This is great advice for a dog that already has separation anxiety, but if you just got a new pup and don’t want your dog to have separation issues you need to do the following; Do not say bye to your dog on the way out of the door, Do not speak or have eye contact with your dog after it’s been put in it’s crate, .Do not look or talk to your dog for at least 2 to 5 minutes upon your return home, after 2 to 5 minutes if the dog is quiet you can let it out of the crate,praise, and give it a treat. And of course make sure you dog always has plenty of water . Good luck
I typed a long winded explanation of what I done to ease my rescue dogs separation anxiety but you covered almost all the bases with your post. Only difference being my dog doesn't have a crate just a bed and as I leave I leave her with a dental stick which keeps her occupied while we pull out of drive, 2 weeks from howling, crying, pacing and scratching at back door to stays in bed sleeping with occasional trips to water bowl. (I set a gopro up to monitor her progress it was VERY quick improvement)
New puppy ,and have never dealt with this before . HE doesn't like fo me to be out of his site at all! MY bathroom is only a few feet away from our bed ,and just to get up to potty ,causes him anxiety,whining, and stress! I Have important Dr. Appts coming up soon ,and he will freak out for me just to take out the trash ! I leave him treats ,toys ,and even have a cat that he likes to chase ,and play with. Still, I come home to a mess ! HIs food and water dumped door all scratched up ect . Please what can I do???
Just a note on the third point, the start going away for longer periods, when you come back and the dog is happy to see you, don't pay attention to the dog straight away. Ignore the dog totally, and only after a few minutes talk to him. A vet told me that once, Itried it out and it works.
I have a mini Australian shepherd. First time I have a dog. He was given to me by another family that did not want him anymore and he will be all day alone. Also he was getting abused by a family member. I don’t know what to do anymore. If I go out to get grocery and leaves him he will pee and poo everywhere! It’s really frustrating
@@danielasegovia438 put him in a playpen, 24*7 except when you take him for walk/ potty . He eats , plays tug , gets pet, drinks in the playpen. Dogs need to trained to live in a confined place, at least that's what I do with my puppy for now, and when he understands his place and matures I'll give him more access to the house. Give your dog plenty of chew toys, stuffed Kong , antlers, whatever he likes. Ignore the whining and crying and barking, seriously. My puppy is home alone for good 4-5 hours on weekends during my work and he loves it because that's when he has access to all the toys. Teach him to learn his playpen. Please don't put your dog in a crate when you leave, it's just too small. Good luck
@@Aki-km6tt aki when u go to sleep do u leave him in Long Term Confinement Area/playpen until morning and u take him out.And where is best place to make Long Term Confinement Area ,most ppl say no living room but other room where u dont come a lot. THnx
Yes, hang in there. I cried for two months with a 2 year old pit bull mix from the shelter. It rained those two months and we could rarely go outside, except in the rain, to go potty. This dog chewed up the end of my couch, amongst a ton of other things, would consistently poop in her crate, was like a bull in a china shop, had intestinal parasites and chronic diarrhea, and was suffering from an upper respiratory infection which she gave to my other dog, who she had several altercations with. And I work from home! I was afraid to return her to the shelter due to the current euthanasia rate. This month marks month number 3 that she's been here, and she is like a different dog. She is not perfect, but I am able to leave and she doesn't tear anything up or mess in the house. I still use the food filled large Kong religiously when I have to go somewhere. I no longer regret getting this dog. I saved her from a high kill shelter, and she has begun to trust me and relax. Now, she is the greatest thing ever! Give it time. It just takes time for a new dog to get acclimated. Best of luck.
thank you so much for this. I go to the butcher and get frozen marrow bones for my dog and found that it SERIOUSLY helped all his anxiety. Now through storms, 4th of July or when I leave (size of bone dependent on time) and he lays down...chews his bone and could care less about thunder, fireworks, or the fact that I am not there. This was great validation!
Holy molly, I can't thank you enough. My 5 years old mini pinscher with unpleasant past could never stay alone. She would bark and cry the second I left my apartment. Since she's tiny, I bought a few inch long duck sticks. I would shut the door audibly enough when leaving, left my phone recording and she didn't even flinch, just kept chewing on her treat. I was gone for 5 minutes, she was still chewing as I returned, perfectly calm and all alone. I would have never thought she could make such huge progress. Thank you so much!!
Great summary of essential knowledge! Thsnk you, Sir! Some may find this to be helpful: when you come back inside (after leaving the house) totally ignore the dog/s & go about your business inside until they are all calm & laying down somewhere in the house. Then reward them & give each their favorite kind of your affection.
Absolutely! Great advice. Also, don’t make it a big deal that you’re leaving, no affection or goodbyes. Give your dog the Kong and walk out the door. Keep doing this for longer and longer periods.
Hey I have a GSD left 8 hours a day. She has training/exercise before. I did lot of work and pup leaving her short periods building to long periods. Never let her in or acknowledged barking wining If you leave you have to wait for silence and calm before returning. Wait it it they get the idea. She's only let in being sat quiet by back door. Meal time is when I leave: One really great thing no one does I throw half the kibble scattered in the lawn. It lasts for ages and now the dog will eat it periodically through day - but it lasts an hour or more eaten in one go. She's left in a medium back garden with kennel logs allowed to dig etc. I hope this helps :)
I’ve given my dog frozen Kongs, bones to chew, and mentally stimulating challenges- she will ignore the treats, destroy, and wait to eat the treats until I come home
Same here... 😕 and also doesn't drink its water, no pee, no poo; can be for hours and hours like this... when someone gets home it comes to life again...
I quick tip, marrow bones are amazing. Sometimes you can find them at Ralphs or even at Pavilions depending on your area in a four pack for a quarter of the price as the Primal ones. Doesn't hurt to save money and feed quality ingredients. Also, FREEZE them and then give them to your dog and your dog will be very well occupied since it is frozen marrow. They love it!
Great idea! My dog loves marrow bones, doesn't let me near her lol or ill get a growl, she goes through them fast and she's just a puppy but she's huge.
This information was priceless! The bully stick was perfect! We thought our dog had separation anxiety, but turns out he needed the 2nd best thing a bully stick. Thanks for all the great videos.
Yay! I never thought of filling Kong full of wet food, duh! My dog doesn’t tolerate peanut butter so I super stoked I listened to this video! Also, when I leave my dog, I don’t make a big deal about it. I really don’t even acknowledge her so she doesn’t get worked up about me leaving. (It’s super hard because I want to say goodbye etc.). Same thing when I return, I try and act like it’s no big deal that I am home. I think it helps not to stimulate them in that way.
I love this channel. Ive been very successful training all my dogs, by learning about dogs themselves as animals and not what trainers say. But this guy knows his science about how dogs think and what to do! Please recommend this channel to anyone needing it. Not saying other trainers arent successful, but in my opinion, hes one of the best.
Another great video, Joel! It's good to see a trainer who understands the mentality of a dog and doesn't humanize the dog in any way. I think a lot of people don't grasp the fact that their dog is an animal which has behaviour which is completely distinct from any human behaviour. Years ago I read Man meets dog by Konrad Lorenz and found it to be an excellent study of dog behaviour.
This was such a good video. I loved learning about some of the causes of separation anxiety that you touched on. Would love to see a continuing video discussing more about what causes separation anxiety. Great job and always so informative when it comes to canine behavior!! 🐕👏🎉
Hey this really helped me & my 9-month-old street-rescue pit pupper! He would cry & bite the windowsill when I left but I took ur idea and it worked!!! I wedged some training treats inside one of his hard rubber toys and it kept him busy & happy🐾❤️
I just got a puppy last week. In 1 week she's learned her name, to come (mostly), sit, and I've even started her on sit and "wait" for me to put her food bowl down. I feed my older dog first, so she's expected to be able to wait her turn. Perhaps I have very demanding requirements of my dog but my 10yr old shihtzu has perfect recall, multiple tricks, can be alone for hours, and has never destroyed my house so I must do something right. Currently, my 2 month old English Pointer Pit/Shepherd puppy goes to work with me every day. I drive route and spend all day in and out of the truck. Never away from the truck for more than 5-10 minutes at a time, but she's PERFECT in the truck. She sits still for 8-11 hours a day (aside from potty breaks) and then we get home and she does puppy zoomies and chewies for 1-2 hours before relaxing. She seems to understand that we are at work; she doesn't chew, scratch, jump, whine or whimper. Then once back in my personal vehicle she goes off duty and plays with her toy on the way home.
I'm frantically watching these videos and trying to apply them to my doberman. My house collapsed and my job flooded in Hurricane Ian. Since then, we've been sleeping on my parents' couch. All his behavioral issues that I'd been making progress on seemed to suddenly get worse (no doubt because of my own stress and his confusion). He's started having separation anxiety and minor aggression issues with both people and animals. I plan to move to Nashville this summer and the apartment is super dog friendly with two dog parks and a huge dog community. I'm so worried we will get kicked out because of his reactivity or barking. I can't afford a trainer right now so your videos are really helpful. Thank you!
