3 Year Old New Dog In the House - Advise needed

Sherlock H

Hi all,

Need some advice on a new 3 year old Staffie. She's a lovely friendly dog, but at night, when we leave her alone, she is constantly crying. She dosnt lie down or sit, she just stands and crys/barks.

When we come down in the morning, she's very shook up and wants loads of attention, which we don't mind of course, but the crying is distressing for her and for us, and its only a matter of time before the neighbors start complaining.

I was considering getting her a crate, making her own space, but that might force her to at least lie down, and possibly relax.

If anyone have any suggestions/recommendations I'd appreciate the advice.

Thanks

mymo

A crate is great but you need to introduce it slowly, you can't just put her in it and shut the door, and the crate has to be big enough for her to stand and turn around.

It sounds like she's unsettled in her new home still, it will take time for her to settle. Staffie so love their family and want to be with them all the time.
Would it be possible to allow her to sleep near your bedroom in the hall or somewhere?

She may be suffering from a little anxiety when you go to bed, if you introduce a crate the right way (read up there's plenty of info on here) and try something like a kong stuffed with food to settle her, combined with the proximity to you, she should settle better, it will take time.

I started both my dogs in the crate beside my bed as pups, then moved it to the doorway, then the hall, now I don't use it at all unless we have visitors (or they'd try and get into visitors bed).

How is she during the day if you leave the room?
If she cries you may have to build up the time she's left alone, she's in a new home and needs time to learn you come back when you leave.

Sherlock H

Thanks for your reply mymo. We are going to get a crate today and try what you suggested. we should be able to fit it in our bedroom, so she can sleep there tonight.

I have been trying her all day, leaving her in a room and seeing how long she lasts before crying. The kitchen, where we were trying to get her to sleep, seems to be a complete no go. Crying/barking straight away when I leave. Even if I'm sitting in the room with her but all the doors closed, she starts to get distressed. The fridge and the boiler make a bit of noise, it could be them, coupled with the fact we tried to leave her here to sleep.

The sitting room, I got 20 minutes before she started barking, I went in and told her to stop, gave her a good pet and rub, then left again. I got another 30 minutes. if we can get her through the night in the crate in our room, thats great, main main concern, however, is when we need to go to work or just leave the house in general with out her. During the week, we need to leave her on her own for 5 hours each day. She wont stay in the kitchen, which is on the detached side of the house, so that means the sitting room, which if she barks will annoy the neighbors, not to mention all the things she could wreck in there and chew when she gets anxious.

If a tough situation, I wanted to take a few days off work to allow more time that just one weekend before we left her for 5 hours alone, but unfortunately it just want possible.

muddypaws

So, just to make sure I am understanding what you're doing, as sometimes, written words can be confusing are you only going back into her when she barks? If that is the case, try doing something different. Leave her, even just for a minute, then go back in, give her a treat, and leave her again. Keep doing this, but ONLY go into her when she is quiet. If she is barking, stand next to the door, the second she stops barking, even just to take a breath, open the door, go in, give her a treat. This way, she is learning that by being quiet, she gets rewarded. If you go into her when she barks, you are reinforcing that behaviour, she makes a noise, you appear. You understand that you're going in to settle her again, but she doesn't, she knows that she makes a noise, and you appear, she's quiet, you disappear, she makes a noise, you come in again.

Well done for taking on an older dog

Sherlock H

I was going back in when she had been barking for a few minutes, which I see now, is probably not the best thing to help her understand. I'll try what you suggest, over the next few hours, hopefully I can get her to understand. Thanks for your advise, I'll let you know how she gets on today.

