walk outside for 10-20 seconds without him barking, but it's stressful for him. He is uninterested in food and treats when I leave him, but goes right to them when I return. I work from home but need to leave him in the car when I shop. I'd like to go to a movie or on a date without him and to to be able to leave him for 6-8 hours. He has a dog door and the run of the large yard. Ideas would be helpful. I love your videos!
Thank you for the info. I have a six month old border collie named Coconut and I spend A LOT of time with him as I am not working during the pandemic. He cries a lot as soon as I leave. I will try the rewarding his calmness
Has someone actually curbed their dog's SA following this video's advice? I keep seeing people saying the vids are helpful, then asking for help with the SA in the comments.
Mathemagics Yes, this method does work. I have watched other videos with the same advice. The key is being patient with the dog. One video I watched was time lapsed. This lady used the method suggested above and it took her hours to get the dog calm enough to just walk out the door with her jacket and keys with out it showing signs of anxiety. We also had friends with a dog who had terrible SA and used this method of training and it worked.
Yes, we did something similar and the pup really calmed down! Worked wonders, but she was really young. We just moved and it seems to have brought back the anxiety. Initially, it would take us 1-2 hours to leave the house because we would put her in a play pen, sit on the couch and wait until she was quiet for 1 min, then treat, repeat but then for 2 min, then 5 min of quiet, then 10 min. Then we would leave the room and repear (1 min slience = treat; 2 min silence= treat; and so forth). We'll probably have to start doing that again, but it seemed to work great after like a month of doing it.It does suck and takes SO long (and uses a lot of will power), but it does work! She def needs to be tired too though
Yes this definitely works! :) it took me 2 months; I have a German Husky (German Shepherd/Siberian Husky Mix) I was able to do it, even in a medium-sized apartment. It requires a lot of training. I would do the training whenever I had time: usually 1-2 hours each day. Every time I had to leave for work, either my boyfriend, my boyfriends family member, or one of my family members would come and dogsit so I could keep the separation anxiety training in tact. It's not hard to do at all, it just takes a lot of patience! I would always bring my phone out with my so I don't get bored waiting for those 1-2 hours and I'd always use the time I had to train like when I'd check the mail or do laundry or grocery shop! And an hour before I leave (or in the morning/evening), I'd exercise my dog for a good 10-30 minutes. I don't do it right before I leave because the dog is still active and it might make him even more anxious when he's in a high energy state. I always do the exercising 10-30 minutes and then a 5-10 minute cool down right before leaving. Even with training, exercise him/her 10-30 minutes. I hope this helps, and good luck! Your dog will get it (: trust me, my dog had one of the worst separation anxiety but now he's the chillest dog ever lol
Yes this does work. I use the same methods with my poodle mix. When I first got him it almost cost a vet visit. But after a year of working with him. No neighbor complaints. Then about 1.5 years in very little reaction to me leaving 2.5 years in I just tell him buy and he snuggles down somewhere and sleeps all day. No complaining at all.
My 6month old beagle is so smart he learns complex tricks in a few min long sessions, but he tends to whine and howl a lot when left alone. Our neighbors are cool and don’t mind to much atm. But it’s something I would definitely like to correct, thanks for the video I’m gonna put some up these suggestions to the test
My new rescue dog has it so bad. He hates the crate and the car. He doesn't like to play with toys either. The sweetest and calmest dog as long as I'm with him. I take the trash out and when I come in he greets me like I've been gone for a week. Literally follows me everywhere. I'm at a complete loss on how to help him.
I am so thankful for these tips. I’m leaving my girl with my parents for a week in two months and she has severe separation anxiety. It’s been really hard.
Okay so I know I’m late but. Sometimes dogs have separation anxiety because you’ve had them since they were puppies and their earliest memories were you they see you as the mom/dad. So that could be a reason to why your dog has separation anxiety..
I rescued a Great Dane from a high kill shelter last Friday. She is a perfect dog and I love her but she has separation anxiety. We tried keeping her in the kitchen while we were gone for work or just out in general and she would poop/pee more than likely both and would cry and bark for us to come back (neighbors told us this)... so we bought her a crate today I am hoping that this works bc she likes going in the crate and sitting in it without me even saying anything. She knows a lot of commands and is potty trained. She is literally perfect when we are home. She just sleeps and acts so calm and put together but when we leave she loses control of herself.
Great video. We have a 6 month old Pit-mix and he does fine while we're at work. He hangs out in the kitchen and we have someone come over around noon to take him out for potty, even if he's already done it in the kitchen. The problem is when we're home and in the family room watching TV while he is in the kitchen. The only separation is a baby gate. He can see us and we can see and talk to him, but he still wines and yelps until we either go in the kitchen or allow him in the family room, which is a risk as he might turn play mode on and go crazy. Other times in the family room he has been calm, but it's a crap shoot. We'll try some tips you suggested but thought I'd let you know what we're dealing with. Thanks again.
I hope you guys enjoy! Here's a playlist that will show you how to teach your dog the basics in order: ua-cam.com/play/PLMssKIjsDxXmMGypWsr8u-yGOUSoPoozb.html Thanks for subscribing!
My dogs separation anxiety is so bad. As soon as I walk out the house he immediately starts barking. Almost for 1 hour straight.
Zak George's Dog Training rEvolution
zack i owned a 2 years german shepherd yeasterday and i feel that maybe his behave is strange
he goes crazy when we leave
and a reminder i owned him to be a guard
THE most important thing is i feel that he's really wierd when I'm sitting close to him so plz help
We take our dog to a daycare
On the weekends we put her in the kennel
Zoe Milian if you do that then what's the point of having a dog?
Update on Ace - I have gotten him involved in playing some of the games ua-cam.com/users/postUgkx1_veP7CApJK_GWy_TczaMciuG64PqJeU and I can see a difference in his confidence already! My other dog played along and he became intrigued - now its a daily part of our routine - about 3 times a day we do the shell game and the muffin tin game. I am so grateful for coming upon your training techniques!
Having owned a dog with separation anxiety for 13 years (which two separate vets diagnosed as the worst case they had ever seen), I believe I have some first-hand knowledge of what works and doesn't work. First, let's translate this into something more relatable. Panic attacks...we've either heard of them, had them, or know someone who has experienced them. A friend who suffers from panic attacks once told me that she felt like she was dying during the attacks. Now imagine what your pet is feeling each and every time you leave home...welcome to separation anxiety. Separation anxiety is just a panic attack that your dog suffers each and every time you leave them. They come in different forms with varying degrees of stress, but make no mistake, these are doggie panic attacks.
Here is a list of what to do:
1. You need to make sure that your dog is thoroughly exercised. A tired dog has less anxious energy at the time of exposure to the triggers.
2. Watch for your own type of triggers. For example, walking around while grabbing keys, wallet, purse, jacket, etc. are cues to your dog that he/she should start getting anxious. You must desensitize your pet to these triggers. This takes time and dedication, so plan ahead before having to leave the house. Add an additional 30 minutes to your routine. During that time, pretend that you are leaving. Grab your keys and jacket, go to the door, open the front door, then close it and go sit down somewhere else in a calm fashion and remain there (reading, etc.) until your dog relaxes. Then repeat a few times at different intervals. Then start exiting the front door for a minute and then return. Ignore your pet at all times during this process. Your dog will come to you all happy to see you at first. Resist the temptation to acknowledge them. Each time increase the amount of time that lapses before reentering your home. Be sure to keep your pet guessing by leaving the third time one day and the fifth time another. Keep switching it up. That will keep your dog guessing and unable to ascertain when you are actually leaving. Be patient, this may take weeks before you see major improvements. However, if you stick with it, it will work! Your dog will stop getting anxious when you leave and when you return. As time goes by, begin reducing the time that you include in your routine before leaving until you just leave without any warning.