Wonderful tips! One thing i have to be mindful of with marrow bones is teeth. My female mal does not have the strongest teeth and I have to be careful with solid bones. Also her calorie intake. Marrow bones are super rich and high fat. Still working on our SA issues. Worth mentioning that the human plays a big role in the SA. I’ve had to get honest about my own SA and how she is picking up on me. Lots to learn here.
6:50 Btw, walks could be worse, IF for example, my dog sometimes get stressed by it if he feels uncomfortable during the walk, if it’s hurried or he meets a lot of activity outside like runners, dogs and distractions. Or if i would also leave in a hurry, with obvious stress, the dog would get stressed to. When leaving, he would have all the stress from the walk and me leaving in a hurry. So if you have tried everything and can’t seem to figure out what is the problem. Maybe next time you leave think twice and try to notice if you are leaving with some stress or hurry. Seems obvious but often you look past yourself as a effect to the dog. Family’s that owns a very active dog like a German shepherd often have a packed schedule, because we often try to dedicate all of our free time to our dogs before we leave to training or work. But you could pack as much dog time as you want, but if you aren’t extra patient with your time with the dog, it will effect the dog. Your stress will just go over to the dog. This is the reason many families sadly think they have no choice then to give away the dog because of bad behavior or to little time for the dog. But most of the time it’s us as owner who forgets we effect the dog as much as himself. It will take a lot of time in the start, like using many minutes of our time waiting to the dog to correct himself or calming the dog extra long. But that job will pay out, big in the long run. After the hard work and patience training the dog will be a lot easier to work with in training and everyday behavior. After the training you will just need to sometimes remind him with the patience training and yourself of course.
Thanks for not over complicating things. I literally can't leave my dog alone for 10 minutes. She will start wining at ~1 minute. She is 6 years old. I'm working from home. I got the job just because It's a work-from-home-job. I didn't take plenty career opportunities because of her. Whenever I need to go grocery shopping, i'll bring her to my moms' place. When I do anything where I can't bring her, she has to go to my mom's place. My mom doesn't always have time of course, she has a job to attend to too. It's tough. Life is tough when you can't leave your dog alone. I life in an apartment block, if she cries for 30 mins+ here, chances are high that I lose my flat. She used to be fine alone but that changed gradually when she was about 3 years. Not sure why. Whatever, I'll try your 3 steps, thanks!
I have almost the same exact situation. My fig used to be fine with being left at home or outside on a long leash. And tgat all spiraled downwards about a year back now. She has been doing destructive behavior when left now. I will try these tips also. If there is anything g you see which helps or doesn’t, let’s keep chatting here and exchange information, that would be great. Thanks.
You have, by far, the best training videos out there. Fantastic explanations, you don’t give partial answers, and you tell us exactly, EXACTLY, what to do, and you SHOW us! That is simply invaluable, and I can’t express enough how grateful I am for your posts. Next best thing if I can’t be in San Diego at your training facility in person. One point on the bully sticks…many have concerns about choking when they get to the end and there are just 2-4 inches left, and that’s a very real concern. By simply applying a vice of sorts (they actually make them expressly for these) to the end, it completely eliminates that risk. My dogs loves these as much or maybe even more than their frozen Kongs. Thanks so much for your helpful, informative training posts. You’re awesome.
Hi Margaret, would you give me example of “vice of sorts” ? I have not heard of this and I don’t give my dog bully sticks because I do worry about the choking when it gets to the end.
@@bjr93390 Sure. Bow Wow Labs makes something called the Bully Buddy. I believe they are available on Amazon as well as the Bow Wow Labs website. They have different sizes for different size bully sticks. My dogs chew like crazy, and I have not had to replace the device yet, although they have been chewed and are covered in teeth marks. I think there are other types as well on Amazon, but I have not tried them. Hope this helps.
My dogs love moose antlers. They are softer than deer or elk which can damage their teeth. My dogs just don’t like bones for some reason. You can get massive paddles for big dogs, split pieces for those that need more immediate access to the inner part, or intact tines where they work to get to the middle part. They are pricey but last forever, don’t stain, and don’t smell. Of course clear it with your vet- but again, they do not split and be sure to take them away when they are too small.
Just got a new puppy a few months ago. I was so used to having to deal with separation anxiety in our old dog (we were able to 100% solve it), that I was stunned that my pup barely notices or cares when I leave. I just use frozen Kongs and bullysticks.
cesar milan has a newer vid, showing how to train your dog to deal with separation. I personally learn much much more, if you show the training and interaction, rather than explaining.
My puppy cried when I went to work today. I don’t believe in crate training anymore because I saw my dog get up and sit back down. Then when I got home she was smarter than a human being and she didn’t tear up anything. I had her on camera so I watched her good behavior. However, my new puppy is still in training mode.❤
my way of dealing with separation anxiety was simply putting a weight jacket on my dogs walking them for a good 45 min; and then magic they're so tired they sleep for 5-6 hours. in that time leave the house do what you need to do come back and reward them with high quality food and love. at that point they'll realize that when you leave you'll come back and give them love. also in my house my dogs aren't allowed to play only allowed to relax so it becomes a place of relaxation not excitement which will eventually lead to anxiety etc... and this also help with people who have lots of art and nice furniture that an excited dog in all that happiness might accidentally knock over. best thing is prevention.
@@leica0000 it looks like a harness with iron sand inside you can buy them online I use 10kg ones which is like 22 pounds but my dogs are jacked and can handle it. I suggest you get a dog backpack and fill it with water bottles; then sand, then add weights. Slowly introducing you dogs to heavier weights will challenge him/her more and they’ll love you for it trust me. No anxiety ever since you helped them expel all that pent up energy. Also with weights a 30 min walk to them feels like 1 hour.
My rescue Miss Elly had severe separation anxiety. We got her at 9 months old. This dog ate doors, door knobs, light bulbs, chewed through ibuprofen bottle (thankfully got it in time) got out of every cage on the market, even zip tied the cages together the doors even and she still got out. This behavior continued until about 4 or 5 years ago. So she was about 5. I'm not sure what happened but she stopped. Only went through the garbage. Now she has small freak outs when we aren't home during thunderstorms and fireworks. (I hate July 4th because of this 😑) more recently with those two triggers she tore out one of her nails in her back paw from jumping over a gate and broke both upper canine teeth clean off. (Still in her mouth and doing great still, but no more canine points.) Very informative video.
The great thing for marrow bones is freezing them. Helps keep the mess down and makes it last longer. We did something similar with our puppy. His breakfast was in a Kong and a Milbank toy. He has them as we leave. He does not care that we are going.
I had a very... ummm... special dog that got a marrow bone stuck around his jaw one time and our surgeon uncle had to use a surgical saw to get it off him. 😂 Thanks so much for this information, intuitively I knew he needed to have a chewing distraction. Will definitely implement this!
Mr. Beckham, I am very happy to find your videos AND very grateful that you provide this content -for free. I have 3 rescue Weimaraners. 2 older boys and a new 4 y/o female. I believe your recommendations would work perfectly except the new girl finishes off her treat then goes after the boys (who take forever with their kongs. One has about 3 teeth left and the other has aspiration issues as well as bad teeth-so limited to Kong). Even with us present, she will steal theirs before they are finished and freaks if they come near her. We have to watch like a hawk for the boys safety. I can’t imagine if we were not present. She destroys stuff and hurts her self if crated or put in separate room. We avg. 7 miles a day on trails. Any advice? Thank you!
I would disagree on the bully stick when unsupervised...I have a friend who WAS home when her doberman got the end of the bully stick caught in her throat. Thank God she was home when it happened. Never want anything that can cause a problem if they are alone. Kong with wet food seems the best idea to me.
My Frenchie is too lazy to work on a food stuffed kong. If the food doesn't fall out easily, he will ignore it. My pug on the other hand will work those things until every last crumb is gone, and then hopefully try to get more out.
Thanks so much ! Im a Firefighter and have to leave sometimes for an extended period of time... obviously I have a dogsitter .. these extra helps are amazing and when I do get home they are reinforced thanks to you
I just adopted a very senior ( 15 ) dog with low key dementia from the shelter who seems to have what I would consider low to mid seperation anxiety, she will bark and bark and do a little soiling but no destructive or extreme behaviour. I was just about to try crates and thunder jackets etc before coming across this video...As she's very food motivated and seems to learn pretty fast if her potty training is anything to go by, will def try this method first as it seems the most straightforward and efficient.
