Help ......... losing patience with my dog being around

beccaboom

This might seem slightly odd.........
I have a 6 month old puppy and lately I am getting sick of his always being here........ i feel guilty leaving him and him being on his own in the hoiuse that I am not having a life outside of the house cause i dont wanna think he is just sitting at home bored. I have to point out , we had a great routine going , i work 9-5 and my partner works shifts so he was only on his own for 3-4 hours a day and things were going great , no guilt and I loved coming home to him but now I have been home for the last 8 weeks due to illness and I am not able to stay in bed in the mornings cause i hate leaving him on his own . He is like a lap dog , cannot play on his own and when I am up he is constantly by my side .......... we tried to get him used to be out the back on his own but he realy is a house dog , Bichon . Its too cold for him out the back and he cries until I bring him in .

I dont know what to do ?????????? Help??? I get that he is only a puppy and is looking for comfort but the thought of leaving him on his own is horrible to me now and I havent been able to leave him on his own for more that a couple of hours and we cannot afford another dog.

liah

The best solution I've found are Kongs. I don't know if they make them small enough for a Bichon but they're brilliant for keeping them occupied. We'd use peanut butter and dog treats on the inside and they'd go nuts for hours trying to get it all out.. which, with the peanut butter, they never did, but they sure were determined!

Just as long as it's kept clean because they're never able to get it all out, it should be a decent solution. If you have to do it a lot, though, maybe go with something healthier that will still stick in there, maybe rice or something.

If you want to keep him occupied for longer, hide treats around the house, maybe have a few kongs in different areas. Should be sufficient. Dogs don't care about being alone when there's food involved!

beccaboom

He has Kongs and toys and was always left on his own its just lately I cant leave him cause i think that he is lonely and its keeping me from doing stuff . I am starting to resent having him. but i dont want to get rid of him and by boyfriend is adament that we arent ....... I feel like I am stuck here all day and he is constantly beside me . I know that i need to get out but I physically cant .

tk123

Have you considered sending him to daycare? Our guy has settled down a lot and become more independant from going a few days a week. Also he'll be taken care of all day so you don't have to worry about what he's up to downstairs etc

mymo

Any chance of a friend or neighbour calling and bringing him for a little walk?
It would give you both a break, I assume you aren't up to it yourself.
Also I think this is a lot down to you and your situation, its hard being ill and not getting out, you are feeling cooped up and he's getting on your nerves, its not the dog, its not your fault either, its more down to your illness and not getting out having a normal life.
It will improve, you do need some help though. Ask friends and family to call in to you, or to take the dog for an hour or two.

Zapperzy

Have you thought about crate training him? If you were to crate train him and get him used to having an hour or two in his crate every day it would leave you time for yourself without him following you around all the time. The daycare idea is a good idea also, wish we had something like that over this side of the country.

hadook

beccaboom wrote: »

He has Kongs and toys and was always left on his own its just lately I cant leave him cause i think that he is lonely and its keeping me from doing stuff . I am starting to resent having him. but i dont want to get rid of him and by boyfriend is adament that we arent ....... I feel like I am stuck here all day and he is constantly beside me . I know that i need to get out but I physically cant .

It's ok to leave your dog alone for a few hours if you're feeling like crap. Honest. It's only for the short term, don't feel bad about it.

Find someone to walk him, send him to daycare, crate train him, shut him in another room with some toys, put him out the back with a kong (as long as the weather is clear it's warm enough for a dog to be outside for a few hours during the day right now), doesn't matter what you do as long as you get some time to yourself to clear your head and your dog is safe & occupied.

Not only will you feel better as a result it'll improve your interactions with him as you'll no longer resent him on sight because you're sick and you can't cope with him right now. IMO, the resentment you're feeling is a much bigger problem than a little benign neglect. When you're feeling a little less stressed then look at things like clicker training to keep his mind occupied (and yours).

This could work out to be good for him too - at 6 months you don't want to inadvertently train him to expect 100% full on attention either.