One important note...be sure you are calm (to the extent that it is possible) whenever leaving home. Dogs can literally read your emotional state by sensing your hormonal response to stimuli. If you are stressed and anxious...they will be too. Notwithstanding, keep in mind that any unexpected event may provoke an anxiety attack and you will then need to once again reinforce the routine. If your dog begins to regress, take a step back to examine what you are doing. Then begin the desensitization process once again. Even if your dog is not regressing, it's good to still do these exercises from time to time to reinforce the good behavior. Conversely, if your dog continues to regress, you need to look in the mirror as you will most likely be the cause of the regression. Sometimes we fall into patterns of behavior that inadvertently send signals out to our dog. Low energy/calm routines are the best ways to keep fido relaxed.
3. DO NOT GIVE YOUR DOG loves when he/she is in an excited state. Similarly, DO NOT OVERDO the loves. This is perhaps one of the hardest things that I had to learn. Our instinct is to shower our pet with love. However, this is disastrous with dogs that have separation anxiety. You need to give them love, but only when they are calm and in small doses. If they become too excited, you need to back away until they calm down. If they begin to regress, you need to take an honest assessment of how much affection you are giving your dog. It seems counter-intuitive at first, but you will recognize that your dog will be happier and less anxious with fewer huggies and kisses from you. If you ignore this advice, you will be unwittingly reinforcing their anxiety.
4. When coming home, DO NOT engage your pet for a good 15-30 minutes. Come into your home and go about your business completely ignoring them. He/She will be hyper-excited, so it is critical that you don't reinforce this behavior by giving them loves at that time. Wait until they are calm and then give them some brief attention and go about your business.
5. You must take steps to ensure that your dog is not always in the same room as you. Some dogs with separation anxiety exhibit velcro behavior. That is, they will be right by your side at all times. They will lay at your feet at any given moment if given the opportunity. Others will lay in different parts of the same room, but always staring at you or sleeping with their head aimed in your direction. It is important to not encourage this behavior and you MUST put your dog in a different room and/or out of your sight so that they can learn to become relaxed outside your field of view.
After many...many trials and failures, I came up with a formula that worked well with my dog. It minimized the anxiety to an acceptable level and the episodes of destruction and injury greatly diminished. However, they never went away completely. Just like you don't cure autism, you don't cure separation anxiety; you just learn to work with it and make your pet's life as enjoyable and stress-free as possible. I know that even after years of conditioning, an unexpected knock at the door, a strange noise, etc., when away from home can trigger a response. Such is life when owning a dog with separation anxiety.
As long as you fulfill their needs before your own, you will have a happy pet.
P.S. I know some will ask about medication. I went that route for short while but abandoned it after realizing that the only way to control the behavior with medicine was to use it at levels which greatly diminished her quality of life. That was a tradeoff I was not willing to make. Anti-depressants like Clomipramine did not work for us and neither did benzodiazepines like alprazolam (Xanax). Though not particularly successful in my case, there are some reports of the successful use of medication and behavioral modification (as described above) to help control the anxiety. Each dog will respond differently. Unfortunately, my dog was not a good candidate for this approach, but it is worth taking a look at this method if your dog reacts favorably to the medication.
I wish there was a way to save your advice. I will need it for future reference. I really like the detail and believe this could work.
I have a 6 month GSD that didn't exhibit SA when I got her, until the last couple of weeks
El Criticon Thank you so much!!
Only One Cannoli, I NEED to try this I have a 14 year only dog and SHE IS VERY ANNOYING at night, like barking, scratching, jumping in her food bowl, and also trying to get out. We let her out and she just quit going crazy.
Arent your hands sore
Thank you for the detailed advice, this is actually a lot more helpful than the video (for instance any kind of toy is completely useless when dealing with strong separation anxiety, our dog would not even care about it).
My dog literally crashed through a window trying to get to me when I left without him yesterday. Poor pup cut his nose. Now that's extreme anxiety.
did his nose heal? is he okay now?
***** He's okay now. Just a small scar on his otherwise brown snout. :-)
kevnar oh, good. can he stay alone now? my husky can't :(
***** We haven't even tried. After that last incident, it's too scary. So he's basically been with somebody 24/7. We've got to do some long term training, I think.
+kevnar i see.
Omg,my dogs is the same,he follows me everywhere "every step you take, every move you make, I'll be watching you"
Dani Meneghello bahahah
🤣🤣🤣
That's exactly what I did with my sheltie. He was starting crying and barking immediately I leave the house. So went out just for 1 second and got back instantly. Then I went for 2 seconds, then 3, and so on up to 10. 15 seconds, 20 seconds, etc. Yes it took a few hours to teach him to wait calmly just for 20 minutes. But at the end he understood that I'm not going forever and that me leaving and returning is not a big deal.
ekklesias
You were incredibly lucky for this to only take a few hours, in fact makes me wonder if he had real SA if it was that quick. For most people, 20 minutes will take weeks or months to work up to
Yeah my sheltie learned things a lot quicker than my doxie does tho lol. But he’s right this helps a lot
I wish that was working with my dog :( I've been teaching her for probably over a week now, I still only go out for a minute to a minute and a half, I started with 30 or fewer seconds, and she still cries within the first 10 seconds. I'm gonna start over with clicker training and if she's quiet for longer than 10 seconds click and come back in until it's consistent.
@@FoxyFemBoi did it work for you?
I could cry - thank you Zac! I’ve watched this video maybe 5 times in the past year as I’ve dealt with my babies extreme separation anxiety. I’ve tried big areas, his crate, I’ve tried kongs, CBD, thunder shirt, pheromones - EVERYTHING and nothing worked... UNTIL I rewatched this video this weekend and realized the key ingredient I was missing was to put him in a separate room (one he can’t see me leave from and is comfortable in). THIS HAS HELPED TREMENDOUSLY! He’s happy and calm and so far (knock on wood) his constant crying is little to none. So grateful for this advice! After a year of struggling I can finally leave the house again without worrying myself silly.
Assalamu Aalikum Courtney, I have watched this video couple times now and I haven't noticed the advice you shared right now either, Thank you for pointing it out.
I did cry today as my dog departed for the Lakes region, (NH) with a new friend! The first time we will be away from each other for an extended period.
Lindsay & I spent an afternoon together with my new surrogate and friend and now she is having fun and the time of her life playing with the goldie who is being fostered.. I raised my dog right & she has never had any trauma or abuse so this and have socialized her considerably in my life but she was around so many, kids, caTs, cows goats, and a bunch of yard dogs that ran in a pack sometimes total wide open fun. Now as a pup on the farm and was raised with her litter, staying together with most of them for over one year. Amazing results and my dog loves everyone and bays hello and talks to some like a true hound. So chill. I realize now I could crumble without her as pal & mate. my home is eerily empty without her right now. Due to me being so sensitive I could not support a rescue dog and I was blessed with the pick of the litter when she was 5 months old. My hard work on the farm.
