Dog separation anxiety

Exercise, exercise and more exercise. Wear her arse out. She won’t care when you leave if she is exhausted.

Also, don’t say hello or goodbye when entering/exiting. It sounds cruel but that is how it works if you are the pack leader. After her anxiety level has calmed down, then you can greet her.

Lastly, aside from the physical exercise, try mental stimulation as well. A toy with a treat in it but she has to do xyz with toy in order to get treat out, etc. Practice obedience commands as well, this helps.

Simply put, dogs aren’t meant to live in crates and lay on couches. They need to be outside in their element. They’re dogs.

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I was wondering if anyone has been through something similar and have any tips.

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We adopted a rescue dog about 2 years ago. She was rescued from a shelter in Mamou where she had given birth to about 8 puppies on a concrete floor. She'd had a rough life to that point. She bonded with my wife immediately and would freak out whenever my wife left the house. I was worried it would continue, but it passed eventually as the dog began to feel comfortable that she was secure at home and all was well.

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No clue if it works. I just remember the informercials from years ago

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We got a Thundershirt for our chocolate lab when he was a pup. Left him for an hour or so. Came home and found it in pieces.

The only thing that worked was getting a 2nd dog. We tried everything else, including drugs.

If you go the 2nd dog route, though, get an older alpha dog. A puppy will just learn your dog's bad habits.

My puppy did that, and I once had to sit outside my apartment for 3 hours waiting for her to stop before I'd go inside.

She will. Keep up the exercise until she just can’t go anymore. I’ve trained my dog to stay beside me as I ride my bike. I chose a bike because I don’t like running, plus she is too fast for me if I run. So the bike does the trick.

You can place a blanket over her kennel as well when leaving. Make her kennel inviting and never use her kennel as punishment. A Kong filled with peanut butter frozen is a good way to keep her stimulated as well.

I’ve heard they do work. Plus that dog looks happy so you know it works.

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I put her in the crate when I leave

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We used to put our dog, Boudreaux, in a crate when we left as well. He was miserable. I told my wife that I'd be damned if I ever crated him again once I saw how he hated it.

Once we put the crate away, he has been a wonderful pupper. He just hated being in jail all day for crimes he didn't commit. I suspect your pupper feels the same way.

Trust her, and let her have free roam of the house while you're gone. She'll have freedom, and you'll find a dawg waiting at the door for you with a wagging tail when you come home from work.

As a few other posters said - exercise, tired dog is a good dog.

Give them something to occupy then for 5-10 minutes when you leave. I do a Kong with peanut butter.

Don’t make a scene of coming or going so it becomes less of a big deal to them. It’s not fun but when you get home, ignore it for a couple minutes before opening the crate.

Also try leaving and coming back for short periods(walk outside for 5 minutes) over and over to progress them along. They don’t have the same concept of time as humans so this works well.

ETA: Make the crate as cave-like as possible. Cover it with a blanket, put it into a dark corner. This makes them feel safe. Just don’t use it for punishment.