is there anyway to do this? - YorkieTalk.com Forums

yorkiepuppie · 06-02-2009, 02:34 PM

if you need to leave your dog for an extended period of time. is there anyway to make them understand that 'you will be back, that they just have to wait'

i have read somewhere that said if you leave your dog, then they will think you are dead, and some dogs will never be the same afterwards.

does anyone know or have any ideas?

QuickSilver · 06-02-2009, 02:36 PM

How long are you leaving for? Thor's former owner comes back and visits him every month or two. He is always thrilled to see her, but doesn't seem particularly upset when she leaves.

QuickSilver · 06-02-2009, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by QuickSilver

How long are you leaving for? Thor's former owner comes back and visits him every month or two. He is always thrilled to see her, but doesn't seem particularly upset when she leaves.

One thing I love about dogs is how emotionally resilient they are. I imagine if you are going away for a few weeks(?), your dog will miss you a lot for a couple days, and then get down to enjoying her new family. Then when you get back, she might wonder what's going on, but she'll remember how fabulous you are too!

I dogsit on a semi-regular basis, usually for 3-10 days, and the dogs always seem fine coming and going.

LunasMomma · 06-02-2009, 05:31 PM

I got this advice from my pediatrician when my kids were little, but I think it can apply to dogs too. DO NOT make a huge deal of your leaving, calmly say Mommy will see you soon, give a kiss and a cuddle. Children and animals feed off of our emotions, so if you're upset, they get upset. If you act like it's no big deal, it'll be okay

How long are you going to be away?

oopsmyhalofello · 06-02-2009, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LunasMomma

I got this advice from my pediatrician when my kids were little, but I think it can apply to dogs too. DO NOT make a huge deal of your leaving, calmly say Mommy will see you soon, give a kiss and a cuddle. Children and animals feed off of our emotions, so if you're upset, they get upset. If you act like it's no big deal, it'll be okay

How long are you going to be away?

I don't know if there is any truth in this because I didn't research it. A co-worker of mine had her dog sent for training for 2 weeks I think, it may have been even longer. She was very worried that the dog would forgot her and expressed this concern to the trainer. She was told that dogs don't have the same sense of time as we do, in other words time doesn't pass by as slowly for them. I do feel like they have a good memory though and he won't be forgetting you

mscat · 06-02-2009, 08:57 PM

If your dog is well cared for and loved all the time, and you have someone taking care of your dog well while away, she will be fine.
I do not know how long your going to be away , however, I have had to stay in the Hospital for 8 days. Suzi was cared for by friends who stayed at my place. when I got home she was thrilled. Other times I have had short stay hospital stay, of 3 days. Suzi still is so happy when I come home .She never has behaved indifferent, towards me. She has actually stayed at my side when i was bedridden . All the time, and she was still a pup . that is how devoted Suzi was to me.
When I started getting well enough to be moving around again and healed, Suzi would lick my scars where I was burned> She still does this . Dogs have a keen sense of smell, and do not forget their owners.
As long as your dog or anybody's dog is not abandoned , and is well cared for , loved, she is going to be your best friend forever.

JoshieBoy · 06-03-2009, 12:43 AM

I do not think your dog will forget you. When I was growing up, my parents had to leave our Cocker Spaniel at my uncle's house, because we were moving to another city. My mother, brother, and I cried when we left our dog at my uncle's house. The uncertainty of finding an apartment that accepts dogs made my parent leave my dog at our uncle's house. She lived with my uncle for about two years. Once we got our house, my uncle sent our dog to meet us by having her travel on an airplane. My mother and I went to pick my dog up at the airport. When we enter the building to pick her up, she was lying in her kennel crying. Once she heard our voices, she automatically stopped crying. She could not even see our faces. She was facing towards the man working at the counter. He was stunned that she automatically stopped crying, because she cried the whole time he waited for us to pick her up. We took her out of her kennel, and she gave us a lot of kisses. We were worried that she would forget us, but she didn't.

karenrae · 06-03-2009, 02:43 AM

It's true that yorkies don't have a proper sense of time. My husband can merely go outside for 10 minutes and they all act like hes been gone for days, OOHHH the kisses they give him when he comes in are crazy. We refuse to leave them alone for more than a couple of hours at a time, I guess thats the best part of my parents living so close..LOL I've learned that laying a couple items of our clothing on the bed or couch works wonders. You would be surprised how many yorkies can fit on top of a t-shirt. Mabey the clothing is a good sense of security???

yorkiepuppie · 06-03-2009, 03:04 PM

thank you for all the responses. i haven't had to leave milu yet. and that is not really because i haven't had to. but because i can't bring myself to leaving her with someone else. i got her since she was a puppy, she is now 14 months old.

i know that there will be a time that i will have to leave her in the care of other people. so i would like to see if there is a way to comfort her when that happens.

