Separation Anxiety - YorkieTalk.com Forums

Ranger · 12-11-2004, 12:21 AM

Does anyone’s baby have a problem with separation anxiety when left alone??

Ranger is starting to worry me. . . He used to not do this and has only started too recently.
If I try to leave he shoots out the door and won’t go back inside. He then starts to shake like he’s cold even when it’s warm outside. When I come home he literally cries like a baby and jumps all over me. Sometimes after I leave I can hear him crying, not whining or whimpering but crying. I understand he doesn’t want me to leave, but how can I get him used to me leaving and knowing I will come back? I have never left him for a long period of time by himself and have only been gone two days while he stayed with a neighbor (which he had no problem with).

Am I the only one or has anyone else gone through this as well??!!

bettyeanne · 12-11-2004, 03:49 AM

Danea, welcome to "Velcro Yorkies"!!

We had the same problem ... we handled it like I used to handle dropping my Amanda off at kindergarden! Assure Ranger that you love him and will be back and leave quickly!!

It's really hard to do, but there are those times when you simply have to leave for short periods of time. We make sure Toto has all her "comfort" things in her X-pen ... we think she naps the whole time we are away because as soon as we get back she runs around kissing us and is all excited ... then she runs to her pen ... grabs a snack, water and pees ... and she's fine!! I do believe that's it's much tougher on us than it is on her! She used to cry like Ranger does, but now she just kinda looks disappointed and accepts being alone and endures it! We try not to leave her unless it's an absolute necessity ... she begins to follow right on my heels when I begin to get dressed, but I have found that her "worried look" disappears if I let her see me get her bag out with her favorite blankie ... she knows she's going too and is happy!!

lilsarahboo21 · 12-11-2004, 10:24 AM

When no one is home but me Bradley will just cry and whine at the door till he knows that I am still home. Bradley will shoot out the door when we try to leave also so we have to get his toy and he will come back in. When we all come back home tho he is very happy and hyper to see us.

Higgin's Dad · 12-11-2004, 11:03 AM

Higgins never had separation anxiety until he learned it from Pogo, our 13 year old Doodle. Neighbors tell us that Pogo HOWLS when we are gone. And since we have been here in our camping trailer and have left them to go shopping, we have returned to hear Elvis (Pogo) singing away with plenty of backup singing by The Higgins. Not good.

However, we don't make a fuss about leaving and we don't make a fuss about coming home either (read that somewhere), and they seem to survive. When we are getting ready to go out, they know, and they dance around all excited until we say "STAY." They then slink back like they've been shot, but we cheerfully tell them "we'll be back" and out the door we go. The few times that Higgins has shot out the door, he has had a VERY STERN talking to, which he did not like and apparently took to heart.

mybirdys2003 · 12-11-2004, 02:38 PM

Boy does Snoodles ever have seperation anxiety! She yells and screeches and runs to the back door then to the front door , up on the sofa etc. This is when my husband is here with her. I crate her when we leave, because I am afraid what she might do. She also sleeps in her crate at night. When I start walking to my bedroom at night with her in my arms to go to bed, she starts shaking also. I know as soon as I put her in, she lies down and goes to sleep. I have to cover the crate because if she sees me in the night, she starts whining and yippiing! It does bother me, but don't know what else to do. Also, she wants to go with me in the car. If it's just a short run and I don't have to leave her in the car, I take her with me. She is so happy THEN she whines all the time she is in the car. Drives ne nuts but I keep taking her hoping it will get better! Pat

lilsarahboo21 · 12-11-2004, 05:46 PM

Oh yeah Schnoodles are pretty bad. My sister has one and he just goes nuts when they are not home. They live in an appartment. You can hear him crying while walking out to the car. He is pretty good in the car but when he is over to my house visiting he doesnt want to go back to his own home. He hates leaving Bradley. Bradley gets so down when Romeo has to leave also.

Yorkiemom · 12-11-2004, 06:11 PM

My Peaches used to have anxiety, that is why I got her a yorkie of her own named Omar HA HA HA I know people think we are crazy but she needed a buddy when mommy was not at home! Do you have only one??

abbey46923 · 12-12-2004, 05:14 AM

i have 3 yorkies and my male is the worst , its a battle getting out the door when we try to go somewhere we have to pick him up and kinda hold him inside while closing the door and then you can hear them start howling while we are getting in the car. and then there is abbey she likes to dump the dog food out of the bowls so i try to remeber to pick them up before we leave. macey isnt to bad she just gets sad.

fasteddie · 12-12-2004, 07:23 PM

Well, you can leave the TV or a radio on for them when you leave. Yoda used to hate it when we leave, but we set up a nice little area for him when we do, complete with heating blanket, some clothes of ours with our scent on them, a radio (or TV) on, and plenty of water and food. We bring in his pee-pee bin as well.