She is fine and it is I who feels messed up a little but the excitement of a tropical destination getaway is an electric feeling!
Happy Thanksgiving as we give thanks to what we have achieved and do not take it for granted.
I’m glad that worked for you. It’s so hard to leave and be so concerned about our dogs.
Huhu Itried everything help me
What have we done to deserve such loving creatures? :'(
Lol the respond
We have advancing Tech and are the reason they are even alive. That is what we are doing.
Your stupid sinner ass didn't do shit to deserve it you idiot god gave it to us fucking dumb ass dont say stupid shit like that
@@Holyanointing lol wtf
*video about dogs systematically destroying your belongings because you have to leave the house for work*
WHaT hAVe wE DOnE tO DEsERvE SuCH LoVInG CReATurEs
This would be significantly easier if I didn’t live in an apartment
same
Exactly. I'm considering getting rid of him. It is giving ME anxiety
Make Me Over WEC don’t get a dog if your going to get rid of it, people like you are the reason kennels are full
Fayy well being threatin to get evicted will make you take extreme measures.
@@dckeater3534 You should have thought about the consequences of having a dog before getting one. Sounds like you shouldn't have a dog because you're not willing to work with them. They're probably better off with someone else.
Just got a new puppy and his anxiety gives me anxiety. I can’t even go to the bathroom without him freaking out. My kids take turn sleeping on the couch because he needs to be with someone. He is an 11 week old Siberian husky. I hope this video helps me a bit. Thank you!
I have to bring our pup w me even in the bathroom as I take a bath cause she just cries and barks endlessly😩
@@ender2664 yes!!!! My fur baby will be 3 and did everything but the long. Not a fan. I started with doggy daycare during the day for few days a week. I also noticed he was low energy after a full day at school so we then started minimizing daycare and increased time at home alone. When we would come home he would get crazy praise. And he figured out like....ooooooo I get to rest when they aren’t here but I get crazy love when they come home and they happy. Ok I’ll wait and be a good boy. Never miss a treat. A beat. A pet or a love any minute ur baby is alone. This video was excellent!!!
My dog has EXTREME separating anxiety, if I go to the bathroom for like 2 mins she'll be screaming and clawing the door and the way she screams make it sound as if she's being abused. Same with if we leave she goes ballistic and I can hear her crying all the way from my car.
I spend a lot of time in my room or outside and not so much in the living room area and my dog will only eat if I'm within 5 feet of her and the food bowl, she won't eat on her own so she ends up eating only once and MAYBE twice a day. I've got some vitamin stuff that is also suppose to help her gain weight but I just find it a little strange. (she's a fully grown 3 pound chihuahua)
Did you spoil it? Is the dog humanized ?
I have the same problem!
+Domini Gai I got her from a lady on Craigslist, she was like this when we got her.
+Desiree Becker So pretend it's a pup and start at day 1 ... easy
HI, I have a dog with severe SA too, but it has gotten a little better with years of training. in my opinion the only way to treat this condition is to do it step by step, very slowly. Make sure your dog is in a calm state o mind. (Like go for a walk, let it come home, settle down: then it's time to train). First you can just put on your jacket, pick up your keys or anything that you normally do when you're about to leave, but then not actually leave, just take off the jacket again and go back to doing what you normally do. Do this exercise at least 3-4 times a day. When your dog doesn't freak out cause of this anymore (like after a week or smth) you can go a step further and try opening the door and closing it again, without going anywhere.
In a few weeks you can probably go outside for a few seconds, then minutes, after a few months maybe half an hour. It is important not to pay any attention to your dog while you're training! (Coming and going shouldn't be any big business at all, if you compliment your dog a lot for just managing to be alone it can think being along is quite scary). This is the way! Patience is all that you need - it is very difficult but completely possible. My dog can be alone for about 20 minutes now without starting to pant, run around and howl. Yay.
lotta green What you may want to include is with each departure leave him/her with a special treat or toy they get only when you leave, and a nice verbal cue like "watch the house". When you return, take the treat from them, give it back and tell them their verbal cue and repeat the departure. This conditions them to know you will be returning when they receive the treat and verbal cue. Simple conditioning. Also, if you have such a severe case you may want to talk to your vet about supplementing training with medication. There should be no stigma in that if it helps your dog live a better life!
Louis DeMarinis Yes, that is a good point! But one has to make sure that special treat or toy doesn''t get associated with panic - this happened to me during the first year. Like when I gave the kong, the dog kinda froze, knew soon it's panic time. I didn't realize that first.
Last week my dog was alone for an hour without going berserk! I'm so happy :)
lotta green Exactly, that is important! That is why it should be given with the verbal cue at least 10 times before even stepping towards a door. Then one step towards the door, then two, then three.... before you even think about leaving. This will help anyone new to the process ensure that the treat doesn't become associated with panic. It is also important to stuff the Kong with a very high value prize, one they will only get when you do the training. I have been able to get my dog I am newly training to 10+ departures within a couple weeks. Then again, she is also on medication to help with training.
"Years of training" and she can only be alone 20 min. now!? FUCK ME! lol
lotta green Great post. Spot on. Thank you for spending the time!
Nice intro to SA, Zak! I'm a Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer (CSAT) and sadly hear a great deal of misinformation out there. Thanks for shedding true light on this topic!
This video is so helpful! Thank you! My Belgian Malinois has SEVERE seperation anxiety. The things she's destroyed have cost much more than anything I have bought/paid for her the past 2yrs I've had her. And she's very loved and cared for, so essentially, she's caused thousands of dollars in property damage. Multiple times. I've tried everything, but absolutely refuse to give up on her. I even moved houses, got her trained as a therapy dog, and have all her papers. It's just very frustrating, as it gives ME anxiety to leave her at all, especially because she's so big, and I'm so tiny. No one else has the patience with her like I do. Before I got her from the pound, it was clear she had been abused. Huge gash missing from her tongue, and road-rashes on her leg. But she has the most beautiful soul I've ever seen! I know she loves me with all her heart, but it is frustrating to pay all the money for everything she destroys, complaints from neighbors, constantly ruined kennels, jumping fences taller than a grown man, constant barking, worrying about her, etc. I just want her to have the best life possible!
i’m 16 an just got a 1yr old german shepard lab mix & i have to train her all by myself. these videos are helping me SO much !!! thank u 🙏🏼
My 2 rotts couldn't give a s. when I leave or when I arrive.
lorenzo magazzeni I wish
lucky you!
lorenzo magazzeni I wish my dog wouldn’t give a damn about me when I leave.
🤣🤣🤣
@Random dude 'Waits patiently', keys words there brotha. We're here because our dogs certainly do not wait patiently. They wait with high levels of anxiety, bark, cry, piss and shit when we're not around.
Someone told me, since dogs have shorter life spans, a couple of hours is like weeks for them.
I waited for my dog to be quiet then gave her a treat. She stopped whining for attention for a long time after that.
I tried that. Didn't work
How long did it take for her to be Quite I work with dogs rescues Foster’s etc.I’ve never seen a case this bad as my Lab/Dalmatian She’s gonna pee in her cage and never quit till you let her outside Then ignore her while her 85lb body his bumping all around you!! This is hard when your disabled...We’ve has her for 3 years she sees we always come back never crate longer than 4-5 Hours...I have no idea what’s she’s liken when I’m gone...I know when we pull in the garage she don’t stop!! Till after being out of crate in back yard for about 10-15 mins
Anyone new here scroll down to lengthy comment below.
