Chapter 6: N-Naughty When Alone

Wish You Were Here

A lot of dogs are an absolute pleasure to be around, but once their owners leave them alone, they turn couch cushions into piles of fluff, pee on priceless Oriental rugs, and bark so loudly that everyone in the neighborhood knows what time their owners go to work. Nobody wants to be “that” dog owner in the neighbors’ eyes. A significant portion of the private clients I see are dealing with these issues, and it’s not surprising, given how much time we spend away from our dogs during the day and well into the evening. While some dogs are true couch potatoes, many just aren’t designed to sit in an apartment all alone for hours at a stretch.

The good news is that most of these cases have simple solutions. Though owners tend to use the term separation anxiety to diagnose their dogs’ misbehavior, the appropriate term for many of these dogs is, quite simply, bored. True separation anxiety refers to a dog who cannot handle being separated from his human(s); it is a full-blown panic attack that does not subside until the dog’s treasured individual returns. It doesn’t matter if a friend comes over to keep your dog company while you’re out, and getting a second dog won’t help because what your panicked pup really wants is you. There is also a variation of this issue called isolation distress, in which the dog shows the symptoms of separation anxiety when left completely alone but is fine if left with any human or maybe even another pet. If a dog exhibiting isolation distress is left with a friend, the symptoms will subside or disappear. With full-blown separation anxiety, only the presence of you—the cherished owner—can calm his fear. Some telltale signs of separation anxiety are:

On the other hand, these are behaviors that do not generally indicate separation anxiety:

You’ll notice I put “soiling indoors” in both categories. While it may indicate separation anxiety, you have to rule out all other causes first. First, how housetrained is your dog? For me, housetrained means that Sparky has not had any accidents indoors in the last six months. This might seem like a long time, but given weather changes in temperate climates, some dogs seem housetrained until the first chilling blast of winter rolls in, and then peeing on the warm, soft carpet seems like a better option than going outside. If your dog has had accidents in the last six months while you were home (including while you’re sleeping), there’s a good chance you’re dealing with a housetraining issue rather than anxiety.

Damage to doors is an indication of possible separation anxiety.

Consider other factors, too. Have you changed Sparky’s food recently or given him extra treats that could have made him drink extra water? Has he had any health issues lately or been on medication? Have you changed his walking schedule or reduced the frequency of his outdoor time? If yes, this could indicate a dog who simply had to go potty but wasn’t given the opportunity. Has the weather been inclement? Has anything changed in your home lately, such as renovations or a new baby or roommate that could have thrown his routine off? Did Sparky come from a pet store or hoarder, was he used for puppy-mill breeding, or did he have a previous owner who didn’t housetrain him? In certain cases, adult dogs who come from unsanitary conditions don’t have an aversion to soiling their living spaces and might need a modified approach to housetraining. Has Sparky been punished for having accidents indoors (you know, the old “rub his nose in it” approach)? If so, he might be afraid to go potty in front of you and would prefer to hold it until you’re not around.

As you can see, there are a number of considerations to rule out before labeling indoor soiling a separation-anxiety problem. On the other hand, if Sparky is only soiling in the house while alone, regardless of how many walks you took before leaving him, it may point to separation anxiety. A particular red flag is if he is having accidents while in a crate because dogs (excluding puppy-mill and hoarding survivors) typically avoid eliminating where they sleep.

Destroying furniture could be more about boredom than separation anxiety.

A little high-tech sleuthing can help you determine whether your dog really has separation anxiety, for which I recommend seeking the help of a professional, or if he’s experiencing a lesser form of distress or boredom that you can manage on your own.

  1. Choose a time when you have approximately half an hour to leave the house.
  2. Set up a video chat with your dog, using an application like Skype, Google Hangout, or FaceTime. You will need a computer or tablet watching Fido, and you will use your cell phone or tablet on the other end. (Alternatively, if you prefer a higher-quality spying experience, you can buy home security equipment that allows you to watch the activities in your home remotely. There are even surveillance products made especially for dogs with separation issues.)
  3. Start the video chat between the computer and phone while you’re still at home. Put your cell phone on mute so that you can hear your dog, but he can’t hear you.
  4. Take yourself and your phone out for coffee while watching what Fido does when he’s alone. Give him a solid thirty minutes of alone time to see if he falls into the “separation anxiety” or “bored” category. If it is the former, the following strategies will help, but you should also enlist the help of a trainer or behavior specialist to develop a personalized plan to alleviate his anxiety. If your dog falls more into the “bored” category, use whichever of the following strategies fit into your lifestyle.

My dog barks and/or destroys things when I leave the house.

Management Strategy 1: Engage the Mind

When you leave Sparky alone, he’s left to make his own entertainment. Have you ever seen those home videos of a dog waiting for his owner to leave and then hoisting himself up on the kitchen counter to fix himself a snack (or twelve)? I imagine that dog is experiencing the opposite of separation anxiety; he probably couldn’t wait to be alone! However, there are plenty of dogs out there who do get mildly anxious when their owners leave, and the worst part is usually the first few minutes of being alone. Engaging the dog’s mind during this time with an appropriate toy or game helps alleviate the stress of seeing his owner go.

