So I thought, since I seem to have mastered this issue (I say this knocking on wood of course hehe), that it might cool to share some of the things I have tried and what has worked for us so far!
Now for those of you who know me, you will know that I am a pretty huge Cesar Millan fan. He is brilliant! No kidding! His method of exercise, discipline and affection really is the answer! I've made a few changes, but have based my method mostly on his.
First off, nothing is going to help if your dog isn't tired. A tired dog is a relaxed dog. So here you will need to experiment with how long a walk it takes to drain your dogs energy. If you have a treadmill that works too.
Next you will have to decide whether you will crate your dog, keep him in a pen or section off an area of the house. I keep Al in my office with my parrot (the two of them are buds so I wouldn't recommend this if your dog has a strong prey drive).
Here is a snippet of our morning routine. I wake up at 6:15am and am ready and out the door with Al by 7am. We go for a walk up to the park, around it and back. We get home by 7:50am. Then it's breakfast for Tink, breakfast for Al and then breakfast for me! Then by 8:15 Al is in his crate and I'm out the door shortly after. This schedule has really worked for us, but you may need to experiment and see what works for you!
Now for those of you who know me, you will know that I am a pretty huge Cesar Millan fan. He is brilliant! No kidding! His method of exercise, discipline and affection really is the answer! I've made a few changes, but have based my method mostly on his.
First off, nothing is going to help if your dog isn't tired. A tired dog is a relaxed dog. So here you will need to experiment with how long a walk it takes to drain your dogs energy. If you have a treadmill that works too.
Next you will have to decide whether you will crate your dog, keep him in a pen or section off an area of the house. I keep Al in my office with my parrot (the two of them are buds so I wouldn't recommend this if your dog has a strong prey drive).
Here is a snippet of our morning routine. I wake up at 6:15am and am ready and out the door with Al by 7am. We go for a walk up to the park, around it and back. We get home by 7:50am. Then it's breakfast for Tink, breakfast for Al and then breakfast for me! Then by 8:15 Al is in his crate and I'm out the door shortly after. This schedule has really worked for us, but you may need to experiment and see what works for you!
Wake Up Call
Try not to give your dog an excessive amount of affection (don't judge me yet, let me finish) right when you both wake up. Get suited up and head out for your walk. Don't make a big fuss about it, just do it. Think positive thoughts!
The Walk
I'm no expert, I just go by what feels right. What I do know is that "bad manners" as I like to call them are not allowed. You are the leader, so make sure you are in charge of the situation. Trust me, it will make your dog feel a lot better if he knows you are in control of things.
Make sure your dog has some "dog" time too though. I take Al up to the park and let him roam around and do his own thing for a bit. But it's always up to me when we stop and when we go.
Make sure your dog has some "dog" time too though. I take Al up to the park and let him roam around and do his own thing for a bit. But it's always up to me when we stop and when we go.
Love and Cuddles
After our walk I give loads of cuddles and snuggles to my little guy. Now we can start our day since we have woken up, traveled, had a successful walk and now it's time to eat!
Food
Dogs will often become anxious if they feel hungry when you aren't home. We've experimented on this and can say so with certainty that when Al hadn't been fed beforehand he would whine and if he had he would sleep. Please don't misunderstand me, Alfie is always well fed and never goes hungry!
The Exit Strategy
Once you know you need to start packing up to leave, you need to realize that your dog is watching you. You'll probably notice him following you, maybe he's whining a little bit or maybe he's just staring without blinking... Yep, Al is guilty of all of those behaviours.
The trick here is not to ask why, not to say things like, "He just won't stop!" and not to get frustrated. Believe it or not, if you take charge of the situation and stop thinking it's up to your dog, you can stop these unwanted behaviours pretty quick.
First off, as hard as I know it is, don't feel sorry for your dog. He will pick up on this and start to get anxious. Here is what you need to do:
The trick here is not to ask why, not to say things like, "He just won't stop!" and not to get frustrated. Believe it or not, if you take charge of the situation and stop thinking it's up to your dog, you can stop these unwanted behaviours pretty quick.
First off, as hard as I know it is, don't feel sorry for your dog. He will pick up on this and start to get anxious. Here is what you need to do:
- Set up the area where your dog will be the night before.
- Include toys, blankets, and anything else your dog enjoys. WATER, please don't forget WATER!!
- As soon as you need to start getting ready (I usually allow 20 minutes to make sure I don't rush any of the steps), put your dog in his space. Don't say anything, don't make a fuss. If you make a big gushy deal about it, your dog will too.
- Make sure he isn't in an area where he can watch you and sense how bad you feel about leaving him alone.
- Before you leave put on a radio or two. Better yet, record your own voice and play it on repeat in another room of the house.
- Give him his special yummy treat (a Kong with peanut butter is always yummy). Again, don't make a fuss, PLEASE or this WILL NOT WORK.
- Leave with confidence and a positive attitude. You are in charge of the situation. Don't let your neighbours bring you down, this can be fixed but it takes time and patience!
Recording
If you have a computer and a mic, download Audacity and record your dog! Listen to what he's up to!
Be brave and remember that dogs are not meant to be alone. This is the hardest thing for them. It goes against their pack needs and can be a challenge! But you are not alone! If you have any questions, please feel free to send us a message!
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