Fabulous detailed tips from a viewer that gives you steps to take.
You definitely want to read those tips
I got a dog two weeks ago. Her name is Emma. I work from home but there are certain days where I have to leave the house for 4 hours at the most. She definitely has separation anxiety even if I leave for a second. She's a mutt so I'm not sure what breeds she has in her but she's very affectionate even around my 3 year old. Her last family I was told abandoned her so I wouldn't be surprised if the anxiety stems from that but I'm going to start doing this exercise with her now. She listens pretty good during other training so I don't think this will be too tough on her but thank you so much for showing people freely how to be patient with their animals. It's so important to remember that they are curious of life as we are and that if they are able to be patient with us we should show them the same respect.
My puppy literally screams if I leave him alone for too long.
anyone else here because their pandemic puppy cries whenever you leave them alone?
YESS😭😭😭
yesss
Yes I already got complaints in my new neighborhood apartment :(
Me he even want to get in the tub with me like get out 😂🤣🤣
@@LifeWithKishaKayy haha. Let him/her stay out, she/he will cry but get use to slowly. My bathroom/shower peoblem is gone but my puppy hates to be home alone
My dog Barks and whimpers like crazy when I leave her alone. Even if I sit in front of her when she is in her X-pen! I think you should make a video about that,
We love some PETFLOW! My dog gets excited every time I leave. He knows it's time to play seek the hidden treats.
That is so smart!
I work at a doggy daycare and boarding, and there’s this dog who screeches for their owner the entire time. I usually spend the entire work day just petting him, holding him, teaching him to sit.
It was three months exactly yesterday when my family adopted our Beligian Malinois, Koda, from an interim shelter. We are her third home, so when we first got her she was a confused, emaciated 13 month old. She has anxiety identical to the dog in this video and whines instantaneously with any of us leaving the house.
This video is a great starting point for me in figuring out how to begin to curb her anxiety. Thank you for uploading! :)
We just adopted a 7 year old pup. Not completely sure what he is, but they told us a jack russell mix. I recorded him today when I was away for about 30 minutes. He howled a bit, cried, etc.. When we get home he is always kind of whining and Super excited to see us. We are both teachers so I am trying to get him used to us being gone as much as possible!
We have a jack Russell mix too! He does the exact same thing. Trying really hard to work on this with him as we live in an apartment. One day at a time!
I guess it might be hard to be in solitary confinement 8 hrs a day and to know that’s all you have to look forward to every day. Sad. Poor dog. What did he do to deserve that. He’s a pack animal by nature so solitary confinement is an anathema to him and painful.
Cool video but it took 7 minutes to get to the point. You could really cut a good portion of the beginning and be much more concise.
tutumannyAQUE it's been 2 years have you started making your own videos yet?
bigmoethedon lol
Seriously.
7 minutes of offering background to the potential causes for such behavior, which can be very helpful.
It's a good thing you can skip around in a UA-cam video based on your particular needs, huh?
Im impressed with our 5month GSD, we simply told him that we will be back and
He is good wd it
I got a puppy and she cries and whine everytime I leave her. But I am also working ftom home so I need her to stop. Watching your videos really helps me. Thank you!
I just got a dog from the pound 2 weeks ago, within our first 4 hours together he bonded with me and started with this behavior very next day. I walk him for an hour and half in the morning and an hour at the dog park every single day and challenging him with learning commands every day. He is amazing and perfect in every way, except for this problem. Working hard to resolve it, but it is painfully slow.
Anyone else's dog started running around after hearing the dog whimper?
My dog started scratching on my door 😂
Tee Vice these videos can be incredibly difficult for me to watch because of how much my puppy reacts
Tee Vice no mine fell asleep
“Headphones”
High thoughts: I would really love to see Zak George helping with the school system bc his way of teaching is great!
Definitely helping me raise my puppy together one video at a time lmao. 😂
My dog has really bad separation anxiety... if I leave her alone for an hour my house will be tore up. I came home today to my bathroom cabinets ripped off and my door chewed up, as well as a towel. I’m not sure how to handle it because when I kennel her she just breaks her kennel or hurt herself
Anna We have the same problem with our dog, shes 5 yrs old....we leave her in the garage when we are gone out, when we come back, she will have a lot of things torn apart...we cant leave her in the main house area cause she will chew door knobs, door casings,,,etc.We are trying to find ways to resolve this but no luck as of yet, we thought of getting a cage and trying that during the day but we are thinking she will injure herself...
I’m having the exact same problem! The house has been torn apart poos everywhere just because I left the room for a bit! She does this quietly, so it’s either this or her barking and whining extremely loud. We put her in the cage once but she was biting it all and ended up hurting herself and crying out (luckily I was home at this time). We have to leave her for 5 hours tomorrow I can’t stand the thought :(
Ohh hell na throw the whole dog away
I'm about one year late but what I do is just leave for 5 min,then come back,do this like 10 times until he gets used to the fact that you'll come back.Once you do this leave him for longer periods of time
@@48Drummer Hi, in a case of anxiety like that please consult a veterinary behaviorist. Your dog will need medication to bring his stress level down enough to be able to train separation protocol.
I just got a 4 month old mini goldendoodle. She wants to be with me all the time, follows me and goes crazy when I put her in a crate. I am watching all of your videos in hopes I find an answer for her. She is a wonderful puppy. Last night she pooped in her crate and caused her mouth to bleed from mouthing the crate. She barked and whined continuously for 4 hours. Needless to say she is exhausted today and my heart is breaking for her! I’m going to try the tips from this video. 🙏🏼 they work!
We have 2 new rescue dogs and are having a difficult time leaving our home. They whine so much and we feel bad when we have to go to work. I found your vlog here and it has helped my partner and I immensely, thank you.
is mira fergie's cousin?
Lol, they do really look similar..
one of the worst things you can do with s.a dogs is to greet, say good bye, talk in a way you would to comfort a child. don't greet your dog, don't say good bye, spend two hours going in and out of your house picking up and dropping off your keys every time. do that three or four days, when you enter, far from door, wait until your dog has four on the floor, then don't speak, but give deep massage.
you are looking to reduce anxiety, not bring up arousal which can translate into fear. you want complete calm when you enter and exit, then there will be complete calm when you are away.
* Zak you are seriously AMAZING! (My name's Jill Buchheit I'm on my friends account). I found you and your videos about a month or two ago when I just got my puppy. I just wanted to thank you for everything! You and Caesar Milan (911) are the only two guys I completely trust with the info and tips. You are VERY smart Zak. Please don't stop making your great videos. I have learned so much from you...
THANK YOU ZAK! *
Listening to how this pup reacted to his parents leaving is pretty much identical to our English Bulldog. He's a year old, is SUPER attached to us and the only way we can leave him is in his cage - he doesn't destroy anything inside of it, but if he's not inside it and we walk out, he will bark and jump at the door. Watching this video gives me hope that we still can get to the point where I don't have to cage him when I leave.. I'll start working on the short periods of separation and gradually increase - thank you for this amazing video!
Zak..my mini-Dachshund was vet diagnosed with separation anxiety, and would often throw up.We experimented with different methods- when I just allowed her to stay/sleep in my chair with her fave blanket- the anxiety issue was resolved. She lived to be fourteen years and never was comfortable in a crate. With love and patience we can enjoy a full life with our Adorables🐶
does this work for whining at night cause he wants to sleep next to us?