My pup hates Kongs 🤷🏼♀️ I just watched a video from a well respected vet and he said not to give dogs bully sticks. That they are one of the top things he has to surgically remove from dogs each year because they get stuck. Right now my pup is hiding under the bed because he knows I’m leaving. 🤦🏼♀️
Our dog suckles on his monkey, if he gets anxious. He has a favorite, which is made from a ballistic material. Its really tough and long lasting. I might even buy 2 at a time just to have a backup on hand. Also, since we live full-time in our Rv, we installed 2 cameras, which are connected to our smartphones, so we can monitor our pup when we're gone. Sometimes if he whines we will just talk to him through the camera and it settles him right down. We can also monitor the temperature inside our coach. Since we're retired, rarely is our dog alone, but when he is, he'll only whine or bark for a very short time. So glad we have the cameras, as it really gives peace of mind.
A good thing is to also let them chew on something they usually dont have. I only leave a kong with food when im not home for example, then its some sort of fun experience
Costco bullies are definitely the most cost-effective way to do it! They aren't exactly bigger - some thicker ones maybe, but half the length. They last a long time for my puppy, my adult GSD it will take maybe 10 minutes. But they're great! I give them to my dogs when I leave the house - it's a distraction long enough to calm the leaving. It was so useful to start, now it's just the tradition. They get the bully, they know "aw damn, we're not coming" and go take their chew to bed. The puppy was anxious to start, but it sure helps to have a balanced adult showing that it's no big deal, they'll be back. Ignoring the excitement of your return and lavishing love once they've calmed down helps a lot too.
We adopted a Belgian Malinois mix who seems to have developed isolation anxiety (she's fine as long as someone is home with her -- it doesn't matter who it is). She was absolutely fine for the first three months, then she started stealing things, and finally destroying things. She doesn't seem to be interested in chew toys (she has several Kongs, all of which are pristine).
My dog does not have this anxiety. But some other thing that is weird: she will not eat or chew on sticks when she is in her (very large) outside cage, only when I 'm with her at home. She will also not take food from people that put it through the cage wire... Only inside.
I LOVE your videos!! But you need a sound system that we can hear you. I got mine sound up a loud as it will go... ughh.. My boss won't get me speakers for the computer.
My dog is fine when I leave home now, but leave her outside a coffee shop to grab a tea, as soon as I go in the door she starts screaming like she's being beaten. Have no clue how to stop it. Bark collar is all I can think of.
My 12 Ib dog swallowed a 7 inch bully stick the other day, luckily the ER said its fully digestible and he should be okay.. So just be careful with it.
I keep looking on youtube hoping to find something new. My mini Aussie has the extreme form and nothing works. I've done all kinds of strenuous exercise, obedience training, agility, interactive toys and chews. Finally put her on medication (xanax, prozac and something else) and that didn't even work. She was lethargic and slept the entire time I was home just so she could save up the energy to freak out when I left. Her sole focus is me. She's destroyed trimming, baseboards and drywall, cracked a tooth and almost jumped out of a second story window. No one will watch her anymore because of her nonstop barking and dangerous escape attempts. Now I have to keep her in a crate in a crate just to make sure she's safe. Almost every day I come home from work I have to give her a bath because she soiled herself even though she's 100% housebroken. Quarantine has been the only reprieve I've had in 12 years! No leaving the house=No issues. This last year is the most enjoyment I've had with her but I'm supposed to go back to work soon. I love my dog but she'll probably be the last dog I have.
What are you doing when you come home? Do you greet her? It seems to me like she thinks she is the "alpha( not in bad way)" and everytime you leave her alone she is loosing it, not because she is alone, but because she does not know if you are okay or something happened to you, so she worries. Try not to acknowledge her EVERY TIME you go in or out of some room, where she is. If she is in the same room with you, and you want to leave the room, do not pay attention to her, close the doors between you and her for small short intervals of 2minutes, and when you come back in the room or open the door, tottaly ignore her. Also, she shall not sleep in the bedroom with you. Specially not on the bed with you. Do this things ALWAYS, don't break the chain, one time to look at her while she is whining crying or whatever or looking at you while you come in or out of the room is enough reinforcment for her to start the loop all over again.
@@elenakis5783 No, she's definitely not Alpha in any way. Her separation anxiety is not tied to a behavioral issue. She's a perfect dog when in my presence. She listens to both verbal and non verbal commands instantly. The thing is I've done all that gradual training since I got her and it never worked. If it were just whining/barking it wouldn't even be an issue. She's fully housebroken and just closing a door and not being able to see me sends her into such a panic that she might lose her bowel control. It's literally a 50/50 toss up as soon as the door closes. Already checked with the vet, it's not a body health related issue like incontinence/kidney issues or anything like that. When left alone she paces and barks the entire time, always looking for a way to escape and try to find me. Her mind never lets her relax. I've taken her on several mile runs, biking, agility courses and done mental puzzles with her right before leaving and she still musters the energy to freak out.
Glad you say its diffrent levels because people don't seem to know this. I thought I knew what sepration anxiety was with my first rescue that had kinda servere for a while, but calmed down, until I actully knew, and will call it extremly severe, adding a 4 level. I got a rescue now who is never going to be able to handle it. I done everything right over a longer periode of time (after ai first did not because I got the wrong info on him) and he is still on anxiety meds (first and only time I went to such lengths), and now he can handle a few hrs food shopping once in a while as long as the other dogs are there with him. If it goes over he starts to freak out. Especialy the new husky girl gives him comfort. He can handle the stable box with the other husky, not alone. Even tho alone he still just whines a lot, at home he goes off the hinches. He is the best dog, runs free with horse rides with deers and everything, did not when he arrievd, he have learned a lot after he came to me, but the anxiety nah, that is a no go. He is so happy with a better home he is terrified I am not coming back. Breaks my heart. He was a terrified wreck when I got him, he is doing well with other things now, and kind aok through the city when we have to. He cant be rehomed and he will last as long as he can do double actives having to come with me and the other dogs.
I’m hoping someone can answer these questions for me 1. How often can we give a bully stick or marrow bone? 2. Should we be training this once a day, twice a day, every other day? 3. If we come back and he’s still chewing on the bone, do we take it away? Let him finish? Leave and come back when he’s done? Love the video, thank you!
1. I think this depends on your dogs health/weight. But even with mine being so skinny I will only give her 1 bully stick a day. Marrow bone I will give a little more... but if you have a chunky dog I would try frozen veggies/fruit. 2. Do it at least once a day... but leaving for short intervals can be practiced often in the day. 3. I do an exchange. The awesome bones/stick is for when I leave (only) so it keeps that time as special with awesome treats however have some other reserved bones/toys that you do an exchange (it has to be pretty cool too).FYI I don't ever give bully sticks unless I'm leaving.
Hi I don't know if it was you that liked my comment but I wanted to check back in & let you know my rescue (I've had her for over 2 months now) is doing great when I leave. No more howling & screaming. She knows it's time to leave & goes right into her crate (it's huge - the size for a mastiff). I want her to feel relaxed that's why I got her the biggest. I give her a few different special bones specifically for in there & she looks forward to getting them. (Btw she is a Shepsky) I hope your training is going really good too 🙏🏼
Animals have a definite sense of cause and effect; if I do this, I get this. It's how they train their humans. The challenge is to out think your pet and train them.
An asian grocery store is a great place to get femur bones. I found them hard to find in other places. I never really thought of using them for separation anxiety, so that's a good idea.
My buddy Max could be eating a ribeye steak. Ice cream cone. Pizza. Doesn't matter. Once he hears the door close (or notices anything that signifies that he's alone) he will immediately stop eating. And bark. Whine. HOWL. Then resume eating the second someone returns to the apartment. He absolutely REFUSES to accept being alone and relax. I'm thinking this means his separation anxiety is severe...
Love your channel and how you teach. Do you have any information on bonded littermates? We just rescued two ten month old Huskies that were left in a medium-large crate together for up to 16 hours a day. Covered in months of urine when we picked them up. (none of this was disclosed, the owner said that they were kennel trained and mostly housebroken, and it was a landlord that was going to evict them if they didn't let their puppies go). They're very sweet and socialized to people, but freak out when they're separated. There's plenty of information on the internet about this, but I feel like you're a trusted source. :)
Worked for me. Adopted a GSD/pit mix at 8 months and he decimated an entire cabinet full of office supplies and an entire 20' area rug. Now he is crate trained and gets a large Kong with pb in it when we leave. We hear a couple yelps after closing the door and then nothing. He's fine when we get back and hasn't made any attempts we can see to get out of his crate.
We've just adopted a rescue Greyhound, had him for a week and he goes absolutely batshit when left on his own for only a few minutes. We'll be starting on this method in a few weeks, once he's used to our house etc...
I have an 8 week old Weimaraner. Im about to start crate training, I’ve taken a whole week off to do it.Weimaraners are notorious for separation anxiety, my last one had it severely. Your comment about the crate can kill them has now scared me senseless. Now Im not sure what to do.
