Crying dog General Chat

I'm old and a bit stupid
We have a West Highland Terrier, female, about 5 years old.
The guy next door recently and very politely told us that she is
crying/howling when left alone. We had no idea and recorded her ----------
it was awful.
Okay, when we go out she stays for a few hours with friends and their kids.
She loves these people to bits!
I have just found out that she is crying/howling even with them.

Separation anxiety I understand, Goggled it.
Could it be that the dog is so attached to us that she can't bear us not to
be there? She is fine when one of us is there.
We have tried calming tablets, didn't work.

I don't really understand this forum :-(
If you would like to help us out: [email removed]
I will of course look here.
Thanks

<<<---- I feel your pain!
My girl lived with a large number of Beagles until she came to us. She does have another Beagle for company, but still barks when we leave her - not a dreadful noise, but she does not give up. We have tried gradual training techniques, but she does seem to know when we are staging a departure, and when we really have gone.
We find that something like a cow's hoof will keep her occupied long enough for a quick trip to the supermarket, but for anything longer, the dogs have to come in the car with us - very inconvenient during hot weather when they really should not be left in a car. We have to look for shade, carry a fan with two sets of batteries, fit a rear door spacer/ventilator, have a silver sheet for the roof and screens for the windows. The dogs have been fine, but I still worry that someone is going to complain.

This site is doing my head in
I thought that there should be a separate page to reply to you, I can't see one.
My dog is not really interested in toys, a chewie will be gobbled asap.
Looks like I'm stuffed here.
I have little faith in dog behavior specialists.

Thanks for your reply

Steve, in England.

No Steve, just tap 'Reply' and type in the box - unless you want to start a new topic of course. I am sure that the behaviourist methods for dealing with Sep. Anx. do work, the trouble is that it isn't a quick fix, as it relies on starting with really brief absences, and increasing so slowly that the dog isn't given the chance to fail. However, the longer it has been happening, the more entrenched it becomes, which is a problem for rehomed older dogs.

She is fine when I nip out to the corner shop, she seems to know that I will not be out for long. Then, I get one hell of a greeting when I get back.
I just can't trust some behavior person; snake oil in my opinion.

What is she like when you are home with her? Is she a 'velcro' dog or is she happy to settle when you leave the room?

She is fine, no problems at all.

How long do you have to be out before she starts howling/whining?

How long before she starts howling/whining when left with your friends?

How often is she left alone or with friends?

More questions (sorry, it's a habit born of being a retired 'snake oil salesman')

Where is/was she left at home?

Have your friends tried playing with her while you leave and keeping her occupied?

What do you do when you leave her? Are you matter of fact, fussy, etc?

We used to close the curtains and all of the windows, give her a a couple of chew sticks and hope that she would sleep in her bed. She is one hell of a sleeper.

How do you mean with "fussy"?

By fussy, I mean do you make a fuss before you leave her, or sound anxious (we often do without meaning to with the 'don't worry, we'll not be long' type things we say).

With the time-frame when you leave her in your own home, I wonder if she perhaps gets bored?

I take it that you've already ruled out the common triggers like noises, sights, sounds. If not, record her again and see if you can pick anything up.

Also, look at the room you leave her in. Is she usually in there and does she usually settle OK in it.

She got a chewie before we went out, no big fuss made of her.
She even cry's when left with friends. They have a dog which spends a lot of time at our house.
There were no noises recorded.

Rather than chews every time have you tried stuffing a kong toy then freeze it, should keep her busy for a while, leaving radio or telly on might also help.

She was never very big on toys. We just can't take the chance on leaving her alone. The guy next door was very good about it. If you had heard the recording it sounded like she was in pain!
Like I said, she does this when we leave her with a friends. They have two kids and their own dog.

I wonder if your friends and their kids could do you a favour next time you leave her with them. Ask them to start a game with her while you are there and continue it during and after your departure. As soon as she starts showing any sign of starting to howl or whine, start the game again (preferably just before if they can see the signs).

Your girl is 5 years old and I'm guessing she's done this (unknown to you) for most of that time so it has become a habit. If you can start to change that habit, you may well be able to break it

The kids are all over her, they love her to bits and she loves them to bits.
Her boyfriend dog is also there.
Then, she will just start crying.

And yes, I also suspect that she has been crying for quite a long time when left alone at home.
I asked the guy next door how long this had been going on for, he sort of muttered "a couple of weeks".
The recording was awful to hear. Not howling, she was crying :-(

So she doesn't cry straight away when left with your friends?

When does it start when she's with them?

Is it, perhaps, when things quieten down a little?

Things never quieten down there

I guess that she just can't be without her mum and dad.

She's just being a baby. Hard to get a hand on if it happens when you're not there. My boy sometimes barks if he hears something outside. It's never anything and his barking is very loud and annoying. I just tell him to shut up TBH. I look over his way and say "Nigredo shut up and sit down." He doesn't understand English so it's not as mean as it seems, but he gets the message. Babying the dog won't help. Ages ago when I was little, we had a German Shepherd named Derek. He literally barked ALL NIGHT, EVERY NIGHT. Took only a little of this before my parents returned him to the shelter, realizing why he was there to begin with. Sometimes, there's nothing you can do in these cases. Dog "behaviorists", especially in my part of the world, are usually just unlicensed, expensive, know it alls that end up telling you that nothing can be done anyway.