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Old 09-05-2007, 04:37 PM
 
Location: Hampton Roads, VA
673 posts, read 3,145,051 times
Reputation: 335

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I love our dog so much but he is so weird! He has started this years ago and we havent been able to break him of this habbit. I think I need the dog whisperer in our house.

Our dog is a cocker mix (I've posted pics on previous threads) and he is so super sweet. He is majorly attached to me. He doesnt care much for strangers and we usually have to slowly introduce him to others that come over, especially if he has never met them before. Sometimes he will let them come in and make themselves at home and other times he wont and we have to put him outside. However, whenever someone leaves the house, including myself, my husband, or guests, he feels the need to chase them out the door, running at full speed! He acts like he is going to eat them alive, and sometimes he has even nipped at my husband (and got him!). Anyone else have to deal with this? We've tried keeping him on a leash and he still will do everything in his power to attempt to chase people out the door. We tell him no, etc. and still he uses all his might. As soon as they shut the door and we let him off the leash, he still bolts straight to the door.

I've told my vet about the problem and they said its common, especially in Cockers who they said can be 'weird in the head'. Just wondering if anyone else has to deal with this or if you have suggestions. Its funny at times but now is getting really annoying. And when we have really busy weeks were we keep leaving him, he gets mad and last week he ripped up one side of my livign room blinds because he got mad we kept coming and going and not taking him (we had family in from out of town and had a full schedule).
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Old 09-05-2007, 05:24 PM
 
Location: Las Vegas
14,229 posts, read 30,019,975 times
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Training. First of all crate train your dog and when you aren't at home, he is in his crate. Make it a comfy den for him and start out with it in the room with the crate door open. He gets his food and treats in the crate. Start using a command like kennel up to teach him to go to the crate. Then start putting him in the crate for 10 min or so several times a day. Never make it a punishment. In a couple weeks he will be trained to go in the crate and will be OK staying in the crate. Then you don't have to worry about him trashing your belongings when you are gone.

Teach your dog stay and free. Then when someone leaves the house you give the command stay. When they are safely out the door, say free. You start this with the dog on leash and use treats to reward good behavior. It won't take the dog long to figure this out. He wants to please you and he wants training so he is socially acceptable and can be with you more.

I think maybe the big problem here is that your dog thinks he is the boss. If you take back control, everyone, including the dog will be happier. If necessary, take some classes with a good trainer.
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Old 09-05-2007, 05:54 PM
 
Location: St. Augustine, Florida
1,930 posts, read 10,170,847 times
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Oh, we know all too well what that's like! lol! Not fun at all! All three of our dogs have really, really, really, really bad separation anxiety! When we would go somewhere we would doggy proof the house, make sure they had water and leave the tv on for them, but no matter how well we doggy proofed, they always found something to chew up! They destroyed two sofas, two rugs, the tv stand, the kitchen cabinets, the table and all of the chairs, they chewed up the carpet and even tried to dig through the front door! Now when we go somewhere we put them in their crates. They still have the separation anxiety, but at least they can't hurt themselves or destroy the house! I'm a stay at home wife, so they are with me all day everyday, it's not like we leave them alone all of the time, but even if I just walk to the mail box to check the mail they freak out! Whenever we go somewhere we put them each in their own crate, we leave them each a toy and a bone, we leave the tv on for them and we make sure they each have an old t-shirt or towel, just something with our scent on it. Also, we have their crates set up where they can all see each other, that way they don't feel so alone. Our vet told us we could give them some benadryl when we go somewhere, that way they will be more relaxed and most likely just sleep the whole time, but we haven't tried that yet. They don't like being left alone, but they do okay as long as they are in their crates. No dog really likes to be alone, dogs are pack animals and they want to be with their packs, but some breeds are known to get worse than others. I haven't heard about Cocker Spaniels, but I know that APBTs (what we own) get very attached to their owners very quickly and they HATE to be alone! They are not a good breed for someone that wants an outside dog or someone that won't be home a lot because of this. Like I said, I haven't heard that about Cocker Spaniels, but I use to own a Cocker, a black female named Skittle! lol! She was almost as bad as our APBTs! Anyway, I'm not really sure what to tell you to help you, but I would suggest that you try leaving your pup in their crate with the tv on, something that has your scent on it and a toy or a bone. I hope this helps some, good luck!
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Old 09-05-2007, 06:25 PM
 