DBB

Have you only had her a few days OP?
Rescue dogs often have separation issues. Having lost at least one "secure base" in their lives, it can be difficult for them to be happy when alone.
I'm afraid you may be in for some trouble by leaving her alone for 5 hours in one fell swoop: ideally, when you get a new rescue dog, you're well advised to start on Day 1 by leaving the dog for a short period... minutes, and do this regularly on Day 1. On Day 2, a few more minutes, on Day 3, a few more, and so on, until you can leave for a number of hours without too much worry. All the while, getting the dog used to chowing down on something chewy and delicious, like a stuffed Kong, or a heavy-duty dried meat chew (actually, several of them), with a radio on (it should not be switched on just before you go out, nor should the chewy thing be given immediately before you leave, otherwise they start to tip the dog off that you're going, and actually can become part of the problem). You may also find it useful to leave an item of your worn clothing with her.
Whilst I'd have no problem crating her at night in your room, I would not consider it for leaving her in during the day for 5 hours. Some dogs can be really worried about being closed into one room, but are fine in another, or are fine if they have the run of the downstairs.. you might consider using things like playpens to fence off large items of furniture you don't want her having access to, so that you can give her a little more freedom.
You could also monitor her using Skype! I have been doing this with a new-ish and anxious rescue dog I have here: I have a laptop near her and I Skype her from my mobile. I talk to her for the first half-hour (the period during which she's most anxious), and it really helps her to settle. Tk123 here has also used it to monitor the actions of her dog: you can set Skype so that the dog's end auto-answers when you call
If she's anxious about being alone, and if she has to suddenly spend 5 hours alone tomorrow, and for the rest of the week, I think you're going to be in bother If there was any chance at all of getting her minded for these first few weeks whilst you're in work, while you're slowly getting her used to ever-lengthening periods of solitude.

Sherlock H

Thanks for the advice on the crate DBB. We thankfully all got an 8 hour sleep last night. We brought the crate into our room, put all her bedding in it and when she came in, she got into it slowly and cautiously, but once in, and we didn't leave the room, she was fine. She slept all the way to 7am this morning, as did we thank god.

I'm upstairs in my home office now, with skype monitoring her downstairs. Is funny, she just sits by the door waiting. not really moving at all. Then every hour or so, absolutely freaks out running around screaming.

Iv waited about 20 mins, until she becomes a little quieter, enable the video and voice on the skype, and talk to her. She then lies back down at the door.

I'm going to get her a stuffed Kong this evening, cause she hasn't been chewing on anything else we'v given her, just on about everything else that she shouldnt be chewing
I think, unless we can teach her to play with toys or chew items, she wont be able to be alone for an hour let alone 5, as she just sits or lies very still. No dog can do that for very long unless they are sleeping, which she dosnt do unless we are there.
Anyways....the show must go on. Thanks for all the advice!

Tranceypoo

It will get better!! I went through this with both my rescues, the older one would rip and shred and chew when left alone, the younger one would howl and cry even when we were upstairs in bed (and even though she was with the older dog who we'd had about 4 years by then), I remember sitting at the top of the stairs at about 6am waiting for a break in the howling so I could go down to her!! Took a couple of months with the younger one I won't lie but she's a mad neurotic madam anyways!! Persevere! My older one is a staffie mix and an absolute dote and a half, big smiley head on him and totally laid back personality, fabulous dog!

Pics please?

aonb

OP I feel for you, but sounds like you are working towards a solution - keep it up, it will be worth it. Staffies are so gentle and trusting and kind. One thing that stood out for me in your posts is the "closed doors" - locking her in a room - might be an issue? - my solution to this when I had a dog who used to really stress if all the doors in a room were closed, was to put a child-gate at the door to stop him getting out - really made a difference to him. I have a family room with 2 doors - at night I put the child gate on 1 door and his crate up against the other door. Might be worth a try... The other thing I always done with new/rescue dogs down through the years, is put a radio on in the room with the dog - so the silence is not deafening. I also put an old jumper of mine in the room with them. My little bit stressy dog is addicted to his teddies (50c in charity shops) - he thrashes some, but keeps 2 or 3 for snuggling up too. Also worth a try?

Great that the crate in the bedroom is working (Go Boardsies!!) - this site is fantastic for getting advice to solutions that have us stumped!
Hope you get her sorted very soon, she will be so worth it. Post a pic so we can all drool over it?