Question:
I love my puppy, but am ready to kill him today! (just kidding of course). I need advise, and you guys have been so great, I thought I'd ask you.

Ever since we've had Finn he has been kenneled when we leave the house. When we go to work or go out, we put him in his kennel, and he's quite content (it's a big kennel). So, over the last month, we have been letting him stay out of the kennel when we go for short periods of time, to see if he can be left out permanently. He's been great. My husband works shift work (12 hr shifts), so there is only 5 days in a month that we are both working during the day (I work Mon - Fri, 8-4). Mon & Tues of this week, I put him in his kennel but left the door open. He was good, when I got home for lunch, he was still in his kennel, but when I got home at 4, he was out roaming, but no damage was done. Today, my husband was home, but had to leave for a couple of hours. While he was gone, Finn chewed up one mat that we have on the floor, and chewed a hole in another one! So, back in the kennel he goes.

What I wondered is...1) what age is good to start weening them out of the kennel (maybe I started to early)? and 2) I think Finn has some seperation anxiety (cries like crazy when we come home), any advise on that?

Sorry to post yet again, but I'd really like your advise. Thanks again!

Nikki

Answer:
I think that the separation anxiety part can be fixed with him feeling secure in his kennel. As long as he sees this as a happy, safe place, then it is the best place for him when there is no one home.

We leave Hunter out is he is left alone, and he has never done any physical damage, but is alwasy very stressed when we return. We try to leave him with someone instead.
Cassie on the other hand is always kennelled when we leave. I don't think she would do anything, but she is happiest in there anyway, it is part of the routine now.

My uncle has golden retrivers and crate all of his everytime he leaves the house. He always have and always will.

I know others though who have never kenelled their dogs and no damage has been done. So really it is a personal preference. Crating him while you are gone is not a bad thing.

Also, when you leave and return don't make a big issue out of greeting Finn. That will just add to the SA. Instead, if he is anxious, wait until he settles a bit before you pay him any attention. Over time, he won't view you leaving as a big deal. If though he gets a lot of attention before you leave or after you return, he will associate that and it will lead to the anxiety.

Another thing, is to change up your routine, so he don;t learn to associate any one thing with you leaving. For example, if he gets anxious when you put on your coat, put it on and not leave the house, leave it on for awhile and then take it off. Just mix it up a little.

Sorry if I am rambling, but I know all too well what it is like to have a doggie with SA. My only regret is not kennel training him at a young age. I think that would have solved a lot of Hunter's "issues"

Answer:
I started leaving my golden retriever puppy home alone for short periods of time when he was about 5 months old. He was crate trained (for nighttime and housebreaking), but I never confined him to one during the day.

I would close the bathroom and bedroom doors, and I made sure he knew the rules (what he's allowed to do and what he's not). I started by going into my bedroom during the day, and leaving him alone in the living room. Periodically, I would peek out to make sure that he wasn't getting into trouble. I started with just a few minutes, and built the time up. And because there was no pattern to when I came or went (sometimes I'm come back for a cup of tea or a slice of toast), so seperation anxiety was never a problem either. It wasn't long before I could trust him if I left the house.

By about 7 months old, I could trust him alone for a couple hours at a time (if I wanted to go to see a movie, for example). Of course I leave only select toys out, and give him a kong or something else to chew, but when I came home, most of what I left out remained where I left them (or not far from). I guess he just slept while I was gone. When I "trained" him to be alone, he would usually sleep and wake up when I returned to the living room.

My point is that if you never teach your dog how to be left alone (uncrated), you can run into problems later and will be forced to crate him for his entire life. You're on the right track by weaning him into your home, but some dogs make their own rules when you're not around to make them for him, so make sure he knows the rules before you leave him alone and unnattended.

Answer: