What exactly is Monty doing when you go out?

How do you know?

Does he bark if you leave him in another room?

Do you use a crate for him?

What toys/chew toys does he have?

What have you tried to help so far?

Monty follows us everywhere, and if we leave him in another room he whines, barks, and becomes quite destructive.

He is in his crate at night and has the freedom of the kitchen (with his crate open) when we leave him on his own.

We have left him for short periods at a time and gone into the living room, but he doesn't stop barking and whinning, and becomes quite destructive.

We give him his toys, Kong, Rope toys, Teddy, our clothes with out scent on it, and his football. He loves all of these toys but they become uniteresting as soon as we leave him.

We also leave the radio on for company.

Darren

__________________

Previously know as darrenwis

Ok...

I would keep a couple of toys, including his Kong away from him, and only give them to him when you leave him.

Start by giving him his Kong, stuffed with something really yummy, like biscuits and boursin cheese, in the kitchen while you cook the dinner. Once he is underway, pop out the kitchen for a minute or two, and then just come back in and carry on what you're doing. Totally ignore him, make it a 'non event'. It will work best if you have a stairgate on the kitchen door, so he has to stay in there, and can see out, but can't get out. Do this a few times, each time ignoring him, and if he is OK, maybe gradually increase the time you are out of the room for 5 minutes. Keep doing this at least everyday, until he is settled when you go out and come back in.

Then try leaving him in the other room for 10 minutes or so, with his Kong and 'special' toys. Again, ignore whatever he is doing and make it a non event when you come back in. Try to re-enter the room when he has a break in crying/barling if possible (assuming he does bark/cry). Then, once he is Ok with 10 minutes, build up the time. Then, progress to leaving the house, but again, only for 5 minutes at first. And so on, you get the point?

The idea is, puppy start to think that you going out is a good thing, as he gets lots of goodies when you do, and you coming back is boring as you ignore him and take his special things away. Once he is Ok with being left for short periods, it is fine to say hello when you come back in, but try not to make too much of a fuss of him.

It will help if you can not leave him at all while you are doing this, and it will work much more quickly. If you can't not leave him whilst doing it, it may not work very well at all, or will take along time. It will also help if you confine him to his crate at these times, IF he is properly crate trained. if not, crate training will help.

All a lot of hard work, and time consuming, but it will lead to a happy, contented dog that is quiet and secure. Not just a quiet and unhappy one.

Thanks,

Will definately try that approach.

Darren

__________________

Previously know as darrenwis

I wouldnt give him cheese you could cause a skin problem kong manufacture a spray to squirt in kongs I personally feed a high meat content food so I soak a hand full of her biscuit in hot water over night mix it with a tin of chicken and pumpkin applaws (Iknow its cat food but its just chicken breast and pumpkin and dogs dont need tourmine) or the kong spray and stuff it out with that my dog does have seperation anxiety I rescued her and for the first 12 months she was totally indifferent to me as long as I fed waked and groom her she would do as I asked her then I moved house and bang she wont leave my side its a nightmare but I think she over reacted to discovering shes with us for keeps