Hi,

I returned from a bbq today to find my neighbours hanging over their fence as my pup was frantically barking and scratching at his dog flap to get out, they said he sounded really distressed and had been barking for at least half an hr whilst they were in their garden. There is no way he heard them as they were too far away and I always leave the radio on for him to drown out any outside noise. What can I do, I find this really upsetting that he is not settled when left alone?
he is 5mths old, never left for more than three hrs but usually only 2, when I do have to leave him for work which is rare, I have a dog walker who comes and takes him out mid morning and then my husband comes home at lunch and is then home by 4pm. I leave the radio on as he is used to this, restrict him to the dining room and kitchen, he has treats/toys which he won't touch until we get back. I'm not always sure if he has been barking as he doesn't often bark when we leave, the reason we have to keep his flap closed now is we had a complaint that he was barking in the garden! I really thought the problem was solved by restricting him to the house and I'm finding this really frustrating, any advice would be appreciated, oh and he is always walked and tired out before we leave!

any ideas?

What do you feed him? Is there any way you can give him his food only when you're not there?

For instance, if he's on wet food you could fill kongs/hollow bones with his ration and freeze it and give it to him before you go out. If he isn't hungry when you leave, he will probably not be bothered about treats - whereas if your leaving signals "dinner time" then he might view it as a good thing rather than bad.

If he's on dry food, then soak it to much, then fill and freeze the kong/hollow bones like you would with wet food.

Food doesn't have to come in bowls

Leaving the radio on won't necessarily soothe him in itself; it's only if he associates the sound of the radio with being relaxed that it helps. If he associates the sound of the radio with you going out and him being stressed, then you might as well not bother

Hi

I could do that sometimes but not always as he is left at different times. The problem is he is still pooing within an hour of eating so I would definetly come home to a nice treat if I fed him as I left!!! He will eat his treats as I am leaving but isn't interested in kongs and doesn't touch his toys whilst i'm out!

thanks for replying

I know corrector collars are a bit contraversial but i use one on my adult pug. She has a tendancy to bark at any voices she hears in the surrounding back gardens.

I put a spray collar on her when i am out so she can go in and out her dog flap without causing a nuisance. As soon as she has it on she is silent. Job done!

They aren't cruel but they do correct the behaviour, EVERY time. We have the abois stop - the company of animals one.

Have you thought about crate training him?

Pups often feel more secure when left in a crate than with more freedom, they see the crate as their den and safe area.

Thanks for the replies. He was crated at night but is now in a dog bed so I would rather not go back to crating him, I think that would distress him even more as he is used to having some freedom in the house.

I had thought about using a spray collar, where did you get it from? My only worry is that this isn't solving the problem of him being distressed! anyone had bad experiences of spray collars?

IMO a spray collar would make the problem worse as it would take away his only way of expressing his stress. He may then express it in other ways- chewing!!!
I would pop round to the neighbours with a box of choccies and apologise about the noise and let them know you are working on it.

Does he have the run of the whole house?
You could try a DAP diffuser and see if that helps?
Sounds like a case of SA. Is there any way you can build up the amount of time you leave him for?

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