One of the biggest phases that a puppy will go through
is the fear of being alone. And I'm not talking about
being alone in the sense of you leaving the house. Some
puppies will go absolutely nuts even when you only leave
the room for a split second. They just can't bear to
be alone because they are used to having their mommy
or littermates around non-stop.
When faced with this situation, what you do? If you
run to your puppy to sooth and caress him every time
he cries, then you are only feeding the behavior and
creating a spoiled dog. On the other hand, if you ignore
him and let him bark his brains out, the rest of the
family (especially your spouse) will become very annoyed
with you for letting the barking go on.
It's like being stuck between a rock and a hard place,
however, we do have some tips to help you deal with
your puppy barking situation:
1. The first step is to try to ignore your puppy's
barking if at all possible without yelling at him. Yelling
will either scare him from wanting to come near you
or will further add to his anxiety levels that and he
will continue barking.
2. There is a product called a 'teaching lead' which
will enable your puppy to be around you at all times
in the house. Use these types of tools so that your
puppy can be around you while he is getting used to
his independence.
3. When you leave the house, try to refrain from long
and drawn out departures. Although it's understandable
to want to pet your puppy and talk sweet to her before
leaving the house, it only creates more stress because
she will start to associate your behavior with you leaving
her side. The same advice goes when you arrive home.
Avoid big and exciting welcomes after walking through
the door.
4. Try using a simple training aid to get your puppy
to quiet down immediately when she is barking. A water
bottle that sends a quick burst of spray is a perfect
idea. Or you could use a small tin can filled with a
few pennies in it. When you go to leave her side and
she starts barking, simply throw that can in her area.
It will create a startling noise while at the same time
diverting her attention.
|