Lydia M omg this is the most annoying thing.
There are people who don't let their dog sleep with them? Weird.
@@toripuckett5576 There are people that let dogs sleep in a bed with them? Now _that_ is weird. And also *disgusting.*
I need help!! My dog wants to be with me 24hours a dayand i need to work😔
Just got a two year old Vizsla-Pit mix. I’ve had him for three days, and noticed right away that he has separation anxiety. We are already bonding, but in addition to his breed, he’s been returned to the shelter twice for his high jumping. I appreciate this video, and the one featuring Vizslas. My new boy loves the human tot lot way better than the dog park. So, exercising him is the easy part. I may change jobs to help this boy relax; although, I haven’t gone back to work since getting him. We live on a sailboat, which is great for his agility.
Just discovered this channel and loving it because it aligns with the training style we’ve been using with our rescued 1 year old border collie mix! She is exactly like Colston with her separation anxiety. I had to lock her out of the bathroom to shower the first week I got her because she would open the door and hop right in with me. It was super cute but difficult. Now she has learned what shoes we put on when we are leaving her at home, goes in her crate on her own, gets a treat, and is quiet while we’re away (we’ve videoed her). It took about 3 months of intentionally leaving her every day (with set backs when we were home all day for a few days) but she has finally learned it’s not horrible for us to be gone and we will be back. Hopefully we can let her roam our home while we’re away soon. She would anxiously pace between our front and back door and bark the entire time we were gone (she’s not a loud dog indoors) so having the crate has been good for not allowing her to build her anxiety. I make sure she gets at least a half hour walk in every day before I leave. I try getting her to run by playing outside during our walk but she has zero interest in playing while outside, but loves playing inside, to the point where she will retrieve and drop toys in my hand or lap. I often wish she had some labrador in her so she is more interested in retrieving.
Thanks for mentioning that puppies under 3 months aren’t necessarily exhibiting separation anxiety and that they need more attention. I stay at home with my puppy and I was wondering if constant attention might instill separation anxiety.
My dog grabs my foot whenever I have to leave my house, it’s exhausting, he is a boxer 😞
I have a 3 years old miniature poodle, that has had separation anxiety since I got him when he was 8 weeks old. He howled and chewed on the wall beside the front door. I solved(?) the problem by setting up alarms on my phone 10 minutes before I leave and when I leave and also give him a kong. This way he knows that I'm going to leave but is calm about it.
@Zak George,This is a nice introduction to the problem of separation anxiety, one common area that this video doesn't touch is surgery, or really any time a dog can't have access to their routine of exercise and play.
It can be a crippling period for both dog and owner. If you can either offer any advice or content on this specific area it would be a great addition to your already amazing lexicon of information.
Thank you again for all you have done to help improve communication and relationships to animals and us as owners. :)
I have a three month puppy, and I’m a recent graduate from college and she was a gift. Now, since she’s a puppy she’s very attached to me and I’ve been trying to teach her how to stay home with other people but she’s cry’s until I come back or naps after crying for a period of time. I will start working soon and I’m worried she’s not going to last the 5 hours she will be alone until someone gets home. This video was helpful. I can use all the tips I can get!
She's a 13 week old puppy and she cries so hard when I leave and scratches at the door. It's heartbreaking and I feel so bad.
You really should not leave a puppy that young home alone for long.... how is it going now? I also have a 13 week old puppy with the same problems now
She is only home alone for like 4 hours. I come home from work on my breaks every day.
She keeps whining and when I leave she follows me around every where its kinda too much for me
My dog cries and whines. Even when we’re in the same room
MFidget studios did you ever solve your pups situation??
So does mine my dog I just got him and he was abused and ignored how do I get him to.stop wining?
@@kellyanndean9374 love on him. Pet him. Let him know hes ok. Tell him you love him
same here
Karen Rodriguez sane it’s annoying
I’m here because I got my dog during the beginning of Covid and now this is the first year I’m going back to homeschool in person and he’s been he’s never been alone for that long before
It was precious when colston was left alone but zak decided to give him comfort because he couldn't stand his stress
Love it I'm on the good side of youtube again💕💕💕my dog has a barking problem and opening the door also anxiety being separated from my mom.
absolutely ridiculous. talking to them and exciting them just before you leave and when you return is creating an issue not alleviating it. silence and calmness is the key when leaving not telling them continuously "ill be right back". dogs dont understand english stop babying them and treat and respect them as the animal they are.
He whines, barks and squeaks. Then when I return he loseshos mind running back and forth and tons of kisses
Our dog, Magic, was a shelter dog who my husband and I adopted a few days ago. He definitely has separation anxiety as his old owner neglected him and left him in a cage. Naturally, he gets scared when we leave because he feels he's being abandoned again. We're trying to train him on staying home alone and not crying/barking. Thankfully he's already potty trained and doesn't ruin our furniture (as he's 7 years old and past that stage) but he will cry forever until we come home (even though he's only be left alone for 3 hours till my hubby comes home from work since he works nights) and it breaks my heart. Hopefully, this video will help Magic not feel so scared when he's alone.
If you are going out hun go to UA-cam and type in Dog tv I watch it with my little one they have adventure walks they also have dog music. Trust me this works and it will help your pets too.
@@corina9269 I’ve actually used this for thunderstorms and it works well for him but not when we leave him alone :( we’ve even tried getting a second dog and he still cries. It’s specifically me and my husband because if we leave him with a relative he still cries at the door. I appreciate the help though!!! ♥️
@@princesslunar9091 not even the adventure walks?
@@corina9269 nope. It’s like he completely blacks out and doesn’t focus on anything except the fact that we’re gone. We’ve had people squeak toys, give him treats, keep him inside and outside and it makes no difference. Best thing to do is wait for him to tire himself out.
@@princesslunar9091 I’m so sorry hun, I really feel for you. Lots of hugs from Australia 🤗🌹
My Staffie is a rescue dog that doesn’t seem to have ever been socialized. She has terrible separation anxiety no matter what I do. I’ve tried the exercising and being playful before leaving. She screams like a banshee. Also she’s always great with people but not other dogs. She’s pulls when walking trying to get at them. She will snort growl and do her scream. I keep at it and hope that with time she will relax. I’ve had to put her in a heavy duty crate when I leave the house. She destroyed the regular one and I was afraid she would hurt herself.
With me she’s a complete love 💕
I feel like a dog can have separation anxiety without having any traumatic experiences and that it’s more of a pack mentality thing.
my dog just sits on the sofa quietly, when we come home he goes crazy.
One of my dogs have this. Whenever I go to pet my Labrador my chihuahua attacks him. And if I go for two minutes she starts crying and howling
Get rid of your chihuahua
@@A21twentyone no she shouldnt she needs to ignore her dog completely are go to the vet
@@yasmined16 if she has separation anxiety that won't go well
I really find your video useful. we just adopted an 8th month old small dog and she definitely has all of these symptoms. i will try some of the stuff you said hopefully she will start getting more comfortable as the time goes by.
I just started to practice your tips. It seems to work with my weimaraner. I'm so happy. Thanks
have you ever heard of anxiety that causes resentment poop or resentment pee is that a thing?
