Separation Anxiety and Crate Training

Dogs with separation anxiety exhibit a high level of stress when left alone or separated from their owner.
In more severe cases, it can even lead to a dog injuring themselves. In this blog, we’ll discuss separation anxiety and crate training to help you understand the signs and learn how they can be addressed.

Signs of Separation Anxiety

Dogs with separation anxiety may show this stress through behaviors such as:

• Excessive vocalizing and difficulty settling down when you are away
  
• Following you from room to room when you are home
  
• Injuring themselves trying to escape, such as scratching at and biting their crate or the door you last walked through
  
• Chewing on anything from baseboards to windows
  
• Urinating or defecating while you’re away, even though they are fully potty trained

What factors can lead to separation anxiety in dogs?

• Genetic predisposition: Herding, sporting, and companion dog breeds are more prone to separation anxiety due to their high social drives or need for mental stimulation.Weimaraners, German Shorthaired Pointers, Vizslas, Labrador Retrievers, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Border Collies, Cocker Spaniels, Toy Poodles, and Bichon Frises are among some of the breeds that are more prone to developing the behavior. 
• Age: Separation anxiety peaks when dogs are middle-aged. You’ll see signs of this anxiety when the dog is younger, with the behavior worsening overtime.
• Environment: We most commonly see separation anxiety behaviors with dogs who have very little time alone. When their owners are home, the dog will usually follow them from room to room, sitting near their feet or on their lap. They also typically share the bed overnight.

Don’t worry, we absolutely encourage you to snuggle your new puppy! It’s unlikely for them to have separation anxiety behaviors as described above, but you do want to be proactive in preventing separation anxiety behaviors from occurring. The ultimate aim is for your dog to have balance, so that as an adult dog, they are not overwhelmed when left alone.

Benefits of Crate Training

Crate training your puppy teaches them that the crate is a comfortable and safe place, helping them develop independence when left alone. This helps prevent and manage separation anxiety behaviors. Crate training gives you peace of mind knowing that your puppy is comfortable in the crate, whether overnight or when you are unable to supervise them. This will provide you with a peace of mind knowing your puppy is comfortable in the crate, whether it’s overnight or when you’re away.

Crate training your puppy is important for a number of reasons:

1. Helps prevent separation anxiety
2. Keeps puppies safe when you are not home
3. Immensely helps with housebreaking
4. Prepares your dog for the vet or pet sitters, where crates are often used
5. Teaches your puppy to have alone time when you are away
6. Gives adults much-needed downtime while the puppy rests
7. Dogs often love their crate and choose to lie in it during downtime. 

Where to set up the crate

The first few nights your puppy is home, you may start with the kennel directly next to you. It could be the first time your puppy has been separated from their mom or littermates at this point, so keeping them close is recommended. If the puppy is having a hard time settling, poke your fingers through the crate to comfort them. Each night, start moving the crate further away from the bed until it’s eventually in its desired spot. While your puppy is young, we recommend keeping it within earshot of your bed. 

During the day, your puppy should also have at least one nap time in the crate, where you are physically away from them for a couple of hours. This will prepare them for later times when you need to leave the house.

Feed meals when you are away

Unless it conflicts with your potty schedule, one of the ways in which you can feed the puppy’s meals is in the crate when you leave. Leave their kibble meal or a frozen kong stuffed with peanut butter in the crate for them to enjoy. This will help create a positive association when you leave. Do the same thing for nap time or other times of the day when you need time away from the puppy.

Tethering away from your feet

For puppies under four months old, we generally recommend tethering them with their leash to a piece of furniture that is in the same room as you. This keeps the puppy within eyesight so they don’t get up to mischief. We recommend setting up the tether so it is out of range of your feet so the puppy does not become reliant on laying at your feet or on your lap during nap time. The puppy may bark at first because they aren’t able to reach you, but if you ignore it, they will settle down eventually. It’s important not to give a “no” or “knock it off” here because even negative attention is still attention and could reinforce the puppy’s barking.

We are here to help

Are you struggling with treating your puppy’s separation anxiety or attention-seeking behaviors? The good news—you don’t have to face it alone.

At Beyond the Dog, our training is science-based and backed by over 20 years of experience. Co-founded by Dr. Kristyn Echterling-Savage, Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB) and Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). Every dog and household is unique, which is why our training programs are customized to your goals. All of our training programs are offered through one-on-one sessions at your home or local neighborhood, depending on your training goals. We’d love to help. Schedule a free consult today.”