We have an 8 month old Weimie. We got him at 8 weeks. He is the only dog we've ever had that hates being crated. From the very beginning! We use the frozen kongs when we leave. He always whines and fusses. But when we get home, he is quiet. We ignore him for a bit and then let him out. He has been a challenge! Our 3rd Weimie...first dog ever that was difficult to crate train. A work in progress...
I’ve been dealing with major separation anxiety for 7 months with my 10mo Pomsky. He once did jump Through a window. I’m exhausted having him go to day care every single time i can’t be around him. He doesn’t care about bully sticks or kings when I’m Away but loves them filled with sweet potato when I’m home.
This is the best video of seen on this thank you! I work from home and am trying to practice this throughout the day- when I come back in to work after my mini training sessions should I take these kind of special treats away now that I’m home? By the way I am also crating for potty training (6 month old Aussie)
My standard poodle could chew through kong toys. Fortunately, she went to crateless daycare during working hours. She was always excited to go there and too tired to get into any mischief afterward!
I was so surprised when my standard sized doodle puppy at about 4 months old would chew through cans, like cans of vegetables. She’s not really even that big of a chewer. It’s crazy how strong dogs’ jaws are.
Most dogs with moderate or severe separation anxiety won’t touch any sort of treat, or bone, or Kong etc when they are stressed. This might work with a mild case. Big dog will kill that bully stick in 10 minutes. Freezing the stuffed Kong will make it last longer.
Agreed. My rescue would go crazy every time I left the room or walked away from her. She wouldn't eat, she'd bark non stop until I came back and the food would be untouched. Every day I would go out of the room and come straight back, multiple times a day for over a year. Slowly, slowly, she accepted that I would come back and now rarely barks unless I leave her when she's not super calm. It took over 12 months of this daily training until she was trusting enough that I could leave her and instead of barking she would actually eat the pigs ear or frozen kong. Thank goodness I worked from home and had the time to devote to her.
@@sportysbusiness -that is where I’m at with my lab. I’m up to 7 minutes out the front door. I sit on the steps. I’m on week 7. I’m adding a minute every few days, and a little distance.. It’s painfully difficult to break once it’s established. I’m encouraged by your success. 👍
@@accufab Using a severe delicious chewing toy or food helps a lot, keep changing until you find something that will make him want you out as soon as possible.
Yes, don't ever leave your dog with chew toys on their own. My dog lost 3 teeth in the front from those bones. I have a 2-way cam/talk and notification app when they make noise so at least I can talk to them and calm them.
I feel bad because I can’t trust my pit bull off leash. I can’t trust her recall. If there’s any distraction like a squirrel, rabbit, another person or dog, I do not exist. And I don’t have a yard where I can let her run around off leash so I don’t know how to let her be free like that. I do have a yard, but I rent and the kind of fence that would make me feel comfortable “freeing” her is expensive. My yard currently has no fencing. And she’d be able to easily clear the fence my landlord would put up.
My Maltese puppy isn't much into food / chews. Sometimes I find what I think is a great one, she really seems to love it. Then when I leave she might completely ignore it. Same might even go for treats that she really loves to get when I'm around. A bit worried about dropping the calorie intake as she is already only eating from my hands or with a lot of encouragement.
marrow bones are the best dog toys we used them on our dogs growing up and even i do it now just make sure they get the meat out/off before leaving them alone (if you have multiple dogs) its super high reward and they will fight over it if your not careful!
I swear I have never heard of someone crating their dog. I was shocked to find this out. Just because its not something that people do that I know of, and it would seem cruel to put my dog in a crate for 8-9 hours of the day. Although she's 7 months and feel sometimes that I should😂 luckily she stays in the yard.
I’ve had my pitbull German shepherd lab mix since July hes 7 months old now and I can’t even walked out the door for 2 seconds without him freaking out at the top of his lungs I use his bone and stuff it with wet food and freeze it at night to try to help Fill his kong with his treats. And he will still start crying and I can hear him by the time I get all the way down to my car, living in an apartment it’s highly embarrassing cause I don’t hear anyone else’s dog like this. I can’t take my laundry out without him screaming bloody murder I’m so lost and don’t know what to do and losing hope and I can’t afford a trainer
I work at a doggie day care and take one of my two pups (my youngest cattle dog comes to work with me) he’s now over playing, he’s very selective with who he plays with (females mostly which our older pup (also a cattle dog is very under socialized by us unfortunately) is a female about to be 6 years old, occasionally he will play with male dogs at camp but he is very picky with his “friends” I think he comes too often and is over the socialization (he does the typical cattle dog nips at the legs of day care/boarding dogs which does not work in our all day play environment where I work) we just recently felt we could trust him to be home given he is not quite 2 years old. We’ve done small trips increasing slowly to see if he would be destructive which he has not been. I think I will go down to the 2X a week “opening up” and the rest walks etc with him. I appreciate you and your videos/methods I’ve learned a lot and plan to change what I do for my “reactive dogs” /resource guarding of us is our main issue. Thank you for all that you do!
My dog will not touch food if I leave. He has plenty of exercise, off lead, woods, beach, etc. If I leave he will start crying after about 2 mins, this has not changed despite loads and loads of practice, starting to build up from just stepping out and right back in. Luckily, I can leave him with friends and dog sitters, he is perfectly happy there. I, however can’t leave our house even if my husband stays home. The dog will start crying after about 2 minutes and this progresses into howling until I return.
I don't know if you already got one, but if I could do it again, I would go through a rescue instead of the city pound. If you go through a rescue, you can learn a lot more about the dog's behavior before committing. I adopted from the pound and was unaware that she had bad separation anxiety and was pregnant.
Love this guys straight to the point no BS, my Shepherd Boxer mix separation anxiety was pretty bad, chewing up bed legs and things, but we go on a walk but not just a stroll this won’t cut it, we go where he can run off leash use his nose and play fetch / tug, this usually does the trick, I just need to buy more raw bones and strong as fuck toys to finish the job 👏🏼
I put a stuffed squeaky toy on the end of a 10ft rope & pulled it around for my Doberman to pursue... If you let them win (catch it) often, they'll love this game. Also bought a Chuckit tennis ball thrower which throws the ball 2x further than by hand... also picks up the ball without getting hands slimy. Lol. Euro-bred dogs need to w o r k !
Toys, snacks and such don’t work with my dog because he stops playing or eating anything once I’m gone. He only goes back to them when I return. While I’m gone he barks nonstop for hours.
6:19 "The greatest thing in the world just walked out the door. That's you." got me in the feels🐾❤️
me too, made me tear up!
haha it actually made me feel claustrophobic 😔
Why did that just make me cry 😭😭
This is great advice for a dog that already has separation anxiety, but if you just got a new pup and don’t want your dog to have separation issues you need to do the following; Do not say bye to your dog on the way out of the door, Do not speak or have eye contact with your dog after it’s been put in it’s crate, .Do not look or talk to your dog for at least 2 to 5 minutes upon your return home, after 2 to 5 minutes if the dog is quiet you can let it out of the crate,praise, and give it a treat.
And of course make sure you dog always has plenty of water . Good luck
I typed a long winded explanation of what I done to ease my rescue dogs separation anxiety but you covered almost all the bases with your post.
Only difference being my dog doesn't have a crate just a bed and as I leave I leave her with a dental stick which keeps her occupied while we pull out of drive, 2 weeks from howling, crying, pacing and scratching at back door to stays in bed sleeping with occasional trips to water bowl. (I set a gopro up to monitor her progress it was VERY quick improvement)
Nice
New puppy ,and have never dealt with this before . HE doesn't like fo me to be out of his site at all! MY bathroom is only a few feet away from our bed ,and just to get up to potty ,causes him anxiety,whining, and stress! I Have important Dr. Appts coming up soon ,and he will freak out for me just to take out the trash ! I leave him treats ,toys ,and even have a cat that he likes to chase ,and play with. Still, I come home to a mess ! HIs food and water dumped door all scratched up ect . Please what can I do???
Just a note on the third point, the start going away for longer periods, when you come back and the dog is happy to see you, don't pay attention to the dog straight away. Ignore the dog totally, and only after a few minutes talk to him. A vet told me that once, Itried it out and it works.
then the dog will poop and pee all over the house.