Jorge E. i think my dog does it..😔
It's not really resentment. The best way to get over this is to provide another activity before you leave. Walk your dog then play fetch or something this will train him that your not just waiting on him to use the bathroom to leave. Another thing to watch out for is calling him inside right after going. Make sure you don't associate the end of anything with using the bathroom. The next thing is to teach them where to go when your gone. My dogs know to go on tile. If they go elsewhere they are called out on it, not punished just a negative tone to the household. If they go on tile then everything is good. My one dog recently started going in the shower and is praised for it. Dogs will have accidents during training. Don't punish something after it is done. Puppy pee pads are a great training tool.
Yep that's my dog
It's not resentment, they are terrified. SA is a panic disorder.
Jorge E. My dog TOTALLY just started to do that. He's a rescue from a woman I know. She should have warned me.
When you get a new puppy and then your mom says, "Tomorrow's the first day of school!"
And you watch this....
I always feel so bad for my 3 month old puppy! Even when I leave to grab a water bottle from the garage he whines and barks as if he was I pain. He doesn't even let me shower with out him being in the shower room. It's it's not even leaving him alone, he hates it when i leave him with my mom or brother. He follows me everywhere around the house and hates to leave me
By the way my dog is a 4 lbs bishon chihuahua mix
+Raging baby3 I am going through literally the same exact thing!! The only thing that help my puppy is a juicy bone, but that's only for when I leave him for longer periods of time like five hours or so. Without it I have to shut the door in his face, it's so sad!
It is naturally for dogs to be in a pack and ALWAYS be together when eating, sleeping, playing, etc. It takes kind, calm, patience training to reverse that part of a dogs bature.🙂
A second dog helped mine. TV series help them pass time. We leash walk before work (a second dog can be more challenging.) Then we walk in an open field with hills and swim after work. Sometimes we hit the trails, they like to feel like their hunting. We do pack walks at least 4 times a week, makes a huge difference.
Does he have any videos where he trains aggressive dogs?
hes not a rehabilitator, hes a trainer. So hes not really one to rehabilitate dogs
doglover Untrue. I work with dogs with reactivity and difficulty getting along with others all of the time!
Zak George's Dog Training rEvolution So Bruce Wayne, I work with dogs like this often. You can't be a good dog trainer without understanding how to handle these situations. Each case is unique. Several of the dogs in my videos have a bite history and I keep that in mind when working with them to keep them below threshold as any responsible trainer would, but who knows, I may make more videos on this in the future to show the power of positive training.
However, I know that many skeptics of positive training will ask a question like this because they believe that force and dominance is the way to handle this and if memory serves me right, you may be from that "camp". If you are not, then I may be confusing you with someone else. I will tell you that every case is special and no one should work with a truly aggressive dog unless they are well versed in the modern science of dog behavior and that is not the average person watching my videos.
My main concern in featuring content like this is that the average person, the people who watch my videos most, may wrongfully diagnose their dogs as aggressive when talking about something as basic as leash reactivity.
Zak George's Dog Training rEvolution
I would be more likely to accept your method if you proved it on some aggressive dogs too.
Also working with aggressive dogs is what made Cesar Millans show famous. So I bet it would help your channel out.
Bruce Wayne What would it take for you to believe that a dog is "aggressive"? Us filming snapping dogs and dog fights? Here's the thing, of the dogs with a bite history that I work with, primary goal #1 is that you do not push your dog to bite, because at that point you've lost them. It is not realistic to ethically communicate with a dog once they have gone into this state. It is the peak of irresponsibility to stand by and tolerate this behavior from a dog to then "put them in their place" by showing your "dominance" from someone who is truly trying to rehabilitate a dog. Having worked in TV for years, when I see these dogs going crazy and biting, it is painfully obvious that in more cases than not the behavior is being encouraged for the sake of getting the shot. I don't care about being "famous", I care about showing people the ethical ways to interact with dogs. The best teachers of dogs know how to teach a dog not to bite without pushing them to that point. Now this does take more skill than physically dominating a dog into submission. The best trainers or "rehabilitators" know how to teach without pushing a dog to biting. I hope this makes sense. Stick around, because when my "methods" click with you, you are going to get it as long as your mind is open:) Good question though!
Zak
our dog has bad speration anixety he cries, barks and whin when we leave or if he's I'm his cage I'm the same room as us. he pees in the house and poops when he knows we are about to leave. it's getting really hard for us to deal with and we're trying to find different ways to deal. he's an very affectionate dog likes to be close to you in the same room and etc. he follows us around the house and walks back and forth between rooms if we're not all in the same room. what should we do to help him
omg same here, Malachi always cries! he sounds like a pig, I leave just for a moment and he's crying, it makes me feel so bad!! 😦
+Amir McDaniel my dog had a mild case of separation anxiety, she would cry and whine even if i was in another room. she will wait for me and not move until i was with her again and this is what i did. when i left her i did not give her any attention and the same when i came back to her i dint even look at her, i came back to her and gave her no attention until she was calm or laying down in her bed. we play frizbe and do alot to tire her out we even train. i have only done the ignoring thing for only two days now and she hasnt barked or whined at all. she used to wait for me and just now i came down stairs and saw her laying on my floor so relaxed i was so surprised. shes learning and being more confident in doing things on her own. i even used to go and wait out with her for her to potty outside and now she just ventures out on her own and does her thing. i think its important to not give sympathy or attention when they freak out. its like having a puppy in the crate and you hear them cry so you take them out and they learn that crying gets them what they want. be strong and i know it hurts to hear them cry but trust me its what they need to learn to be a little more confident and always start slow. start with a baby gate and leave them in the other room and slowly distance it once they are calm just a few feet away. anyway hope i helped and good luck!!!
miah thanks love, those are great tips, I will try them for sure and hope for successful results, we just got him last month and he's a handful already! Sometimes I have to keep reminding myself he's only 10 weeks and he's still a baby and it's probably just puppy phase. We just dont want to carry it to adult hood, he's more closer to me than anyone else in the house so yeah. Lol he tries and challenges my granny, he doesn't seem to understand the word "no", unless you give him a light tap on the butt. Lol yeah it doesn't surprise me, we read so much about his breed. They said you have to be the dominant one, and right now I think he's dominant over me honestly lol, I will definitely try these tip's! Wish me luck! He does the same thing your baby did. I can't even go to another room for one second without him hollering 😳 he wants to be under me 24/7, I will be trying these tip's!
+Amir McDaniel youre very welcome girly and good luck. what kind if dog is he? and its awsome hes still really young you have some hope lol.
miah lol yeah I know! It's like raising a kid I swear! And he's a pit, I never had a pit before
My puppy has it extremely bad. I have to work, 5 days a week and the first week I had her, she was great! I kept her in my room so she had my sent with puppy music playing and a clock ticking the entire time I was gone. Recently she's been getting out of the room somehow and tearing the carpet off the bottom part of the wall near the door and crying. I've gotten a complaint about her by a guy who works in my apartment building.
I need every tip you have.. I work 8 hours Mon-Fri and can't take her. Should I puppy pen her while I'm gone?
Tiffany Myrick I am sure you have REHOMED your puppy by now. you can't leave puppy this long.
arsh truth you definitely can leave a puppy this long, as long as you come home on breaks. Don't start going around UA-cam telling people to "REHOME" their dogs; you don't know what you're talking about...
