How can I practically and cheaply treat my dog's separation anxiety?

I have a 4 year old rescue dog: chocolate cocker Spaniel. He's actually a very kind animal, hasn't snapped or barked at anyone aggressively except for dogs smaller than him. We've had a lot of problems with him though and all those issues are evident…

    How can I practically and cheaply treat my dog's separation anxiety?

    I have a 4 year old rescue dog: chocolate cocker Spaniel. He's actually a very kind animal, hasn't snapped or barked at anyone aggressively except for dogs smaller than him. We've had a lot of problems with him though and all those issues are evident…...
    General Dog Discussions : How can I practically and cheaply treat my dog's separation anxiety?...

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    • How can I practically and cheaply treat my dog's separation anxiety?

      How can I practically and cheaply treat my dog's separation anxiety? General Dog Discussions
      I have a 4 year old rescue dog: chocolate cocker Spaniel. He's actually a very kind animal, hasn't snapped or barked at anyone aggressively except for dogs smaller than him. We've had a lot of problems with him though and all those issues are evident of separation anxiety. He will bark if left in his kennel or the backyard by himself for less than 1 minute (15 seconds to be exact on most occasions). I understand that Cockers are a very anxious breed to begin with, and I do admit that I can overreact to his acting out which probably just reinforces this behavior.Realistically, to me, this is just a dog. I want him to be a part of my family, but I'm not willing to pay thousands of dollars on training and I can't take a month off of work so that I can be home with him to train him myself. Because he still has issues with being house trained, he has to spend extra time in his kennel (ie: when left in the living room by himself he'll either urinate/defecate or eat/chew anything he finds). My quality of life and own anxiety level, and that of my wife, has significantly been detrimented by the arrival of this animal to our home.No judging comments will be accepted. I only want realistic and helpful feedback. I will report any abusive or judgmental comments to yahoo. Thank you for your help.

      How can I practically and cheaply treat my dog's separation anxiety?

      How can I practically and cheaply treat my dog's separation anxiety? General Dog Discussions
    • Ok, for his bathroom issues, you need to watch his actions & do your best to get him outside before he does his bad deed. Accidents happen & you don't know what happened to him prior to your ownership.Don't crate him while home. You could put a leash on him and let him go every where you go. Build his confidence up. He's testing you & he needs to feel like belongs in your house. His barking while outside (all dogs do this) but, be outside with him & start telling him no, snap fingers, it's ok, no big deal, etc.Interact more with him in play, inside & out. He'll learn to trust & that's what he needs. Don't look at him as just a dog, look and treat him like he really is a part of your family.Once of dogs had separation anxiety issues and at a young age (he was rescued as a pup from being euthanized) & we crated him when we left the house. He had short intervals of not being crated when I/we took short trips or out to dinner.He was praised when he did good. Praise is the biggest thing your needs. You could also buy a ThunderShirt (I use that with the Beagle mix we adopted) he doesn't like storms. I hope what I said here helps.

    • This page offers some possible solutions, especially the case study of the Dalmatian at the bottom, but you are unlikely to achieve any instant results - treating separation anxiety usually takes weeks rather than days.http://www.dog-obedience-training-review.com/separation-anxiety-in-dogs.htmlBTW, you get the answers you are given on Y!A. You are not allowed to report answers you think are judgemental, only those which are abusive. Adopting that tone will often discourage some very helpful and knowledgeable people from answering, because they think you will report them simply for not agreeing with you.