@@rayj33 because you didn't housetrain the dog
I have a mini Australian shepherd. First time I have a dog. He was given to me by another family that did not want him anymore and he will be all day alone. Also he was getting abused by a family member. I don’t know what to do anymore. If I go out to get grocery and leaves him he will pee and poo everywhere! It’s really frustrating
@@danielasegovia438 put him in a playpen, 24*7 except when you take him for walk/ potty . He eats , plays tug , gets pet, drinks in the playpen. Dogs need to trained to live in a confined place, at least that's what I do with my puppy for now, and when he understands his place and matures I'll give him more access to the house. Give your dog plenty of chew toys, stuffed Kong , antlers, whatever he likes. Ignore the whining and crying and barking, seriously. My puppy is home alone for good 4-5 hours on weekends during my work and he loves it because that's when he has access to all the toys. Teach him to learn his playpen. Please don't put your dog in a crate when you leave, it's just too small. Good luck
@@Aki-km6tt aki when u go to sleep do u leave him in Long Term Confinement Area/playpen until morning and u take him out.And where is best place to make Long Term Confinement Area ,most ppl say no living room but other room where u dont come a lot. THnx
I've been in tears all week. Going to try these things. Feeling so much regret for getting this dog, but don't want to give her up either. Thank you.
Hang in there. I know exactly how you feel. I adopted my Link 2 weeks ago and he's not doing so great either, but I keep hope things will get better.
Yes, hang in there. I cried for two months with a 2 year old pit bull mix from the shelter. It rained those two months and we could rarely go outside, except in the rain, to go potty. This dog chewed up the end of my couch, amongst a ton of other things, would consistently poop in her crate, was like a bull in a china shop, had intestinal parasites and chronic diarrhea, and was suffering from an upper respiratory infection which she gave to my other dog, who she had several altercations with. And I work from home! I was afraid to return her to the shelter due to the current euthanasia rate. This month marks month number 3 that she's been here, and she is like a different dog. She is not perfect, but I am able to leave and she doesn't tear anything up or mess in the house. I still use the food filled large Kong religiously when I have to go somewhere. I no longer regret getting this dog. I saved her from a high kill shelter, and she has begun to trust me and relax. Now, she is the greatest thing ever! Give it time. It just takes time for a new dog to get acclimated. Best of luck.
@@jenm9640 Thank you for sharing this! What a nightmare journey, but I'm so glad it turned out wonderful for you. You also give us hope!
@@Davidsdaze it's been three weeks for me...omg this is the hardest thing I've ever done!
@@katiegrip I’m in the same boat! mixed pitbull and I’m 18 first apartment and under so much stress because of the dog I’m hoping it gets better soon
thank you so much for this. I go to the butcher and get frozen marrow bones for my dog and found that it SERIOUSLY helped all his anxiety. Now through storms, 4th of July or when I leave (size of bone dependent on time) and he lays down...chews his bone and could care less about thunder, fireworks, or the fact that I am not there. This was great validation!
Holy molly, I can't thank you enough.
My 5 years old mini pinscher with unpleasant past could never stay alone.
She would bark and cry the second I left my apartment.
Since she's tiny, I bought a few inch long duck sticks.
I would shut the door audibly enough when leaving, left my phone recording and she didn't even flinch, just kept chewing on her treat.
I was gone for 5 minutes, she was still chewing as I returned, perfectly calm and all alone.
I would have never thought she could make such huge progress.
Thank you so much!!
You are the most concise and level headed dog training advisor on TH-cam. Many thanks for what you do. You've helped me hugely.
Great summary of essential knowledge! Thsnk you, Sir! Some may find this to be helpful: when you come back inside (after leaving the house) totally ignore the dog/s & go about your business inside until they are all calm & laying down somewhere in the house. Then reward them & give each their favorite kind of your affection.
Absolutely! Great advice. Also, don’t make it a big deal that you’re leaving, no affection or goodbyes. Give your dog the Kong and walk out the door. Keep doing this for longer and longer periods.
YES!!!
this guy is the best. period. never wastes time and keeps it 💯. sending love your way bro and keep bringing the heat!
Hey I have a GSD left 8 hours a day.
She has training/exercise before.
I did lot of work and pup leaving her short periods building to long periods. Never let her in or acknowledged barking wining
If you leave you have to wait for silence and calm before returning. Wait it it they get the idea. She's only let in being sat quiet by back door.
Meal time is when I leave:
One really great thing no one does I throw half the kibble scattered in the lawn. It lasts for ages and now the dog will eat it periodically through day - but it lasts an hour or more eaten in one go.
She's left in a medium back garden with kennel logs allowed to dig etc.
I hope this helps :)
I’ve given my dog frozen Kongs, bones to chew, and mentally stimulating challenges- she will ignore the treats, destroy, and wait to eat the treats until I come home
Likewise , ,
Yes me too he’s too stressed to eat while I’m away
When I get home he will love them but not while I’m gone
Exercise?
@Jennifer Gillam since nothing works, doggy daycare
Same here... 😕 and also doesn't drink its water, no pee, no poo; can be for hours and hours like this... when someone gets home it comes to life again...
I trust your training methods 1000% I've tried your methods and they are the only methods that have worked effectively with my dog.
I quick tip, marrow bones are amazing. Sometimes you can find them at Ralphs or even at Pavilions depending on your area in a four pack for a quarter of the price as the Primal ones. Doesn't hurt to save money and feed quality ingredients. Also, FREEZE them and then give them to your dog and your dog will be very well occupied since it is frozen marrow. They love it!
Great idea! My dog loves marrow bones, doesn't let me near her lol or ill get a growl, she goes through them fast and she's just a puppy but she's huge.
This information was priceless! The bully stick was perfect! We thought our dog had separation anxiety, but turns out he needed the 2nd best thing a bully stick. Thanks for all the great videos.
Yay! I never thought of filling Kong full of wet food, duh! My dog doesn’t tolerate peanut butter so I super stoked I listened to this video!
Also, when I leave my dog, I don’t make a big deal about it. I really don’t even acknowledge her so she doesn’t get worked up about me leaving. (It’s super hard because I want to say goodbye etc.). Same thing when I return, I try and act like it’s no big deal that I am home. I think it helps not to stimulate them in that way.
I use chicken jerky and sweet potatoes it’s good!
I love this channel. Ive been very successful training all my dogs, by learning about dogs themselves as animals and not what trainers say. But this guy knows his science about how dogs think and what to do! Please recommend this channel to anyone needing it. Not saying other trainers arent successful, but in my opinion, hes one of the best.
Yes I have learned so much and his methods work
Another great video, Joel! It's good to see a trainer who understands the mentality of a dog and doesn't humanize the dog in any way. I think a lot of people don't grasp the fact that their dog is an animal which has behaviour which is completely distinct from any human behaviour. Years ago I read Man meets dog by Konrad Lorenz and found it to be an excellent study of dog behaviour.
I've said this before but this guy is just super specific, loving the content.
This was such a good video. I loved learning about some of the causes of separation anxiety that you touched on. Would love to see a continuing video discussing more about what causes separation anxiety. Great job and always so informative when it comes to canine behavior!! 🐕👏🎉
Hey this really helped me & my 9-month-old street-rescue pit pupper! He would cry & bite the windowsill when I left but I took ur idea and it worked!!! I wedged some training treats inside one of his hard rubber toys and it kept him busy & happy🐾❤️
Was he ok if the treats ran out and you weren't back?
Taking the time on these things really helped our young dog. You must be consistent.
I just got a puppy last week. In 1 week she's learned her name, to come (mostly), sit, and I've even started her on sit and "wait" for me to put her food bowl down. I feed my older dog first, so she's expected to be able to wait her turn. Perhaps I have very demanding requirements of my dog but my 10yr old shihtzu has perfect recall, multiple tricks, can be alone for hours, and has never destroyed my house so I must do something right.
Currently, my 2 month old English Pointer Pit/Shepherd puppy goes to work with me every day. I drive route and spend all day in and out of the truck. Never away from the truck for more than 5-10 minutes at a time, but she's PERFECT in the truck. She sits still for 8-11 hours a day (aside from potty breaks) and then we get home and she does puppy zoomies and chewies for 1-2 hours before relaxing. She seems to understand that we are at work; she doesn't chew, scratch, jump, whine or whimper. Then once back in my personal vehicle she goes off duty and plays with her toy on the way home.
Thank you for information and not teasing to sell stuff. We really need you
I'm frantically watching these videos and trying to apply them to my doberman. My house collapsed and my job flooded in Hurricane Ian. Since then, we've been sleeping on my parents' couch. All his behavioral issues that I'd been making progress on seemed to suddenly get worse (no doubt because of my own stress and his confusion). He's started having separation anxiety and minor aggression issues with both people and animals. I plan to move to Nashville this summer and the apartment is super dog friendly with two dog parks and a huge dog community. I'm so worried we will get kicked out because of his reactivity or barking. I can't afford a trainer right now so your videos are really helpful. Thank you!
Wonderful tips! One thing i have to be mindful of with marrow bones is teeth. My female mal does not have the strongest teeth and I have to be careful with solid bones. Also her calorie intake. Marrow bones are super rich and high fat. Still working on our SA issues. Worth mentioning that the human plays a big role in the SA. I’ve had to get honest about my own SA and how she is picking up on me. Lots to learn here.