right now, if i leave her to go shopping or something, her dad will tell me when i come home that she was howling and crying at the door for me. he will have to try to distract her to make her stop. poor little baby.

lil fu fu girl · 06-03-2009, 06:30 PM

Whenever I leave my two I always tell them either "be back soon"
or "its going to be awhile you have to wait". They seem to understand. I have found out that having two or more, limits the
separation anxiety that they display. They have each other so they
do not feel so alone.
(any reason to adopt more pups)

yorkiepuppie · 06-04-2009, 09:43 AM

i have once left my pet rabbit with a family member while i went on a vacation, and when i got back, the rabbit was mad at me for 2 weeks.

she used to run to me because she loves my attention, and she would for sure run to me when it's time for food. but when i got back, every time i go near her, she would run away from me. and she would not eat the food i gave her unless i am not there. she returned back to her normal loving self after two weeks.

i didn't know that rabbits could get mad at you like that. so i was wondering if dogs would be mad at you or very sad when you have to leave them?

yorkiepuppie · 06-04-2009, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoshieBoy

I do not think your dog will forget you. When I was growing up, my parents had to leave our Cocker Spaniel at my uncle's house, because we were moving to another city. My mother, brother, and I cried when we left our dog at my uncle's house. The uncertainty of finding an apartment that accepts dogs made my parent leave my dog at our uncle's house. She lived with my uncle for about two years. Once we got our house, my uncle sent our dog to meet us by having her travel on an airplane. My mother and I went to pick my dog up at the airport. When we enter the building to pick her up, she was lying in her kennel crying. Once she heard our voices, she automatically stopped crying. She could not even see our faces. She was facing towards the man working at the counter. He was stunned that she automatically stopped crying, because she cried the whole time he waited for us to pick her up. We took her out of her kennel, and she gave us a lot of kisses. We were worried that she would forget us, but she didn't.

this makes me so sad. it's heart breaking. milu is very much a cry baby. i just really worry if i ever have to leave her, she will cry a lot when i am not around.

i am really looking for ways to communicate with dogs, is there anyway to teach them words that they will understand. teach them the concept of waiting? like "wait patiently, and mommy will be back as soon as possible"

is there any way to teach them that?

QuickSilver · 06-04-2009, 10:33 AM

Honestly, I'm not sure there is... it sounds like you and Milu are overbonded, and now she has separation anxiety. That is the way that I would treat it. When she's at your dad's practice leaving for a minute, then five, then fifteen, etc. It's better for her to be a little more independent. It will help her confidence, and will give you more options if you ever need to go somewhere you can't bring a dog.

Lorriekay · 06-04-2009, 11:59 AM

what about a daily telephone call?
LOL .. they can hear your voice so will know you arent dead.
Or leave a voice recording that your caregiver can play for him

yorkiepuppie · 06-05-2009, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by QuickSilver

Honestly, I'm not sure there is... it sounds like you and Milu are overbonded, and now she has separation anxiety. That is the way that I would treat it. When she's at your dad's practice leaving for a minute, then five, then fifteen, etc. It's better for her to be a little more independent. It will help her confidence, and will give you more options if you ever need to go somewhere you can't bring a dog.

yes, we are overbonded, and i too get separation anxiety!

(the first time i left her and went out to see a movie with my fiance, i cried on the way home because i was mad that it was such a long movie!)

i think part of it really is ME. i think because milu is small, i don't trust other people to watch her. i need to get over that.

06-02-2009, 02:34 PM	#1
yorkiepuppie Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: San Jose, CA, USA Posts: 2,883	is there anyway to do this? if you need to leave your dog for an extended period of time. is there anyway to make them understand that 'you will be back, that they just have to wait' i have read somewhere that said if you leave your dog, then they will think you are dead, and some dogs will never be the same afterwards. does anyone know or have any ideas? __________________ www.yenspiration.com i love milu

06-02-2009, 02:36 PM	#2
QuickSilver Thor's Human Donating Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 5,929 Blog Entries: 31	How long are you leaving for? Thor's former owner comes back and visits him every month or two. He is always thrilled to see her, but doesn't seem particularly upset when she leaves. __________________ If you love something, set it free. Unless it's an angry tiger.

