How to Crate Train a Rescue Dog with Separation Anxiety

Your dog is displaying symptoms of separation anxiety. This indicates she feels uneasy about being left at home alone. It is not normal for dogs to be separated from their social group (you) for extended periods because they are sociable creatures. Some Dog Breeds can be left alone without incident. Unfortunately, your dog is not one of them, and you will need to put in some effort to assist her to overcome her dread of being alone.

You must realize that Training a stray dog is acting badly when she is alone because she is anxious. It’s not out of spite or vengeance. As a result, scolding her for biting the sofa or soiling the carpeting will just make her more nervous. Recognize that she can’t help what she’s doing and decide that you love her enough to spend the effort into fixing her.

The program outlined below will assist you in teaching your dog to be content while she is alone. Have some patience. It is common for dogs to need many weeks or months to overcome separation anxiety.

Crate training a rescue dog with separation anxiety is an option, but some dogs that are fearful when left alone become much more so in a crate. If you decide How to crate train a rescue dog with separation anxiety, make sure she loves it before leaving her in it all day.

How are we assisting dogs With His Separation Anxiety?

First and foremost, we needed to purchase a much more durable dog cage. He couldn’t use the usual type since it wasn’t safe enough for him. He was able to bend the door back, but in the process, he knocked it open, making the container useless.

A rescuer buddy recommended that we buy the Proselect Empire Dog Cage. It is not inexpensive. But, despite the cost, we chose to make the investment since knowing that Training a stray dog is secure while we go out is really important to us. If I didn’t know my dogs were all secure at home, I wouldn’t be able to relax.

This container isn’t joking around. It’s not only costly, but it’s also large and ugly. We appear to be harboring circus animals, but we’re hoping that after a year our new puppy will no longer require a cage whenever we leave the house.

The cage is extremely strong and durable. It doesn’t have the sensation of separation anxiety; it doesn’t rattle or move. He can’t get his nails sucked in the tiny bars since the bars are smooth and far apart. There are wheels on the cage to make it easier to transport it from room to room, but you can also lock them in place so they don’t move.

Also Read: Rescue Dog Anxiety Problems That You Need to Know

Assisting dog in Getting Used to the Crate

We filled the Crate with a large dog bed, draped a blanket over it to make it dark and secluded, and spent a week placing him in the cage for a few minutes at a time, offering him treats, then opening the door and letting him out with plenty of love and praise.

He now adores his new kennel and sleeps in it by himself, with the door ajar. For us, this is a huge relief. We simply want him to be content. I’m not getting paid to talk about this box, by the way. That’s all there is to it; when you need it, you need it.

Dogs, on the other hand, are terrified.

We filled the crate with a large dog bed, draped a blanket over it to make it dark and secluded, and spent a week placing him in the cage for a few minutes at a time, offering him treats, then opening the door and letting him out with plenty of love and praise.

He now adores his new kennel and sleeps in it by himself, with the door ajar. For us, this is a huge relief. We simply want him to be content. I’m not getting paid to talk about this box, by the way. That’s all there is to it; when you need it, you need it.

The dog is big, and at 10 years old, he isn’t quite a puppy. So leaping a five-foot wall was not something I expected him to be capable of at his age. It was terrifying for me, so I can only imagine how terrified he must have been to pull it off.

Fortunately, a woman was able to apprehend him — God only knows how she did it — and he was backing home in under an hour.

It’s sad to think that just leaving the house for a few minutes causes him so much pain. However, staying at home for the rest of our lives is impractical.

The dog is being left at home.

It’s not simple to Crate training a stray dog when he knows we’re going to leave. The jig is up once he sees me putting on my shoes or getting my handbag.

So now I put the dog in the cage around ten minutes to a half-hour before I leave the house before I’ve given him any sign or indicator that I’m leaving.

That way, I can go back and visit him in his cage in our bedroom a few times, handing him treats and reassuring him before we leave the house.

When it’s time to go into the cage, I gather all of the dogs in the kitchen or living room for goodies, then grab the dog’s collar. When he comes to me, I bring out a dog leash, clip it on, and walk him back to his crate. When he’s on a leash, he appears eager to go wherever.

I never yank him into the cage or push him into it. It’s something I always do calmly and comfortably. If he pulls away from me, I come to a halt and pet and comfort him, after which we go to the cage. He gets goodies when he enters the cage.

The cage’s bars are wide, so I can reach in and stroke him and adore him while he’s inside, which I do frequently.

Before I leave, I turn on the TV at a low volume so he can hear people talking — but not a loud TV — and I leave the lights on in the cage’s room. I strive to make the environment as pleasant and relaxing as possible.

Dog Is Getting Used To His New Home and Taking Small Steps

The dog has been living with us for approximately four months, and I’m now letting him out of the box for five-minute sessions. I step outside, reverse the car out of the driveway, circle the block, and return home.

I once set up a camera in the hallway, and I can watch him pacing around waiting for us after we leave. But I limit his time alone to five minutes, and when I arrive home, I give him goodies and attention before he can get into any mischief.

I’m going to keep increasing my time away until I reach 10 minutes, and I’m hoping that by the end of the year, we’ll be able to go out to dinner and the dog will be able to run about freely with the other dogs in the home.

However, it is still a work in progress. We’ll see how things turn out. When you have a newly adopted dog who suffers from acute separation anxiety, you must take each day as it comes.

Do you have any advice for a dog who suffers from severe separation anxiety? When you’re not at home, how do you keep your dog happy? Please let us know in the comments section below!

Despite your best efforts, Shelter dog separation anxiety in puppies and dogs is not always avoidable. And once SA has taken hold, treating it can be a difficult task. Consider hiring a Certified Applied Animal Behaviourist or a veterinary behaviorist to assist with the transition. Regardless of how bad this illness is, McConnell promises that it has a high percentage of therapeutic success. You may be able to alleviate your dog’s pain and put puppy separation behind you with patience and a positive attitude.

Also Read: The Best Way To Crate Train an Older Dog With Separation Anxiety