6:50 Btw, walks could be worse, IF for example, my dog sometimes get stressed by it if he feels uncomfortable during the walk, if it’s hurried or he meets a lot of activity outside like runners, dogs and distractions. Or if i would also leave in a hurry, with obvious stress, the dog would get stressed to. When leaving, he would have all the stress from the walk and me leaving in a hurry. So if you have tried everything and can’t seem to figure out what is the problem. Maybe next time you leave think twice and try to notice if you are leaving with some stress or hurry. Seems obvious but often you look past yourself as a effect to the dog. Family’s that owns a very active dog like a German shepherd often have a packed schedule, because we often try to dedicate all of our free time to our dogs before we leave to training or work. But you could pack as much dog time as you want, but if you aren’t extra patient with your time with the dog, it will effect the dog. Your stress will just go over to the dog. This is the reason many families sadly think they have no choice then to give away the dog because of bad behavior or to little time for the dog. But most of the time it’s us as owner who forgets we effect the dog as much as himself. It will take a lot of time in the start, like using many minutes of our time waiting to the dog to correct himself or calming the dog extra long. But that job will pay out, big in the long run. After the hard work and patience training the dog will be a lot easier to work with in training and everyday behavior. After the training you will just need to sometimes remind him with the patience training and yourself of course.
Thanks for not over complicating things. I literally can't leave my dog alone for 10 minutes. She will start wining at ~1 minute. She is 6 years old. I'm working from home. I got the job just because It's a work-from-home-job. I didn't take plenty career opportunities because of her. Whenever I need to go grocery shopping, i'll bring her to my moms' place. When I do anything where I can't bring her, she has to go to my mom's place. My mom doesn't always have time of course, she has a job to attend to too. It's tough. Life is tough when you can't leave your dog alone. I life in an apartment block, if she cries for 30 mins+ here, chances are high that I lose my flat. She used to be fine alone but that changed gradually when she was about 3 years. Not sure why. Whatever, I'll try your 3 steps, thanks!
I have almost the same exact situation.
My fig used to be fine with being left at home or outside on a long leash. And tgat all spiraled downwards about a year back now. She has been doing destructive behavior when left now.
I will try these tips also. If there is anything g you see which helps or doesn’t, let’s keep chatting here and exchange information, that would be great. Thanks.
What a disaster really
How did it go ?
@@ydubb I didn't actually. Life changed, have a boyfriend now who looks after her when I'm not at home. She is 9 now.
You have, by far, the best training videos out there. Fantastic explanations, you don’t give partial answers, and you tell us exactly, EXACTLY, what to do, and you SHOW us! That is simply invaluable, and I can’t express enough how grateful I am for your posts. Next best thing if I can’t be in San Diego at your training facility in person.
One point on the bully sticks…many have concerns about choking when they get to the end and there are just 2-4 inches left, and that’s a very real concern. By simply applying a vice of sorts (they actually make them expressly for these) to the end, it completely eliminates that risk. My dogs loves these as much or maybe even more than their frozen Kongs.
Thanks so much for your helpful, informative training posts. You’re awesome.
Hi Margaret, would you give me example of “vice of sorts” ? I have not heard of this and I don’t give my dog bully sticks because I do worry about the choking when it gets to the end.
@@bjr93390 Sure. Bow Wow Labs makes something called the Bully Buddy. I believe they are available on Amazon as well as the Bow Wow Labs website. They have different sizes for different size bully sticks. My dogs chew like crazy, and I have not had to replace the device yet, although they have been chewed and are covered in teeth marks. I think there are other types as well on Amazon, but I have not tried them. Hope this helps.
I really need this. Thanks as ever to Joel The Man.
Video is worth its weight in gold. Thank you very much Mr. Beckman!
I'm from India & I watch all his video...hez simply superb can vouch for him...plz keep on making such videos
The safest thing said in this video is the most accurate way to see how your dog feels without you ☹️ ‘6:27’
My dogs love moose antlers. They are softer than deer or elk which can damage their teeth. My dogs just don’t like bones for some reason.
You can get massive paddles for big dogs, split pieces for those that need more immediate access to the inner part, or intact tines where they work to get to the middle part. They are pricey but last forever, don’t stain, and don’t smell. Of course clear it with your vet- but again, they do not split and be sure to take them away when they are too small.
Just got a new puppy a few months ago. I was so used to having to deal with separation anxiety in our old dog (we were able to 100% solve it), that I was stunned that my pup barely notices or cares when I leave. I just use frozen Kongs and bullysticks.
cesar milan has a newer vid, showing how to train your dog to deal with separation. I personally learn much much more, if you show the training and interaction, rather than explaining.
You’re the best!! Super appreciate all of the knowledge you share on here
give them a treat, lots of exercise and dont leave for long. groundbreaking.
My puppy cried when I went to work today. I don’t believe in crate training anymore because I saw my dog get up and sit back down. Then when I got home she was smarter than a human being and she didn’t tear up anything. I had her on camera so I watched her good behavior. However, my new puppy is still in training mode.❤
my way of dealing with separation anxiety was simply putting a weight jacket on my dogs walking them for a good 45 min; and then magic they're so tired they sleep for 5-6 hours. in that time leave the house do what you need to do come back and reward them with high quality food and love. at that point they'll realize that when you leave you'll come back and give them love. also in my house my dogs aren't allowed to play only allowed to relax so it becomes a place of relaxation not excitement which will eventually lead to anxiety etc... and this also help with people who have lots of art and nice furniture that an excited dog in all that happiness might accidentally knock over. best thing is prevention.
What is a weight jacket?
@@leica0000 it looks like a harness with iron sand inside you can buy them online I use 10kg ones which is like 22 pounds but my dogs are jacked and can handle it. I suggest you get a dog backpack and fill it with water bottles; then sand, then add weights. Slowly introducing you dogs to heavier weights will challenge him/her more and they’ll love you for it trust me. No anxiety ever since you helped them expel all that pent up energy. Also with weights a 30 min walk to them feels like 1 hour.
Great advice. Please make sure ...only for adult dogs. Certainly not under 12 months.
Hi! Thanks so much. Could you please make a video on how to help older dogs with extreme separation anxiety.
My rescue Miss Elly had severe separation anxiety. We got her at 9 months old. This dog ate doors, door knobs, light bulbs, chewed through ibuprofen bottle (thankfully got it in time) got out of every cage on the market, even zip tied the cages together the doors even and she still got out. This behavior continued until about 4 or 5 years ago. So she was about 5. I'm not sure what happened but she stopped. Only went through the garbage. Now she has small freak outs when we aren't home during thunderstorms and fireworks. (I hate July 4th because of this 😑) more recently with those two triggers she tore out one of her nails in her back paw from jumping over a gate and broke both upper canine teeth clean off. (Still in her mouth and doing great still, but no more canine points.) Very informative video.
The great thing for marrow bones is freezing them. Helps keep the mess down and makes it last longer.
We did something similar with our puppy. His breakfast was in a Kong and a Milbank toy. He has them as we leave. He does not care that we are going.
I agree. He is too the point and doesn't wuffle like so many do.
I had a very... ummm... special dog that got a marrow bone stuck around his jaw one time and our surgeon uncle had to use a surgical saw to get it off him. 😂 Thanks so much for this information, intuitively I knew he needed to have a chewing distraction. Will definitely implement this!
This video is WONDERFUL. Thank you so much
Mr. Beckham, I am very happy to find your videos AND very grateful that you provide this content -for free. I have 3 rescue Weimaraners. 2 older boys and a new 4 y/o female. I believe your recommendations would work perfectly except the new girl finishes off her treat then goes after the boys (who take forever with their kongs. One has about 3 teeth left and the other has aspiration issues as well as bad teeth-so limited to Kong). Even with us present, she will steal theirs before they are finished and freaks if they come near her. We have to watch like a hawk for the boys safety. I can’t imagine if we were not present. She destroys stuff and hurts her self if crated or put in separate room. We avg. 7 miles a day on trails. Any advice? Thank you!
Crate train now
I would disagree on the bully stick when unsupervised...I have a friend who WAS home when her doberman got the end of the bully stick caught in her throat. Thank God she was home when it happened. Never want anything that can cause a problem if they are alone. Kong with wet food seems the best idea to me.
Totally agree - freeze the Kong stuffed w dog food. It will last a lot longer.
My Frenchie is too lazy to work on a food stuffed kong. If the food doesn't fall out easily, he will ignore it. My pug on the other hand will work those things until every last crumb is gone, and then hopefully try to get more out.
@@Jen.K he’s not hungry enough.
