My 2 dogs bark non stop when I go out.

toniq

At my wits end as I only go to a baby group twice a week and am gone from 9am to 10:30am, the neighbour that mentioned it was okay but I'm wary.

The older dog sets the chi pup off so they are both as bad, i usually leave them a non rawhide chewy to keep them happy but seems the older one ignores his and barks away.

They don't do this when I am at home, I have tried leaving them for a few mins and returning and praising them but it makes no difference.

I leave them in a spare bedroom as that is away from the neighbour that would have a major issue with it.

The older dog is 6 the chi pup is ear on 6 months, any tips am happy to take on board.

I cant afford to put them in kennels for that short time and again getting a dog sitter my husband wouldn't have stranger in our house.

It will soon mean I can't take baby out to her baby group if this continues, I usually shop etc after my oldest is in from school so the dogs aren't alone.

dandelionclock30

Could you take them to a pet sitter or neighbour for a couple of hours and pay them? Surley someone will have them if you offer them some money.
Or get the wall soundproofed, you can buy the boards and DIY.

toniq

I'm only out 90 minutes on each day, I couldn't take them anywhere as oldest dog terrified of car and them two and baby will be a nightmare, baby group cost £3 so obviously I don't want to pay a fortune in minder fees, I understand u r being helpful but it's not in the equation, soundproofing we would have no idea how tk as they we are a mid terraced house x

dandelionclock30

You just get the boards and nail then to the walls its not hard. Hope you find a solution.

toniq

The room has windows, will it be on in that room? I'm going to google the boards as never heard if it before thanks

Soot2006

Has the older dog always barked or is this a new thing?

Do they get enough exercise or are you the highlight of their entertainment?

krlyr

It could be an issue like separation anxiety. The easiest way to think about it is like the dog is suffering a phobia of being home alone. It may not be rational - you may leave the dog alone every day with nothing bad happening to the dog - but the dog's fear is extreme.

This needs to be tackled by changing the dog's emotional response to being left alone. It's not going to happen overnight - you need to teach the dog that it's OK to be like for 30 seconds, a minute, 5 minutes and so on, and this can take days, or weeks. In the meantime, you need to try to avoid putting the dog in the situation where it suffers the separation anxiety - taking the dog with you, finding a relative to dogsit, using a pet sitter, etc.

Patricia McConnell's book is a good short-but-sweet guide on separation anxiety - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ill-Home-Soon-Separation-Anxiety-ebook/dp/B001CSLJR2/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1403955614&sr=8-8&keywords=patricia+mcconnell
Nicole Wilde's book is a good resource, more in-depth - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Leave-Step-Step-Separation-Anxiety/dp/0981722733

And Malena Demartini-Price's book is another one to consider - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Treating-Separation-Anxiety-Malena-Demartini-Price/dp/1617811432


It may not be separation anxiety, but you describe some of the classic symptoms - dogs are usually too anxious to eat treats or chews, for example, and suffer whether it's 5 minutes or 50. For a proper diagnosis, you could seek the help of a good trainer or behaviourist - check https://www.apdt.co.uk or ww.apbc.org.uk
Bear in mind that behaviourists are often covered on many pet insurance policies - an option worth considering.

amy888

Years ago the vet told my nan to leave the radio on for her dog when she went out and it worked

toniq

The older dog a terrier poodle get 2 long walks by hubby,morning and night and go out in garden throughout the day, our back garden is massive.

The little fella has 1 short walk as he is terrified of being out, but he happily spends times in the back, neither bark in garden unless a bird lands near them.

Older dog always a bit grumpy when I leave, but I never left him long, hene we got the dogs as I'm generally always around.

They both have top insurance plans,the little chi takes his lead from the older fella,I can see when I get back he has been dragging his toy about and chewing on his bone but the older fella hasn't done anything.

I will look at those books, Will mention it to our vets when older dog gets his prescription review this week.

Thanks for advice I am taking everything on board.

Watto30

Sorry to hear this but like others have said it does sound like separation anxiety more so with the older of the two but the younger one sounds like he is learning from the older dog. I must admit that I don't know a huge amount about the subject but I am an owner of a 5 month old pup and was very conscious of this when we got her and have really tried to avoid it.

There was a very interesting programme on some time ago that you may be able to get on catch up or youtube or the likes I think it was the secret life of dogs and this particular episode focused on separation anxiety and had lots of helpful advice on how to teach the dog that its fine to be alone and that yes you will definitely come back although it sounds like you doing the right things by leaving special chews out and practicing leaving them on their own for a few mins etc


Cesar Milan has a lot of helpful videos on youtube too as I note you also said in an earlier post that the older dog is terrified of the car, this is something that can be overcome with time and patience.

I leave the radio on for my dog and I really do think that helps to keep her calm as she can hear the human voices and it also dampens down any outside noises. The other thing I do is leave a stuffed kong for her to work on and she now knows that when she gets the kong in her crate it means that I am going out and that I need her to be calm and relaxed in her crate.

There is a plug in diffuser and collar that you can get called adaptil, pets at home sell them or you can try online but apparently these can be quite effective as they release a pheromone that the mother normally produces when they are puppies so it makes them feel safe,it is odourless to humans.

Another option is something called a thundershirt which is like a t-shirt for dogs but it makes them feel safe and helps to reduce the anxiety

I hope you can find something that works for you and your dogs

System

Can they see out of the window? Reason I ask is because I have to shut the blinds when i go out because they sit on the settee waiting for me.... not a problem but they bark at anything that goes past our house.

A car, a man, a bird, a crisp packet.... the list is endless. Even if my husband or son is in, they still sit there waiting. I had to move the coffee table too.