Maybe I'm selfish, but I do love when I come home and he greets me and kisses and wants attention. He's just so happy at that moment, when we leave we don't make a big deal out of it though, just give him a kiss and say, "Mommy and Daddy will be back soon. You be a good boy and guard the house."

When we put up the video camera to spy on him, he just slept the whole time we were gone, and usually it seems like he sleeps when we are gone.

Ranger · 12-12-2004, 08:53 PM

One time we left the tv on for him and when we returned there was a lot of commotion coming from our apartment. It sounded like there was two dogs inside but when we opened the door it was just him. He was standing in front of the tv barking at it. We never could figure out why he was barking so weirdly, from what we could tell there weren't any dogs in the tv program.

I went out of town for one day this weekend and my fiance called me to tell me Ranger wouldn't stop crying after he realized I wasn't coming back home. Ranger also managed to poop in the house (near my computer both times) without warning. He hasn't had an accident in sssoooo long until now. He always lets us know if he needs to go outside by getting our attention or sitting by the front door and fiance said he did neither. I feel like he was punishing me by leaving "surprises".

I did notice a change when I returned home from my trip. When I came in the door I didn't act excited to see him and he didn't freak out like he normally does. It was so hard to keep calm when I was really excited to see him, but I think this may be the key. We'll try this a few times and see what comes of it

12-11-2004, 12:21 AM	#1
Ranger Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 136	Separation Anxiety Does anyone’s baby have a problem with separation anxiety when left alone?? Ranger is starting to worry me. . . He used to not do this and has only started too recently. If I try to leave he shoots out the door and won’t go back inside. He then starts to shake like he’s cold even when it’s warm outside. When I come home he literally cries like a baby and jumps all over me. Sometimes after I leave I can hear him crying, not whining or whimpering but crying. I understand he doesn’t want me to leave, but how can I get him used to me leaving and knowing I will come back? I have never left him for a long period of time by himself and have only been gone two days while he stayed with a neighbor (which he had no problem with). Am I the only one or has anyone else gone through this as well??!! __________________ *~~Danea~~*

12-11-2004, 03:49 AM	#2
bettyeanne Donating YT 7000 Club Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Alabama, etc. Posts: 9,031	Danea, welcome to "Velcro Yorkies"!! We had the same problem ... we handled it like I used to handle dropping my Amanda off at kindergarden! Assure Ranger that you love him and will be back and leave quickly!! It's really hard to do, but there are those times when you simply have to leave for short periods of time. We make sure Toto has all her "comfort" things in her X-pen ... we think she naps the whole time we are away because as soon as we get back she runs around kissing us and is all excited ... then she runs to her pen ... grabs a snack, water and pees ... and she's fine!! I do believe that's it's much tougher on us than it is on her! She used to cry like Ranger does, but now she just kinda looks disappointed and accepts being alone and endures it! We try not to leave her unless it's an absolute necessity ... she begins to follow right on my heels when I begin to get dressed, but I have found that her "worried look" disappears if I let her see me get her bag out with her favorite blankie ... she knows she's going too and is happy!! __________________ Toto's Mom - http://www.dogster.com/?206581 Yorkie Rescue Colorado - http://www.yorkierescuecolorado.com/ "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has limits." -- Albert Einstein

12-11-2004, 10:24 AM	#3
lilsarahboo21 Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Gilbert/Queen Creek, Arizona Posts: 238	When no one is home but me Bradley will just cry and whine at the door till he knows that I am still home. Bradley will shoot out the door when we try to leave also so we have to get his toy and he will come back in. When we all come back home tho he is very happy and hyper to see us. __________________ Sarah - Mommy to Chase & Sassy ...Sister to Kenya,Bradley & Nugget

12-11-2004, 05:46 PM	#6
lilsarahboo21 Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Gilbert/Queen Creek, Arizona Posts: 238	Oh yeah Schnoodles are pretty bad. My sister has one and he just goes nuts when they are not home. They live in an appartment. You can hear him crying while walking out to the car. He is pretty good in the car but when he is over to my house visiting he doesnt want to go back to his own home. He hates leaving Bradley. Bradley gets so down when Romeo has to leave also. __________________ Sarah - Mommy to Chase & Sassy ...Sister to Kenya,Bradley & Nugget