Location: Hampton Roads, VA
673 posts, read 3,145,051 times
Reputation: 335
Our dog is 9 years old, do you think we can start crating him now? He's never been before....I guess we could but the poor thing just hates to be separated from his 'momma'. LOL I know alot of that is my fault! He is my big momma's boy!
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Old 09-05-2007, 06:35 PM
 
Location: Metrowest area of Massachusetts
575 posts, read 3,693,922 times
Reputation: 320
My boy has awful separation anxiety from his mama. He is just so attached to me. My fault but I like him depending on me, he is always watching my face, when we walks he's looking up at me. Sometime I take him to work with me but if I don't he goes loopy.

He was away at boot camp last week, and my trainer said the 1st 3 days were really bad.
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Old 09-05-2007, 09:27 PM
 
Location: Tampa Bay Area Florida
7,937 posts, read 20,370,579 times
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we have a dog trainer the training is going Ok..however omg seperation anxiety doesnt even say it all...he watches me through the front door, he wont go potty out in the back unless he knows Im standing there...he does hoewver go in his crate which was VERY diffiult for ME..lol...but it has worked a little bit...His barking is what we cant control
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Old 09-05-2007, 10:50 PM
 
Location: Texas
692 posts, read 3,855,238 times
Reputation: 708
We have a Corgi/Malamute and she used to have really bad seperation anxiety. We used to make her sleep in the laundry room and we would wake up every morning and she would have a chewed up bed. We found out she did fine if we put up a baby gate and left the door open. Now she sleeps in the bedroom with the other three dogs and is happy than ever.


You could try giving him a Kong when you leave so to him it's a "happy" time and he doesn't think or worry that you're gone. It's just an idea to try.
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Old 09-05-2007, 11:54 PM
 
Location: NEW MEXICO
7 posts, read 26,069 times
Reputation: 11
WE HAVE SHELTIES AND MY FRIEND HAS A COCKER. I agree with the good training and rewarding positive behavior will do the trick. My sheltie used to follow me everywhere. Now when I leave to work, I give him a chicken treat to distract him. I don't leave for long hrs at a time, but when we do he sometimes chews shoes he can get in to. You have to remember Dogs are instinctly first then emotional and then spiritual beings,
Good luck and it pays to get some training tips from your local dog trainer...
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Old 09-06-2007, 12:14 AM
 
12,669 posts, read 20,440,298 times
Reputation: 3050
My Jack Russell gets so mad at me when she cannot go outside with me. I have brought in groceries then get distracted outside to come into the house with bags of lettuce, carrots etc. ripped open and all over the place. She also rips up paper. It is funny but you wonder will the couch be next. Which another dog demolished years ago.
Crate training is the best for this type of behavior.
Also what has worked for me is dogs having a hard time doing the duty outside. I only had this new pup go inside her crate but she decided that it was not such a great idea after while and quit.
She thinks she needs to be on my lap all the time, follows me where ever I go and if I close the door cries like she is loosing an appendage.
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Old 09-06-2007, 02:47 AM
 
Location: somewhere on the map
306 posts, read 1,243,003 times
Reputation: 134
OH boy i can sooooooooo relate..2 min. greyhounds............i have done as stated in the above posts..to no AVAIL........and the female ,crate haven't been able to crate her from day one...............she will chew her paws until they bleed to get out.............thankfully they like to stay under covers 90%of the time and now they have this SHREEK bark when u come home..even the male i mean PIERCING like u are killing them and it just started happening when i went back to work..................oh yes I can soooooooooo relate..
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