Tom Lawler I mean, you *can* but that doesn't mean you should. Especially with young puppies, leaving them alone all day every day can be incredibly harmful to their development. That's clearly the reason that puppy is tearing up the apartment. A puppy needs constant attention and stimulation and it's unfair to a puppy to bring them into a situation where they can't receive that.
Our new family member is very similar to the dog in this video in that she displays the same characteristics of pacing, panting, whining, and eliminating in the cage ONLY when we leave. Very frustrating but we've tried all of the tips given in this video and we've seen a good amount of progress over the last five weeks but still a very long way to go. We got her from the pound and she was clearly abused but we don't have a whole lot of history on her. Previous owner surrender, 1.5yr female pit lab mix. Sweetest thing ever and loves anyone she comes in contact with. Our dog has slept through the night in her cage since we got her and eats her meals in her crate.n We make meal time last almost an hour with her getting about a 1/4 of a cup at a time without whineinig. She'll even put herself in the crate now on her own to take a nap which has taken about 5 weeks. I've been lucky enough to work from home during this time but now I'm getting out more and more. When we've tried to leave she just loses it in the cage. We took one of our outside monitoring cameras and put it in the bedroom with her and within 5 minutes pandemonium starts. She even bites the cage and has bent many of the wires to the point they're almost touching. We've tried putting a higher value treat in the cage with her and it's completely untouched up to two hours later. When we left her cage in the laundry with the door open and pee pads on the floor(just in case) same problem with the added benefit of trying to chew the baseboard off the wall to get in the other part of the house. Grrr. I'm concerned I'm doing damage and taking several steps back by leaving her in the crate when I just absolutely have to leave but I don't know how to get her to calm down a little. I've tried all of your suggestions with the exception of getting someone else to stay with her at the house and watch her while we drive off and back. to let her know we don't have to be around all the time. It's a challenge but she became part of the family instantly when we got her home and can only hope she's able to get the confidence that her world now will be much safer than it was before we picked her up. Hang in there everyone.
Thanks for the video!! My 8 week old puppy was showing a few signs of separation anxiety, and I got a little nervous. It's so good to know that this could just be because she's so little. :)
i am seeing this and i dont even have a dog
Lol
Geez, this dog is just like my cat... (cats can have separation anxiety???)
9:37/ "You're so much dog, do you understand that?" I love it 😂😂😂
I love your videos! I'm going to subscribe to your Patreon account.
I'm a dog mom to four rescue pups. They range in age from (our newest) 4 years to 17 years old. The latest rescue, Ruby, came from a hoarding situation. I don't know if you saw the story in the news of the woman in Coachella, CA who dumped 7 newborn puppies in a dumpster, but this dog came from her home after she was arrested. She had NO training in her life. Was severely neglected and the effects of that can be seen in her behavior. She spent two months with a rescue before coming to us. She is SO SWEET, so bonded (though it took a couple of days for her to even come to me), really smart and - sometimes - I find it hard to believe that she came from such a horrible place. She seems to have fit right in to our home.
But with the bonding comes separation anxiety. I bought a doggy cam to see just how bad it was, and she pretty much barks the entire time I'm away. My husband is a musician and travels a lot, so most of the time it's just me at home with the dogs. I take her to work with me, which eliminates long hours away from one another, but if I have to go to dinner, or an event, I want her to be able to comfortably be alone for four to six hours at a time.
She has only been with us for two weeks today. I'm about a week in to GRADUAL separation training with her. We made it to 90 seconds this morning, I got cocky, went to the store thinking she'd be okay, but...alas...the minute my car got to the corner, she started pacing and barking. I reward her when she doesn't bark, and I hold back rewards when I come back and she has barked. I'm not sure what to do beyond what I'm doing. I'm praying this won't take years to fix. She has quickly adapted to other aspects of her life with us (walking on a leash, learning to sit, stay, etc.) I just want her to be able to be comfortable while alone. Any tips?
I wish you lived in Los Angeles so I could enlist your services on a one-on-one basis! Thank you for your videos!
I have a chihuahua/terrier mix who barks a ton while i'm gone. I am one of those people you described as being gone for nearly over 8hrs most days.
My dog cries and he claws at the crate when I leave.
snail juice same here
Hi Zak,
I have a male black pug puppy whose 44 days old and I don't have any problems with him other than the fact that when he's done playing and finished his business , I put him in his kennel to take a nap and he keeps yapping and clawing the kennel door until he sleeps on my lap. I feel this will lead to separation anxiety. How do I make it a better situation for the both of us?
Thank you.
Dude for ur pup, ur like his family! Don't put him in a kennel just yet! Wait for him to become 3 months old!
***** see I have no problem of having him outside and roaming around the house
He does that all the time he's out ,just when he's sleeping he's in in the kennel. And I put him there so that he wouldn't chew on some wires or something and for something to happen. That's what I'm worried about. He's always outta the kennel , just when he's sleeping or I'm not there to have an eye on him I put him there.
Right now, I'd work on crate training. Teach your pug that the crate is a good place (or...kennel, I suppose). Give him high-prize treats when he's in there, and toys like that Kong toy shown in this video. Since he's so young, you might also want to try leaving in something that smells like you. A favorite toy of his wouldn't hurt either. Just like this video talked about, praise him for good behavior, and try not to accidentally reward bad behavior (for example, wait until he's calm before letting him out...if he's really acting up, it's okay to try to calm him down and reassure him that everything is okay to get to this point, just next time try getting to him before he acts up). If he's a food lover, try feeding him in his crate. Make the crate a regular place to go for varying amounts of time. Give your dog a routine that involves the crate (I taught my foster dog to go to his crate immediately after coming inside from outside, and my dog and my foster dog both knew to go to their separate crates for food time, for example).
Puppies tend to be really difficult when it comes to sleeping. They want to be with you; they're not used to sleeping being an alone thing (whether it's you or them). Being away from you in general is hard on puppies. Just make slow and steady progress and teach them that it's okay to be alone.
anirudh venkatachalam make sure you're not physically putting him in there you need to make sure he's used to it. At his age you shouldn't be closing the door. best thing to do is let him sleep where he wants or try to get him used to the crate. you need to give them so much love and so much attention.
anirudh venkatachalam walk your dog and really tire him out then put him in the crate with unemotional energy. dont let him out until he's calm so you're not making him feel like he needs to escape from the crate. add a kong with wet food that you've frozen in the freezer. sit next to the crate without petting him or talking to him until he calms down (which could take really long) maybe read a book then work up to moving further away without looking at him and eventually leave the room. If he starts escalating in his crate with anxiety just tap the crate to show him that you disagree with his anxiety - don't use voice or you'll just add excitement. I had a beagle who would cry and destroy things and no sleep in his crate and really the thing to cure it was a bikeride to the dog park before work then he'd be fine. dogs have a lot of energy and need to get rid of it. even in anxious people they say exercise is the best cure.
@zak george... my dog is just over a year old... he has a lot of trust issues.. he has been abandoned by about 10 families (some fosters who just let him go) in just a year.. one of the families was really abusive ...So, it is natural that he has a lot of separation anxiety.. He stays with me at a dance studio where i work cause i cant leave him home alone... but if he keeps getting in the way of rehearsals etc because of his anxiety, i will be forced to give him up too.. He follows me everywhere, doesnt even let me take a shower without freaking out.. i perfectly understand why he is like this.. but is there anything that i can do to establish the trust that he needs?