@@accufab Yep! much too well fed
Thanks so much ! Im a Firefighter and have to leave sometimes for an extended period of time... obviously I have a dogsitter .. these extra helps are amazing and when I do get home they are reinforced thanks to you
I just adopted a very senior ( 15 ) dog with low key dementia from the shelter who seems to have what I would consider low to mid seperation anxiety, she will bark and bark and do a little soiling but no destructive or extreme behaviour. I was just about to try crates and thunder jackets etc before coming across this video...As she's very food motivated and seems to learn pretty fast if her potty training is anything to go by, will def try this method first as it seems the most straightforward and efficient.
Great video.
My pup hates Kongs 🤷🏼♀️ I just watched a video from a well respected vet and he said not to give dogs bully sticks. That they are one of the top things he has to surgically remove from dogs each year because they get stuck. Right now my pup is hiding under the bed because he knows I’m leaving. 🤦🏼♀️
Our dog suckles on his monkey, if he gets anxious. He has a favorite, which is made from a ballistic material. Its really tough and long lasting. I might even buy 2 at a time just to have a backup on hand. Also, since we live full-time in our Rv, we installed 2 cameras, which are connected to our smartphones, so we can monitor our pup when we're gone. Sometimes if he whines we will just talk to him through the camera and it settles him right down. We can also monitor the temperature inside our coach. Since we're retired, rarely is our dog alone, but when he is, he'll only whine or bark for a very short time. So glad we have the cameras, as it really gives peace of mind.
Excellent video. You're a godsend.
A good thing is to also let them chew on something they usually dont have. I only leave a kong with food when im not home for example, then its some sort of fun experience
Costco bullies are definitely the most cost-effective way to do it! They aren't exactly bigger - some thicker ones maybe, but half the length. They last a long time for my puppy, my adult GSD it will take maybe 10 minutes.
But they're great! I give them to my dogs when I leave the house - it's a distraction long enough to calm the leaving. It was so useful to start, now it's just the tradition. They get the bully, they know "aw damn, we're not coming" and go take their chew to bed. The puppy was anxious to start, but it sure helps to have a balanced adult showing that it's no big deal, they'll be back.
Ignoring the excitement of your return and lavishing love once they've calmed down helps a lot too.
We adopted a Belgian Malinois mix who seems to have developed isolation anxiety (she's fine as long as someone is home with her -- it doesn't matter who it is). She was absolutely fine for the first three months, then she started stealing things, and finally destroying things.
She doesn't seem to be interested in chew toys (she has several Kongs, all of which are pristine).
This advice is gold, great video.
My rat terrier had severe separation anxiety, the only thing that worked was getting another dog and then he was ok.
My dog does not have this anxiety. But some other thing that is weird: she will not eat or chew on sticks when she is in her (very large) outside cage, only when I 'm with her at home. She will also not take food from people that put it through the cage wire... Only inside.
You look really serious but have a great sense of humor
Cuts to the chase and straight to the point. Joel is awesome!
I LOVE your videos!! But you need a sound system that we can hear you. I got mine sound up a loud as it will go... ughh.. My boss won't get me speakers for the computer.
My dog is fine when I leave home now, but leave her outside a coffee shop to grab a tea, as soon as I go in the door she starts screaming like she's being beaten. Have no clue how to stop it. Bark collar is all I can think of.
Brilliant! Thank you so much.
Thanks, Joel. This helps, a lot. My 8-month GSD/Lab,
suddenly separation anxiety ! (mid-level)
My 12 Ib dog swallowed a 7 inch bully stick the other day, luckily the ER said its fully digestible and he should be okay.. So just be careful with it.
I keep looking on youtube hoping to find something new. My mini Aussie has the extreme form and nothing works. I've done all kinds of strenuous exercise, obedience training, agility, interactive toys and chews. Finally put her on medication (xanax, prozac and something else) and that didn't even work. She was lethargic and slept the entire time I was home just so she could save up the energy to freak out when I left. Her sole focus is me. She's destroyed trimming, baseboards and drywall, cracked a tooth and almost jumped out of a second story window. No one will watch her anymore because of her nonstop barking and dangerous escape attempts. Now I have to keep her in a crate in a crate just to make sure she's safe. Almost every day I come home from work I have to give her a bath because she soiled herself even though she's 100% housebroken. Quarantine has been the only reprieve I've had in 12 years! No leaving the house=No issues. This last year is the most enjoyment I've had with her but I'm supposed to go back to work soon. I love my dog but she'll probably be the last dog I have.
Experiencing the same problem, even my neighbors made a complaint. Have you had any luck?
Poor baby maybe if you get another dog to keep her company
What are you doing when you come home? Do you greet her? It seems to me like she thinks she is the "alpha( not in bad way)" and everytime you leave her alone she is loosing it, not because she is alone, but because she does not know if you are okay or something happened to you, so she worries. Try not to acknowledge her EVERY TIME you go in or out of some room, where she is. If she is in the same room with you, and you want to leave the room, do not pay attention to her, close the doors between you and her for small short intervals of 2minutes, and when you come back in the room or open the door, tottaly ignore her. Also, she shall not sleep in the bedroom with you. Specially not on the bed with you. Do this things ALWAYS, don't break the chain, one time to look at her while she is whining crying or whatever or looking at you while you come in or out of the room is enough reinforcment for her to start the loop all over again.
@@elenakis5783 that's great advice 😀 👍
@@elenakis5783 No, she's definitely not Alpha in any way. Her separation anxiety is not tied to a behavioral issue. She's a perfect dog when in my presence. She listens to both verbal and non verbal commands instantly.
The thing is I've done all that gradual training since I got her and it never worked. If it were just whining/barking it wouldn't even be an issue. She's fully housebroken and just closing a door and not being able to see me sends her into such a panic that she might lose her bowel control. It's literally a 50/50 toss up as soon as the door closes. Already checked with the vet, it's not a body health related issue like incontinence/kidney issues or anything like that.
When left alone she paces and barks the entire time, always looking for a way to escape and try to find me. Her mind never lets her relax. I've taken her on several mile runs, biking, agility courses and done mental puzzles with her right before leaving and she still musters the energy to freak out.
Glad you say its diffrent levels because people don't seem to know this.
I thought I knew what sepration anxiety was with my first rescue that had kinda servere for a while, but calmed down, until I actully knew, and will call it extremly severe, adding a 4 level. I got a rescue now who is never going to be able to handle it. I done everything right over a longer periode of time (after ai first did not because I got the wrong info on him) and he is still on anxiety meds (first and only time I went to such lengths), and now he can handle a few hrs food shopping once in a while as long as the other dogs are there with him. If it goes over he starts to freak out. Especialy the new husky girl gives him comfort. He can handle the stable box with the other husky, not alone. Even tho alone he still just whines a lot, at home he goes off the hinches. He is the best dog, runs free with horse rides with deers and everything, did not when he arrievd, he have learned a lot after he came to me, but the anxiety nah, that is a no go. He is so happy with a better home he is terrified I am not coming back. Breaks my heart. He was a terrified wreck when I got him, he is doing well with other things now, and kind aok through the city when we have to. He cant be rehomed and he will last as long as he can do double actives having to come with me and the other dogs.
I’m hoping someone can answer these questions for me
1. How often can we give a bully stick or marrow bone?
2. Should we be training this once a day, twice a day, every other day?
3. If we come back and he’s still chewing on the bone, do we take it away? Let him finish? Leave and come back when he’s done?
Love the video, thank you!
1. I think this depends on your dogs health/weight. But even with mine being so skinny I will only give her 1 bully stick a day. Marrow bone I will give a little more... but if you have a chunky dog I would try frozen veggies/fruit. 2. Do it at least once a day... but leaving for short intervals can be practiced often in the day. 3. I do an exchange. The awesome bones/stick is for when I leave (only) so it keeps that time as special with awesome treats however have some other reserved bones/toys that you do an exchange (it has to be pretty cool too).FYI I don't ever give bully sticks unless I'm leaving.
Hi I don't know if it was you that liked my comment but I wanted to check back in & let you know my rescue (I've had her for over 2 months now) is doing great when I leave. No more howling & screaming. She knows it's time to leave & goes right into her crate (it's huge - the size for a mastiff). I want her to feel relaxed that's why I got her the biggest. I give her a few different special bones specifically for in there & she looks forward to getting them. (Btw she is a Shepsky) I hope your training is going really good too 🙏🏼
I have tried to find a video on what to actually give my dog an no one tells you what you can leave them with so thank you!
Animals have a definite sense of cause and effect; if I do this, I get this. It's how they train their humans. The challenge is to out think your pet and train them.
An asian grocery store is a great place to get femur bones. I found them hard to find in other places. I never really thought of using them for separation anxiety, so that's a good idea.
My buddy Max could be eating a ribeye steak. Ice cream cone. Pizza. Doesn't matter. Once he hears the door close (or notices anything that signifies that he's alone) he will immediately stop eating. And bark. Whine. HOWL. Then resume eating the second someone returns to the apartment. He absolutely REFUSES to accept being alone and relax.
