15/06/2020
Something to think about and plan, before returning back to work.
Maybe consider getting a camera to keep an eye on your pets and if anyone would like us to do regular visits to ease them back to normality, we would be happy to do this. Or maybe to contact us if the are showing to be stressed seen via the camera, and need someone to visit on an ad-hoc basis.
It really will be a massive change for them and trips out before you return to work will really help prepare both the pups and you.
Preparing your puppy to be left home.
Are you still working from home currently or furloughed with a new puppy?
If you are then, start today.
❗️Start now. But go sloooow ❗️
Many owners make the well meaning mistake of starting separation training too fast, going out of the house and leaving their pup as a first step.
This is too rushed.
It is always best to start in small, incremental stages to allow your puppy to get used to and feel comfortable being separated from you without getting distressed.
This always starts inside the house.
Here is one exercise you can work on.
*You will need a licki mat already smeared with a little tasty food such as wet puppy food or Greek yoghurt
* A plastic cone, jacket or any other object you’d like use as a visual marker. (Optional)
This will be the SPECIAL leaving object.
Put this away at other times.
1. Identify a room where you will eventually be leaving the puppy. Have it set up as it would be if you were leaving the house. Bed, crate etc.
2. Place your ‘special’ object on a table or hang it up.
Eventually you would use this in real life signalling to the puppy that you are leaving but that good stuff is about to happen.
3. Straight after placing the special object, offer the lickimat with something really tasty such as stinky wet puppy food or a little Greek yoghurt.
Wait for your puppy to start eating then calmly walk out of the room for 5 SECONDS - then back in.
The pup shouldn’t even notice that you have gone. That’s the point at the beginning.
Repeat this ‘game’ increasing the time you are out of the room second by second.
If you are out of the room for 20 seconds then brilliant!
Then finish whole session BEFORE the pup has finished their lickimat.
Increase this time on a day to day basis very slowly.
You would then add in distance as well as duration and eventually pop out of the house completely over the next couple of weeks.
OTHER TIPS - Your objective is to teach your puppy that when you are not there, something amazing happens and YOU WILL be back. They are safe.
* Scatter some treats, behind a baby gate or puppy pen then calmly pop upstairs then STRAIGHT back down.
Increase duration gradually in seconds so you can be upstairs and your pup feels okay about it.
* Start some Life Skills training such as Boundary work. This requires the pup to stay in one place, while you move around the house on a bed or mat until released helping to build confidence and calmness. 🐶
* Fit separation training into your day
* Set timers to help you
* Film sessions on your devices to keep a check on what your puppy does when you are out of the room
* If in doubt contact a professional!
❗️PRIORITISE THIS. It is much more important than teaching Sit or Paw❗️
Note -
If you are really worried about leaving your dog.
Ask whether you can return to work over a few weeks, working from home a part of the week.
Seriously think about providing some company for your dog like a trusted neighbour, pet sitter or dog walker.
🐶 Let me know if you’d like more info on Boundary Work.
