Home alone panic - Clumber
Our 5 month old Clumber Spaniel is unable to stay home alone. After the door closes he immediately starts crying, usually followed with standing up, then barking. We ensure he’s exercised, fed, and has had plenty of attention before we leave. What we’ve tried:
- Desensitizing him to door/keys/shoes, going out-and-back-in within seconds, giving treats for staying calm or just ignoring altogether and pretending nothing happened. Slowly building up, seemed to work for up to 2min, but the next day he’s back to crying within 2sec.
- He is in his crate and doesn’t see the front door (we have a camera on him). Experimented with leaving him out of the crate as well, doesn’t seem to help much. No issues with being in another room or barriers, but going out = panic.
- Chewy snacks buys us time but doesn’t seem to teach anything: once he’s done he realizes he’s home alone and panic starts. Puppy trainer tells us this is a good sign and means it’s not separation anxiety.
We feel like we’re stuck in a loop. Any tips?