I'm thinking this means his separation anxiety is severe...
Love your channel and how you teach. Do you have any information on bonded littermates? We just rescued two ten month old Huskies that were left in a medium-large crate together for up to 16 hours a day. Covered in months of urine when we picked them up. (none of this was disclosed, the owner said that they were kennel trained and mostly housebroken, and it was a landlord that was going to evict them if they didn't let their puppies go). They're very sweet and socialized to people, but freak out when they're separated. There's plenty of information on the internet about this, but I feel like you're a trusted source. :)
WOOOOW!!! SOOOOO GOOOD
Very helpful tips, thanks
Worked for me. Adopted a GSD/pit mix at 8 months and he decimated an entire cabinet full of office supplies and an entire 20' area rug. Now he is crate trained and gets a large Kong with pb in it when we leave. We hear a couple yelps after closing the door and then nothing. He's fine when we get back and hasn't made any attempts we can see to get out of his crate.
We've just adopted a rescue Greyhound, had him for a week and he goes absolutely batshit when left on his own for only a few minutes. We'll be starting on this method in a few weeks, once he's used to our house etc...
I have an 8 week old Weimaraner. Im about to start crate training, I’ve taken a whole week off to do it.Weimaraners are notorious for separation anxiety, my last one had it severely. Your comment about the crate can kill them has now scared me senseless. Now Im not sure what to do.
We have an 8 month old Weimie. We got him at 8 weeks. He is the only dog we've ever had that hates being crated. From the very beginning! We use the frozen kongs when we leave. He always whines and fusses. But when we get home, he is quiet. We ignore him for a bit and then let him out. He has been a challenge! Our 3rd Weimie...first dog ever that was difficult to crate train.
A work in progress...
I’ve been dealing with major separation anxiety for 7 months with my 10mo Pomsky. He once did jump
Through a window. I’m exhausted having him go to day care every single time i can’t be around him. He doesn’t care about bully sticks or kings when I’m
Away but loves them filled with sweet potato when I’m home.
This is the best video of seen on this thank you!
I work from home and am trying to practice this throughout the day- when I come back in to work after my mini training sessions should I take these kind of special treats away now that I’m home? By the way I am also crating for potty training (6 month old Aussie)
Thank you. I will give it a try with my pup.
The best thing is deer or elk antlers. They last very long and are packed with calcium and protein. They are also safe for dogs with allergies.
My standard poodle could chew through kong toys. Fortunately, she went to crateless daycare during working hours. She was always excited to go there and too tired to get into any mischief afterward!
I was so surprised when my standard sized doodle puppy at about 4 months old would chew through cans, like cans of vegetables. She’s not really even that big of a chewer. It’s crazy how strong dogs’ jaws are.
Great ideas to be able to use.
Most dogs with moderate or severe separation anxiety won’t touch any sort of treat, or bone, or Kong etc when they are stressed. This might work with a mild case. Big dog will kill that bully stick in 10 minutes. Freezing the stuffed Kong will make it last longer.
Agreed. My rescue would go crazy every time I left the room or walked away from her. She wouldn't eat, she'd bark non stop until I came back and the food would be untouched. Every day I would go out of the room and come straight back, multiple times a day for over a year. Slowly, slowly, she accepted that I would come back and now rarely barks unless I leave her when she's not super calm. It took over 12 months of this daily training until she was trusting enough that I could leave her and instead of barking she would actually eat the pigs ear or frozen kong. Thank goodness I worked from home and had the time to devote to her.
@@sportysbusiness -that is where I’m at with my lab. I’m up to 7 minutes out the front door. I sit on the steps. I’m on week 7. I’m adding a minute every few days, and a little distance.. It’s painfully difficult to break once it’s established. I’m encouraged by your success. 👍
@@accufab Using a severe delicious chewing toy or food helps a lot, keep changing until you find something that will make him want you out as soon as possible.
@@caiooca5793 -as with any dog, if he is severely stressed he wouldn’t touch at t-bone steak.
I’ve seen a lab with their lower jaw stuck IN a marrow bone, like the lower jaw went straight through the bone.
Yes, don't ever leave your dog with chew toys on their own. My dog lost 3 teeth in the front from those bones. I have a 2-way cam/talk and notification app when they make noise so at least I can talk to them and calm them.
I feel bad because I can’t trust my pit bull off leash. I can’t trust her recall. If there’s any distraction like a squirrel, rabbit, another person or dog, I do not exist. And I don’t have a yard where I can let her run around off leash so I don’t know how to let her be free like that. I do have a yard, but I rent and the kind of fence that would make me feel comfortable “freeing” her is expensive. My yard currently has no fencing. And she’d be able to easily clear the fence my landlord would put up.
My Maltese puppy isn't much into food / chews. Sometimes I find what I think is a great one, she really seems to love it. Then when I leave she might completely ignore it. Same might even go for treats that she really loves to get when I'm around. A bit worried about dropping the calorie intake as she is already only eating from my hands or with a lot of encouragement.
Same.. mine isn't very food motivated. I leave him with soft/safe toys. We recently got him a buddy and they've been keeping each other company.
marrow bones are the best dog toys we used them on our dogs growing up and even i do it now just make sure they get the meat out/off before leaving them alone (if you have multiple dogs) its super high reward and they will fight over it if your not careful!
I swear I have never heard of someone crating their dog. I was shocked to find this out. Just because its not something that people do that I know of, and it would seem cruel to put my dog in a crate for 8-9 hours of the day. Although she's 7 months and feel sometimes that I should😂 luckily she stays in the yard.
I’ve had my pitbull German shepherd lab mix since July hes 7 months old now and I can’t even walked out the door for 2 seconds without him freaking out at the top of his lungs I use his bone and stuff it with wet food and freeze it at night to try to help Fill his kong with his treats. And he will still start crying and I can hear him by the time I get all the way down to my car, living in an apartment it’s highly embarrassing cause I don’t hear anyone else’s dog like this. I can’t take my laundry out without him screaming bloody murder I’m so lost and don’t know what to do and losing hope and I can’t afford a trainer
Great information thank you
I work at a doggie day care and take one of my two pups (my youngest cattle dog comes to work with me) he’s now over playing, he’s very selective with who he plays with (females mostly which our older pup (also a cattle dog is very under socialized by us unfortunately) is a female about to be 6 years old, occasionally he will play with male dogs at camp but he is very picky with his “friends” I think he comes too often and is over the socialization (he does the typical cattle dog nips at the legs of day care/boarding dogs which does not work in our all day play environment where I work) we just recently felt we could trust him to be home given he is not quite 2 years old. We’ve done small trips increasing slowly to see if he would be destructive which he has not been. I think I will go down to the 2X a week “opening up” and the rest walks etc with him. I appreciate you and your videos/methods I’ve learned a lot and plan to change what I do for my “reactive dogs” /resource guarding of us is our main issue. Thank you for all that you do!
I come back every few months for a refresher ;)
My dog will not touch food if I leave. He has plenty of exercise, off lead, woods, beach, etc. If I leave he will start crying after about 2 mins, this has not changed despite loads and loads of practice, starting to build up from just stepping out and right back in. Luckily, I can leave him with friends and dog sitters, he is perfectly happy there. I, however can’t leave our house even if my husband stays home. The dog will start crying after about 2 minutes and this progresses into howling until I return.
Wow that was SO helpful. I’m trying to write down all this information before we get our dog so I can manage it better. Thank you!
I don't know if you already got one, but if I could do it again, I would go through a rescue instead of the city pound. If you go through a rescue, you can learn a lot more about the dog's behavior before committing. I adopted from the pound and was unaware that she had bad separation anxiety and was pregnant.
Love this guys straight to the point no BS, my Shepherd Boxer mix separation anxiety was pretty bad, chewing up bed legs and things, but we go on a walk but not just a stroll this won’t cut it, we go where he can run off leash use his nose and play fetch / tug, this usually does the trick, I just need to buy more raw bones and strong as fuck toys to finish the job 👏🏼
I like to ride a bike while my dog runs along beside me. Its great for wearing him out quicker.
I put a stuffed squeaky toy on the end of a 10ft rope & pulled it around for my Doberman to pursue... If you let them win (catch it) often, they'll love this game. Also bought a Chuckit tennis ball thrower which throws the ball 2x further than by hand... also picks up the ball without getting hands slimy. Lol. Euro-bred dogs need to w o r k !
Toys, snacks and such don’t work with my dog because he stops playing or eating anything once I’m gone. He only goes back to them when I return. While I’m gone he barks nonstop for hours.
@@sn22379 I have a same problem to be honest my dog goes of his head at everything around him.
Love your techniques
I mixed beef liver into the food / only gave my dog food through this method, after one day of refusing it, the next he using it and worked well