[amylou57]

Hi All!

I was wondering if anyone else has a beagle with separation anxiety. When we first got Wyatt, he did ok in his kennel. As time wore on, we got him an exercise pen in the basement, thinking he'd like to have some room to move around. Soon he would balk at going down the stairs and cry like crazy when we left. I feel like we've tried everything and it breaks my heart to hear him cry. He gets pretty destructive also...his new blanket is now in shreds. This has been going on for two years now and I can't take him being upset anymore. I've resorted to leaving the house early just so I don't have to hear the crying, which isn't fair to my hubby at all. :nono5: I was just wondering if anyone dealt with the same thing and what they had done to help their pup. My husband is convinced Wyatt needs a brother and while I'm all about getting another "baby," I simply cannot juggle puppyhood right now. Any ideas would be great! /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

 

[Murphys Dad]

Wyatt is part of the pack and when he is shunned of to the basement he is separated from the pack. I can't be home without the Bagel (my rescued beagle) being in the same room. He, however, has a job to do whilst I am at work, protecting our yard from evil pigeons, and fretting the lizards. I don't know how you can make Wyatt understand but I wonder if his crying is only while he knows the pack is upstairs? Wyatt may well calm down when he hears the door close behind your DH. There are medications and tricks like leaving a sweaty article of DHs clothing but unless Wyatt see's a purpose in the basement, he will suffer angst in his exile from the pack. Many of us have gone, or are going through this so others may have some better advise.

 

[Murphys Dad]

I too have this problem with Jersey. We live in an apartment so I have to remove her every day to keep the complaints away. In her crate, out of the crate, no matter what she would just howl for hours until we got home. She wasn't destructive, just vocal. These are all the things I've tried...none have worked for us, but hopefully you'll have better luck. I've been lucky that I found an excellent doggy day care.

Training - put Wyatt in a sit/stay and leave the room. Each time he stays while you are gone give him a reward. Start off small, just a second and come right back, working up the time as he gets better. Once you can leave the room for an extended period and he stays you can then work on leaving the house. Again, just start off small. Go outside, close the door and come right back in. Put on your shoes and pick up your keys/purse/whatever else you usually bring with you when you leave. This will stop him associating these things with you going. Do the same things like you do when you leave, but then go sit down and watch TV. Retrain him to what leaving looks like. Then he won't know when it's for real. I'm at the point where I can leave for about 3 minutes now before Jersey starts howling. :freak: I think that with a few more years of practice, I'll actually be able to go to a movie. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif

Rescue Remedy or some other type of herbal supplement to calm him down - We even went to the vets and got sedatives. They didn't work. Jersey got so anxious that she counter acted any benefit of them. There is also a drug called Clomipromine (AKA Clomicalm). It's an anti-anxiety medication. It didn't work for us.

Leaving a TV/Radio on so it's not silent when you're gone.

They have these things that send out an ultrasonic sound when the dog barks. The noise is supposed to hurt their ears and make them stop. Jersey just cried more. Luckily, PetSmart is very lenient on returns.

The only things I haven't done are a Citronella collar (it sprays citronella out whenever they bark - just very expensive), an electric bark collar (I won't shock my dog because she's upset her mommy left) and another dog (only because I'm in an apartment and it would be too hard to handle).

Good luck! There is a lot of info out there on the internet. I did a Google search and got a lot of sites with good info. Jersey is just very persistant about not being left alone.

 

[Hayley's Mom]

Wyatt is a real cutie! We always leave the tv on when we leave and have a special "we will be back soon" treat. We always gated in the kitchen while we were gone but when Toby turned 2 he suddenly became mature enough to have the run of the house without problems. I am sure you are going to get tons of help here, but something you might want to consider is getting a rescue beagle rather than a puppy. Most rescues evaluate the temperment of the dog prior to adopting them out so you should make sure the new addition doesn't have anxiety problems. It could help Wyatt learn that being left with a buddy isn't all that bad - plus you could adopt a dog that is already through the puppy stages. Good luck and don't give up. It always seems like our babies grow up right when we are at the end of our rope. Keep us posted. Hugs, Julie

 

[Mom of 2 Beagles]

Wyatt is certainly a cutie!! We have never had that problem luckily. Even when we only had 1 Beagle years ago.

Do you have a Doggie Day care nearby? I always suggest this for doggies that have separation anxiety or are destructive. Because I took ours to dog day care when they were little. They loved it and our house stayed a little less destructed.

 

[Murphys Dad]

Oh, and I forgot to mention the stuffed Kongs and other "long term" treats to keep her occupied while I was gone. She'd eat them and then start howling. :smack: