How To Stop Your Dog Barking When Alone
Start off by finding a safe space they can call their own while you are out. This might be the kitchen, or a utility room or even a crate. If they tend to make a toilet mess when you leave them, I suggest using a kitchen or utility room rather than a crate, otherwise, they will be covered in mess when you come back.
Any room you feel happy with should be fine, just make it dog-proof before you go anywhere.
You could try to use a couple of different spaces, at different times, just so your dog doesn’t associate that room with loneliness and fear.
Get A Safe Space Ready
Start by having a stair gate on a doorway so you can leave the room, but your dog can still see and hear you. Stair gates can’t be praised enough when you have dogs! You can put a gate pretty much anywhere to limit their movements and keep them safe!
Next, prep the room ready for them to be left alone, make sure they have a bed, toys, and water. If your dog like dental chews, you could always leave them with one to begin with – just don’t put it in the room if they start to bark straight away.
You could try leaving a radio or tv on for your dog as a bit of calming background noise. Try leaving on a channel that is mainly talking rather than music as this will mimic people being in the house.
You can also put a piece of your clothing in their bed, or a blanket that smells like you. In the beginning stages of the training as much reassurance as you can give your dog, the better.
You can buy Adaptil calming products, but I have never used them so couldn’t recommend them. I do know that some people do find them helpful, but personally, I wouldn’t want to just rely on them every time you need to leave your dog.
So now you have your dog's safe room set up, it’s time to start training them to be left alone.
Get Them Used To The Room
At random points during the day and evening, put your dog in the safe room behind the gate and give them a tasty treat or favourite toy. Close the gate as you leave and just stand or sit on the opposite side of the gate for a few minutes until your dog has finished with the treat or toy – this way they realise they are in the room, but you are there too.
Do this a few times, letting your dog back out when they are calm and quiet. When you let them out of the room, keep calm and low-key, don’t go hyper crazy.
After a few successful attempts at this, try putting them in the room with a treat or toy, shut the gate and then move out of their eyesight. Go and do something you would normally do, make a drink etc but stay close enough so you can hear them.
Try to go back to the room while they are still quiet, even if they are still distracted with a treat or toy. Then open the gate without talking to them, leave the gate open and go back to what you were doing.
Your dog can then leave the room when they have finished with their treat or follow you straight away. You might find that to start with they drop the treat and follow you, just grateful you are back!
If they bark when you leave, try to stay out of their eyesight still and listen for a moment when they stop barking, then if they are quiet, step back into sight so they are reassured you are there.
Their silence might only last a second, so make sure you time it right!
If you step into view when they bark, they will think you will come and rescue them every time they bark – making them bark more!
If they still bark even with you in sight, do the ignore trick. Turn your back on them and don’t say anything.
If this doesn’t stop the barking, try distracting them with the sit/stay command and hand signal. If they still bark, try distracting them with a toy and when they stop barking praise them.
Remember to keep your return low-key and calm, even if they have made a mess or have been barking.
Keep trying, it will eventually work. It just takes time, patience, and persistence!
Increase Their Time Alone
Once you can leave their view without them barking, try leaving them for longer periods of time. Build up the time slowly – don’t think you can leave them for hours just because they can manage 15 minutes!
Stay in the house while leaving them for longer, put them in their safe space and do the housework or catch up on social media. (You can join us on Instagram @strawberieveddb!)
Once your dog can stay quietly and safely in the room, without barking while you are busy inside for about 30-45 minutes, try leaving the house for a short period of time.
In bad cases of anxiety, it might be a good idea to start by leaving the house for a few minutes, waiting outside where you can hear them, but they can’t see you.
Then once they are quiet, go back in the house and praise them. Again, keeping your return quiet and calm, you don’t want to make it a crazy-welcome-home- event, it needs to be calm and normal – like going to make a cup of tea. No big deal.
Increase the time you are out of the house gradually too, don’t just drop them into the deep end and leave them for hours on end.
If at any time your dog can’t calm down, or destroys something or hurts themselves, take a few steps back and start again.
Remember that they aren’t doing it to be naughty, they are afraid.
Afraid of being alone and abandoned.
If you realise that your dog starts to recognise the signs of you leaving, you may need to do some desensitising training.
For example, if they notice you putting their bed in the kitchen, or you getting your coat, putting a favourite toy into the room and they start whining or pacing or you get the feeling they are getting worried, it might be time to try desensitising them too.
Desensitising can work for a number of things – getting them used to you leaving, stopping them barking at the doorbell and staying calm when you pick up the lead are some examples!
To desensitise your dog to the events before you leave, try doing them at different times of the day randomly, while the dog is with you.
For example, the dog starts to worry when they hear you pick up the house keys before you leave for work.
So, while you are around the house, with your dog pottering around or sleeping, just randomly pick up the keys and continue with what you are doing.
Or go to make a cup of tea, put the kettle on then fetch the keys then go back to finish your drink. Don’t make a big deal of it or react to your dog’s nervousness. If your dog stays calm you can praise and love them up.
You may find that you end up wearing your winter coat while doing the hoovering for a few days, but no-one will know (only me!), and your dog will be much happier and healthier for the desensitisation!
Before leaving your dog at home for any period of time, make sure they have been exercised and had a chance to toilet. If you will be gone during a meal time, leave them their food but be prepared for an accident when you come back, depending on how long you will be.
Some dogs may even prefer a small snack or meal because they like to have a nap after eating, if your dog likes to go into a food coma, maybe