06-02-2009, 05:31 PM	#4
LunasMomma Izzy's Momma Too! Donating Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Stuart, Florida Posts: 8,799	I got this advice from my pediatrician when my kids were little, but I think it can apply to dogs too. DO NOT make a huge deal of your leaving, calmly say Mommy will see you soon, give a kiss and a cuddle. Children and animals feed off of our emotions, so if you're upset, they get upset. If you act like it's no big deal, it'll be okay How long are you going to be away? __________________ Tracy, Mom to Izzy and Luna

06-02-2009, 08:57 PM	#6
mscat YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Hanford, CA Posts: 4,895	If your dog is well cared for and loved all the time, and you have someone taking care of your dog well while away, she will be fine. I do not know how long your going to be away , however, I have had to stay in the Hospital for 8 days. Suzi was cared for by friends who stayed at my place. when I got home she was thrilled. Other times I have had short stay hospital stay, of 3 days. Suzi still is so happy when I come home .She never has behaved indifferent, towards me. She has actually stayed at my side when i was bedridden . All the time, and she was still a pup . that is how devoted Suzi was to me. When I started getting well enough to be moving around again and healed, Suzi would lick my scars where I was burned> She still does this . Dogs have a keen sense of smell, and do not forget their owners. As long as your dog or anybody's dog is not abandoned , and is well cared for , loved, she is going to be your best friend forever. __________________ "No matter how little money & how few possessions, you own, having a dog makes you rich."

06-03-2009, 02:43 AM	#8
karenrae Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: washington c.h. ohio Posts: 12	It's true that yorkies don't have a proper sense of time. My husband can merely go outside for 10 minutes and they all act like hes been gone for days, OOHHH the kisses they give him when he comes in are crazy. We refuse to leave them alone for more than a couple of hours at a time, I guess thats the best part of my parents living so close..LOL I've learned that laying a couple items of our clothing on the bed or couch works wonders. You would be surprised how many yorkies can fit on top of a t-shirt. Mabey the clothing is a good sense of security??? __________________ GIZMO, MICKEY, MINNIE, STORMY, THUNDER,DONALD, DAISY, BEAR & BUDDY

06-03-2009, 12:43 AM	#7
JoshieBoy No Longer a Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: N/A Posts: 2,114	I do not think your dog will forget you. When I was growing up, my parents had to leave our Cocker Spaniel at my uncle's house, because we were moving to another city. My mother, brother, and I cried when we left our dog at my uncle's house. The uncertainty of finding an apartment that accepts dogs made my parent leave my dog at our uncle's house. She lived with my uncle for about two years. Once we got our house, my uncle sent our dog to meet us by having her travel on an airplane. My mother and I went to pick my dog up at the airport. When we enter the building to pick her up, she was lying in her kennel crying. Once she heard our voices, she automatically stopped crying. She could not even see our faces. She was facing towards the man working at the counter. He was stunned that she automatically stopped crying, because she cried the whole time he waited for us to pick her up. We took her out of her kennel, and she gave us a lot of kisses. We were worried that she would forget us, but she didn't.

06-03-2009, 03:04 PM	#9
yorkiepuppie Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: San Jose, CA, USA Posts: 2,883	thank you for all the responses. i haven't had to leave milu yet. and that is not really because i haven't had to. but because i can't bring myself to leaving her with someone else. i got her since she was a puppy, she is now 14 months old. i know that there will be a time that i will have to leave her in the care of other people. so i would like to see if there is a way to comfort her when that happens. right now, if i leave her to go shopping or something, her dad will tell me when i come home that she was howling and crying at the door for me. he will have to try to distract her to make her stop. poor little baby. __________________ www.yenspiration.com i love milu

06-03-2009, 06:30 PM	#10
lil fu fu girl No Longer a Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Maryland Posts: 2,410	Whenever I leave my two I always tell them either "be back soon" or "its going to be awhile you have to wait". They seem to understand. I have found out that having two or more, limits the separation anxiety that they display. They have each other so they do not feel so alone. (any reason to adopt more pups)

06-04-2009, 09:43 AM	#11
yorkiepuppie Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: San Jose, CA, USA Posts: 2,883	i have once left my pet rabbit with a family member while i went on a vacation, and when i got back, the rabbit was mad at me for 2 weeks. she used to run to me because she loves my attention, and she would for sure run to me when it's time for food. but when i got back, every time i go near her, she would run away from me. and she would not eat the food i gave her unless i am not there. she returned back to her normal loving self after two weeks. i didn't know that rabbits could get mad at you like that. so i was wondering if dogs would be mad at you or very sad when you have to leave them? __________________ www.yenspiration.com i love milu

06-04-2009, 10:33 AM	#13
QuickSilver Thor's Human Donating Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 5,929 Blog Entries: 31	Honestly, I'm not sure there is... it sounds like you and Milu are overbonded, and now she has separation anxiety. That is the way that I would treat it. When she's at your dad's practice leaving for a minute, then five, then fifteen, etc. It's better for her to be a little more independent. It will help her confidence, and will give you more options if you ever need to go somewhere you can't bring a dog. __________________ If you love something, set it free. Unless it's an angry tiger.

06-04-2009, 11:59 AM	#14
Lorriekay Yorkie Yakker Join Date: May 2009 Location: Inland Empire, So Cal Posts: 32	what about a daily telephone call? LOL .. they can hear your voice so will know you arent dead. Or leave a voice recording that your caregiver can play for him