12-12-2004, 05:14 AM	#8
abbey46923 Donating YT Addict Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: indiana Posts: 944	i have 3 yorkies and my male is the worst , its a battle getting out the door when we try to go somewhere we have to pick him up and kinda hold him inside while closing the door and then you can hear them start howling while we are getting in the car. and then there is abbey she likes to dump the dog food out of the bowls so i try to remeber to pick them up before we leave. macey isnt to bad she just gets sad. __________________ abbey,munchkin,sadie,andy,serena,nik R.I.P. Moe 10/24/1998 - 3/2013 R.I.P. Macey 12/29/1997 - 4/2013

12-11-2004, 11:03 AM	#4
Higgin's Dad Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 77	Higgins never had separation anxiety until he learned it from Pogo, our 13 year old Doodle. Neighbors tell us that Pogo HOWLS when we are gone. And since we have been here in our camping trailer and have left them to go shopping, we have returned to hear Elvis (Pogo) singing away with plenty of backup singing by The Higgins. Not good. However, we don't make a fuss about leaving and we don't make a fuss about coming home either (read that somewhere), and they seem to survive. When we are getting ready to go out, they know, and they dance around all excited until we say "STAY." They then slink back like they've been shot, but we cheerfully tell them "we'll be back" and out the door we go. The few times that Higgins has shot out the door, he has had a VERY STERN talking to, which he did not like and apparently took to heart.

12-11-2004, 02:38 PM	#5
mybirdys2003 YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 980	Boy does Snoodles ever have seperation anxiety! She yells and screeches and runs to the back door then to the front door , up on the sofa etc. This is when my husband is here with her. I crate her when we leave, because I am afraid what she might do. She also sleeps in her crate at night. When I start walking to my bedroom at night with her in my arms to go to bed, she starts shaking also. I know as soon as I put her in, she lies down and goes to sleep. I have to cover the crate because if she sees me in the night, she starts whining and yippiing! It does bother me, but don't know what else to do. Also, she wants to go with me in the car. If it's just a short run and I don't have to leave her in the car, I take her with me. She is so happy THEN she whines all the time she is in the car. Drives ne nuts but I keep taking her hoping it will get better! Pat

12-11-2004, 06:11 PM	#7
Yorkiemom Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Pa Posts: 54	My Peaches used to have anxiety, that is why I got her a yorkie of her own named Omar HA HA HA I know people think we are crazy but she needed a buddy when mommy was not at home! Do you have only one??

12-12-2004, 07:23 PM	#9
fasteddie *YT 6000 Club Member* Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 6,238	Well, you can leave the TV or a radio on for them when you leave. Yoda used to hate it when we leave, but we set up a nice little area for him when we do, complete with heating blanket, some clothes of ours with our scent on them, a radio (or TV) on, and plenty of water and food. We bring in his pee-pee bin as well. Maybe I'm selfish, but I do love when I come home and he greets me and kisses and wants attention. He's just so happy at that moment, when we leave we don't make a big deal out of it though, just give him a kiss and say, "Mommy and Daddy will be back soon. You be a good boy and guard the house." When we put up the video camera to spy on him, he just slept the whole time we were gone, and usually it seems like he sleeps when we are gone.

12-12-2004, 08:53 PM	#10
Ranger Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 136	One time we left the tv on for him and when we returned there was a lot of commotion coming from our apartment. It sounded like there was two dogs inside but when we opened the door it was just him. He was standing in front of the tv barking at it. We never could figure out why he was barking so weirdly, from what we could tell there weren't any dogs in the tv program. I went out of town for one day this weekend and my fiance called me to tell me Ranger wouldn't stop crying after he realized I wasn't coming back home. Ranger also managed to poop in the house (near my computer both times) without warning. He hasn't had an accident in sssoooo long until now. He always lets us know if he needs to go outside by getting our attention or sitting by the front door and fiance said he did neither. I feel like he was punishing me by leaving "surprises". I did notice a change when I returned home from my trip. When I came in the door I didn't act excited to see him and he didn't freak out like he normally does. It was so hard to keep calm when I was really excited to see him, but I think this may be the key. We'll try this a few times and see what comes of it __________________ *~~Danea~~*