[lovemynyla]

Hi everyone! Just a run of the mill question. My 4 mos. old has separation anxiety. When I come home if she has torn up a pillow or got in the garbage etc. should I punish her or not. If I point it out and say bad dog of course she knows she's done wrong, I think I'm answering my own question by just doing this? Or if anyone has any other opinions I would love to hear them, thanks

[Lunareclipse]

Crate train your dog so it doesn't tear everything up. It could eat the wrong thing out of the trash and get poisoned or it could eat a large piece of pillow and have to go to the vet to have it surgically removed. Your dog doesn't know that you are mad at it for tearing the trash out. You have to catch them in the act in order to properly correct it. If you go buy a crate and crate train, you won't have to worry about it.

[lange]

I feel the same. It's not safe for your pup if shes getting into things. Dogs with separation anxiety sometimes to better in more smaller spaces because they feel safer. A dog really shouldn't be left to roam free if it hasn't learned house manners or is uneasy with being alone. You can even try putting up a baby gate blocking her in one safe room of the house and see if she feels more secure that way. Some soft background music might help too. At 4 months old a pup really isn't old enough or reliable yet.

[threenorns]

Originally Posted by lovemynyla

If I point it out and say bad dog of course she knows she's done wrong

not accurate.

dogs don't have perseverance of memory the way humans over the age of approximately 5 do. the only reason she's acting guilty is because she knows you're angry - she honestly hasn't the foggiest idea what you're on about.

you literally have to catch her sinking her teeth into the pillow for her to realize that THAT is what is wrong - otherwise, she just knows you're angry about something and you keep pointing at the pillow. she doesn't know what you want her to do, she gets confused, and tries to appease you by submitting as much as she can.

at 4mo of age and, really, for the rest of her life unless she's an extremely intelligent dog (border collie/standard poodle type), you need to basically make sure she can't get into stuff you don't want her into.

it's just like babies - it's extremely unfair to leave, for example, the ashtry, the smokes, and the lighter right there on the coffee table and then get angry when they grab them. just like babies, puppies *cannot* learn to "keep out of stuff", particularly if they're in a heightened anxiety state.

[lange]

Originally Posted by threenorns

at 4mo of age and, really, for the rest of her life unless she's an extremely intelligent dog (border collie/standard poodle type), you need to basically make sure she can't get into stuff you don't want her into.

Akitas must be extremely intelligent.

[dralionagogo]

Does she have separation anxiety or is she just a bored puppy?

Puppies chew, play in ways they're not supposed to, and have very limited boundaries if left alone. Even if she's an extremely smart puppy who's been training for awhile now, there's probably quite a bit she doesn't know is wrong yet. Boredom is more often the case when someone thinks their dog has separation anxiety.

For puppies or for separation anxiety, wearing them out before you leave is crucial. Long walk, heavy play, or both - just make sure she's falling asleep when you're walking out that door and don't even say goodbye. In case it is separation anxiety, you don't want to alert her to your leaving. Then have interactive toys ready to go when you've already left, maybe in a different room than where she's napping.

I'm not a huge fan of crate training, but if it's to protect the pup and you won't be away long, go ahead and start that. If you're going to be gone longer than a few hours, look into playschool or a pet sitter.

[DobermanGuy]

Originally Posted by lovemynyla

Hi everyone! Just a run of the mill question. My 4 mos. old has separation anxiety. When I come home if she has torn up a pillow or got in the garbage etc. should I punish her or not. If I point it out and say bad dog of course she knows she's done wrong, I think I'm answering my own question by just doing this? Or if anyone has any other opinions I would love to hear them, thanks

Get a crate.

When she gets older and you have fully housetrained her (trained her to NOT need to be locked up all day) if you come home and find an accident like you described it will be pointless to punish her or scold her. She will not have ANY idea why you are upset and you will do more harm than good. For a correction to mean anything at all, you will need to catch them in the act - NOT 30 minutes later...

I am a BIG believer in using crates for housetraining dogs but I prefer to slowly work away from using the crate so much as they grow older and gain my trust in the home.

Please puppyproof your home BEFORE you stop using the crate when you can't be there directly to supervise the dog. The garbage (and anything else that might be dangerous) should be put away where the dogs can't get at it when still housetraining. Something as simple as a bottletop could get very dangerous if the puppy was to swallow it while you were out.

Originally Posted by threenorns

at 4mo of age and, really, for the rest of her life unless she's an extremely intelligent dog (border collie/standard poodle type), you need to basically make sure she can't get into stuff you don't want her into.

I agree with everything else you said 100% and you explained it perfectly in my opinion.

Standard Poodles made it to the very top of the list when it comes to the top ten smartest dog breeds. Someday I WILL have a Standard Poodle running alongside a Doberman here.

I have plenty of friends with other breeds of dogs that they have managed to housetrain sucessfully. A good owner that spends the time to teach the dog and help it learn is more important than the particular breed.

Some dogs ARE going to learn faster than others. No doubt in my mind about that. Patience and time from the owner play a mojor role in housetraining.