Nupur Gandhekar hope someone answers to this serious problem :)
I hope so too😃
I understand what you're going through. Most of Zak's advice is really useless. The one thing he gets right is EXERCISE.
Nupur you have to be creative:
So training would go like this.
1-Wear him out with a long run.
2-Do tricks (Sit, down, up, speak & stay (This becomes the class room the dog can recognize) (He knows he's expected to do SOMETHING for the food. (motivation)
3-Last trick is staying in a room quiet (while you read) part of the trick is getting them to go to the room. (start off with a few seconds then a minute, 5 mins. When he's quiet for longer times GIVE BIG REWARDS and lots of verbal positive reinforcement.
4-throw several non destructible toys in the room (You can even have a certain toys that you give them that gives them a sign of how long you'll be gone (5m minute toy) (1hour toy) or the (8hour toy) I guarantee you they'll pick up on this.
It's a slow process but all HINGES on how CONSISTENT YOU are because dogs naturally try to anticipate our next move.
This is a routine you build up to. Running and then learning the tricks and finally after a few weeks of success learning to stay quite and calm in the other room.
Practice makes perfect!!!
Get rid of him
I adopted Jerry the German shepherd a year ago. He is very likely an Easter-German or Czechoslovakian working line GSD. He was lost or abandoned by his owner, was not altered and was ~2-3 years old. He's "fixed" now. He was probably "unadoptable" due to constant barking and was put on Trazadone, Gabapentin, and a bezo' in 3 different shelters over 3+ months. Finally, he was given to the Seattle Humane Society and was fostered out to a neighbor of mine. He is calm and attentive when I am with him and loves to play with other dogs, but he is very alpha in his play style. His only issue is moderate to severe separation anxiety. He destroyed a crate by breaking out twice and has signs of chewing on bars--worn down incisors. He will bark incessantly when left in the house or car and eventually pee or get destructive. He used to follow me around room to room, but with treats, I was able to train him to stay on his bed and let me walk around the house if I command him to. I can walk outside for 10-20 seconds without him barking, but it's stressful for him. He is uninterested in food and treats when I leave him, but goes right to them when I return. I work from home but need to leave him in the car when I shop. I'd like to go to a movie or on a date without him and to to be able to leave him for 6-8 hours. He has a dog door and the run of the large yard. Ideas would be helpful. I love your videos!
Thank you for the info.
I have a six month old border collie named Coconut and I spend A LOT of time with him as I am not working during the pandemic. He cries a lot as soon as I leave.
I will try the rewarding his calmness
my dog fucks up the house when i leave
i just got a dog like 4 days ago and she whines and whines at night
thanks for the reply :) but she just had some separation anxiety and is a wonderful dog ! she sleeps in room now
Same here! Exactly four days ago lol. She sleeps in my bed now and is fine lol
Has someone actually curbed their dog's SA following this video's advice? I keep seeing people saying the vids are helpful, then asking for help with the SA in the comments.
Mathemagics Yes, this method does work. I have watched other videos with the same advice. The key is being patient with the dog. One video I watched was time lapsed. This lady used the method suggested above and it took her hours to get the dog calm enough to just walk out the door with her jacket and keys with out it showing signs of anxiety. We also had friends with a dog who had terrible SA and used this method of training and it worked.
Yes, we did something similar and the pup really calmed down! Worked wonders, but she was really young. We just moved and it seems to have brought back the anxiety. Initially, it would take us 1-2 hours to leave the house because we would put her in a play pen, sit on the couch and wait until she was quiet for 1 min, then treat, repeat but then for 2 min, then 5 min of quiet, then 10 min. Then we would leave the room and repear (1 min slience = treat; 2 min silence= treat; and so forth). We'll probably have to start doing that again, but it seemed to work great after like a month of doing it.It does suck and takes SO long (and uses a lot of will power), but it does work! She def needs to be tired too though
Yes this definitely works! :) it took me 2 months; I have a German Husky (German Shepherd/Siberian Husky Mix) I was able to do it, even in a medium-sized apartment. It requires a lot of training. I would do the training whenever I had time: usually 1-2 hours each day. Every time I had to leave for work, either my boyfriend, my boyfriends family member, or one of my family members would come and dogsit so I could keep the separation anxiety training in tact. It's not hard to do at all, it just takes a lot of patience! I would always bring my phone out with my so I don't get bored waiting for those 1-2 hours and I'd always use the time I had to train like when I'd check the mail or do laundry or grocery shop! And an hour before I leave (or in the morning/evening), I'd exercise my dog for a good 10-30 minutes. I don't do it right before I leave because the dog is still active and it might make him even more anxious when he's in a high energy state. I always do the exercising 10-30 minutes and then a 5-10 minute cool down right before leaving. Even with training, exercise him/her 10-30 minutes. I hope this helps, and good luck! Your dog will get it (: trust me, my dog had one of the worst separation anxiety but now he's the chillest dog ever lol
Yes this does work. I use the same methods with my poodle mix. When I first got him it almost cost a vet visit. But after a year of working with him. No neighbor complaints. Then about 1.5 years in very little reaction to me leaving 2.5 years in I just tell him buy and he snuggles down somewhere and sleeps all day. No complaining at all.
My 6month old beagle is so smart he learns complex tricks in a few min long sessions, but he tends to whine and howl a lot when left alone. Our neighbors are cool and don’t mind to much atm. But it’s something I would definitely like to correct, thanks for the video I’m gonna put some up these suggestions to the test
My new rescue dog has it so bad. He hates the crate and the car. He doesn't like to play with toys either. The sweetest and calmest dog as long as I'm with him. I take the trash out and when I come in he greets me like I've been gone for a week. Literally follows me everywhere. I'm at a complete loss on how to help him.
does someone knows where Zack trains dogs ?? which state ??
AleMakeup: New Orleans
Here in 2019! Who else?
She looks like fergie
She looks good
I have separation anxiety when i'm away from your calming videos. lol. but seriously, well done, another very thoughtful video
I am so thankful for these tips. I’m leaving my girl with my parents for a week in two months and she has severe separation anxiety. It’s been really hard.
Okay so I know I’m late but. Sometimes dogs have separation anxiety because you’ve had them since they were puppies and their earliest memories were you they see you as the mom/dad. So that could be a reason to why your dog has separation anxiety..
“He’s like a dinosaur!”
Another 12 minutes of my life wasted on a Kong commercial.....
I rescued a Great Dane from a high kill shelter last Friday. She is a perfect dog and I love her but she has separation anxiety. We tried keeping her in the kitchen while we were gone for work or just out in general and she would poop/pee more than likely both and would cry and bark for us to come back (neighbors told us this)... so we bought her a crate today I am hoping that this works bc she likes going in the crate and sitting in it without me even saying anything. She knows a lot of commands and is potty trained. She is literally perfect when we are home. She just sleeps and acts so calm and put together but when we leave she loses control of herself.
Great video. We have a 6 month old Pit-mix and he does fine while we're at work. He hangs out in the kitchen and we have someone come over around noon to take him out for potty, even if he's already done it in the kitchen. The problem is when we're home and in the family room watching TV while he is in the kitchen. The only separation is a baby gate. He can see us and we can see and talk to him, but he still wines and yelps until we either go in the kitchen or allow him in the family room, which is a risk as he might turn play mode on and go crazy. Other times in the family room he has been calm, but it's a crap shoot. We'll try some tips you suggested but thought I'd let you know what we're dealing with. Thanks again.