A couple of years ago I spent a few weeks living between the couch/ bed, felt like crap etc. The dogs only got the bare minimum of attention & practically lived on cows ears/kongs etc. On nice days I fed them by grabbing handfuls of food and flinging it about on the lawn. Then I'd shut the door and head back to bed. They survived They were a little wired from the lack of exercise when I recovered but we got back into a routine quickly enough.

bellx1

hadook wrote: »

put him out the back with a kong.as long as the weather is clear it's warm enough for a dog to be outside for a few hours during the day right now



Sorry, slightly off topic here: What is a kong?
My mum is ill at the moment and is having similar problems with an exteremely demanding dog.
Thanks

tk123

A kong is a rubber toy that you stuff with treats for the dog to lick/chew out : http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/dogs/dog_toys_dog_training/kongs

catspajamas

Kong is a brand name ( link below)
they make various fab toys for dogs that are virtually indestructible ( I know I have a large dog that used to cost a fortune in tennis balls before i discovered these
the most popular ones have a cavity in that you hide treats in - dog spends all day trying to work out how to get at it
your dog will get used to its own company - but you do have to leave it to let it get accustomed to that
then you'll enjoy him even more
hope you feel better soon


http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/dogs/dog_toys_dog_training/kongs/?gclid=CLOC8fCW3aQCFWL92Aod1S1IMA

Shazanne

I felt the same with my dog. I felt so guilty going to work and leaving her alone. If I left her a chewey treat she wouldn't touch it till I came home and I just knew she was lonely. So, in desperation, I got her a companion. I know you say you can't afford another dog, but can you afford to have this one affecting you the way it is?
Both my dogs are rescue dogs. You can rescue a dog that is already vaccinated and microchipped etc. I know they cost money for vets and food etc, but it really makes a huge difference if they have a friend and I personally think its worth it.:)

canonball5

beccaboom wrote: »

This might seem slightly odd.........
I have a 6 month old puppy and lately I am getting sick of his always being here........ i feel guilty leaving him and him being on his own in the hoiuse that I am not having a life outside of the house cause i dont wanna think he is just sitting at home bored. I have to point out , we had a great routine going , i work 9-5 and my partner works shifts so he was only on his own for 3-4 hours a day and things were going great , no guilt and I loved coming home to him but now I have been home for the last 8 weeks due to illness and I am not able to stay in bed in the mornings cause i hate leaving him on his own . He is like a lap dog , cannot play on his own and when I am up he is constantly by my side .......... we tried to get him used to be out the back on his own but he realy is a house dog , Bichon . Its too cold for him out the back and he cries until I bring him in .

I dont know what to do ?????????? Help??? I get that he is only a puppy and is looking for comfort but the thought of leaving him on his own is horrible to me now and I havent been able to leave him on his own for more that a couple of hours and we cannot afford another dog.

Hey OP,I totally understand where you are coming from.We leave the radio on when we are out in the same room as the dog.We were told it would ease the anxiety and our girl has stopped chewing furniture etc!!

barbiegirl

Hi OP
You used to have a great routine, now you've lost it, so time to re-establish it. Using Kongs, toys, and the radio, start leaving the dog for a little longer every day, increasing the length every couple of days. it doesn't matter where you go, but just go. The dog will get used to the new routine again and be fine, and you will lessen your feeling so of anxiety as you know well he was happy yesterday for 2 hours, today is only 30 minutes longer so he'll be fine.
This is as much your issue as his but you are the one who can deal with it, not him.
Best of luck

iguana

Have you thought about getting him a crate. Sometimes when a dog is left by themselves the size of the house can be overwhelming as they feel a need to protect the whole property. But if you get them a crate, lay a blanket over it and use it as a place for all it's toys it will come to see the crate as it's own space and you can leave it there when it leave and it will feel happier and more secure.

RhodeIslandRed

Hi there, I have two bichons that I'm very attached to. Recently I have had to leave them alone for most of the day. I have found a wonderful dog walker found them who takes them out for a long run in the woods for more than an hour in the middle of the day. I feel so much better now about leaving them because I know they are getting great exercise and will sleep for hours afterwards. It's not cheap but they're worth it!