Here, the pet-toy industry has got you covered. One visit to a pet-supply store, and you’ll be dazzled by the number of interactive toys for dogs. Easy ones, hard ones, big ones, small ones, treat-dispensing ones, ones for heavy chewers—you get the idea. I suggest getting several different toys and rotating them so your dog doesn’t get bored. Focus on toys that you can stuff with food or treats because they will hold a lonely dog’s interest much better than a run-of-the-mill rope toy or ball. When you’re home, store the special toys out of reach to create a sense of excitement when your dog sees you pull them out next time. I’ve used this strategy successfully with both of my dogs, Batman and Beans. I keep two peanut-butter-stuffed durable toys in the freezer, frozen and ready to go. (Frozen peanut butter requires greater effort and time to eat than room-temperature peanut butter, thus keeping the dog entertained for longer and making him expend more energy to get the goodies out.) When I pull out the frozen toys, both dogs get the “kids on Christmas morning” look of excitement and anticipation. I can tell that while I’m tying my shoes and putting on my jacket, all they’re thinking is, Will you leave already? We want that peanut butter! I’m pretty sure that my departure is the best part of their day, and that’s fine with me.

Some engaging toys worth checking out include:

A Word about Rawhide

While I am not opposed to rawhide as an occasional treat (and an indispensable tool to occupy teething puppies and play-bitey adolescents), I use it with caution and only under human supervision. Rawhide is generally safe if the dog chews it until it is soft, at which point the dog can tear off that soft piece and swallow it. To reduce the risk of choking, I always buy rawhide that is one or two sizes bigger than recommended for my dog’s actual size. This means he will not be able to easily tear off a hard piece and swallow it. I also throw out the rawhide once it gets down to a hard nub that my dog could swallow whole before chewing it to soften it. (When taking rawhide away from my dog, I always give him a treat in exchange so he doesn’t learn to guard his rawhides from me.)

Be picky about which rawhide you buy. If I don’t see the country of manufacture proudly advertised on the label, I am automatically suspicious of that rawhide’s origins and safety. Also, rawhide chews made of one single piece are less of a choking hazard than those made of many pieces pressed together.

I should mention that there are some dogs who aren’t good candidates for rawhide or bully sticks, including dogs who inhale their food without chewing and dogs with resource-guarding tendencies. While I am selective about my rawhides and bully sticks, I never give my dogs antlers because several veterinarians have found them to be so hard that they could crack dogs’ teeth.

Keep your dog’s safety and needs in mind when looking for an appropriate toy. Some might be too hard or too soft or present a choking hazard to certain dogs. You usually can’t go wrong with a Kong Classic, as it comes in different strengths and sizes. I recommend buying them two sizes bigger than your dog’s actual size. My dogs are small, at roughly 10 pounds each, and I use the medium size for their frozen peanut butter snacks and the large size to feed their meals.

I don’t recommend the following:

Once you’ve chosen an appropriate toy to engage your dog’s mind, your departure will look something like this:

  1. Right before you leave the house, pull out your treat-dispensing toy.
  2. Bring the toy where you would like your dog to be, such as in a certain room or in his crate. Ask him to sit politely.
  3. Once he is sitting, he can have his treat. Now, quietly leave without any tearful good-byes or other drama.

Management Strategy 2: Engage the Body

It’s unfair to expect a dog to be calm while home alone if he hasn’t had the opportunity to expend all of his energy beforehand. In many cases, we underestimate how much exercise our dogs really need; a walk around the block is not nearly enough to satisfy some dogs. Imagine going to your favorite Italian restaurant and, when your pasta dish comes, it has three little strings of spaghetti and one microscopic meatball. You’d be thinking, That’s delicious, but I want more, and you’d be left feeling unsatisfied. That’s how your dog feels when you take him on a short walk. He wants more, and if he can’t drain his energy outdoors, he’ll do it by reupholstering your furniture.

Yes, giving your pup enough exercise takes time, but it is time well spent if your dog is too pooped to chew off your crown molding while you’re at work. You have some options:

Management Strategy 3: Confine to a Safe Area

Don’t feel badly leaving your dog in one room or a crate while you’re out; your dog may actually be more comfortable that way. Having access to the full apartment or house stresses some dogs out and keeps them on alert, just as having too many responsibilities at your job can stress you out. In my apartment, we jokingly refer to the living room as “the panic room” because that’s where our dogs are safely confined when home alone. It’s a comfortable and cozy room with plentiful sunbeams, dog beds, and an air conditioner, and the dogs can see the front door but don’t have direct access to it. Similarly, if your dog is crated, I recommend keeping the crate where he can see the comings and goings of the family; for example, in a quiet corner of the living room.

For dogs with a history of barking at noises outside the door, it’s a good idea to block access to the front door, either by crating the dog or by putting up a gate or fence. Once the dog isn’t faced with the responsibility of guarding the door, he automatically settles down. I generally avoid leaving a dog alone in a more removed area, such as a bedroom, home office, or bathroom, because some dogs’ stress increases when they are so far from the action. If you do choose to use a more removed room, a gate will be a less stressful barrier than a closed door.

If your dog isn’t responsible enough to handle free access to a room, crating is generally your best option. When properly crate-trained, your dog will find it a safe, comfortable place and will choose to relax in there without being asked. If your dog can handle having his favorite bed or blanket in the crate without destroying it, that will sweeten the deal; however, if he shreds his belongings, then remove them from the crate until his crate training is complete or he has entered a more mature life stage. (Dogs have lived for tens of thousands of years without dog beds, so he’ll be fine.) A crate should be large enough for your dog to comfortably stand up, lie down, and turn around. If your dog is still growing, you can purchase a larger crate that will fit him as an adult and then use a divider (sold with the crate) to adjust the size of the crate as he grows. A crate that is too large can allow a yet-to-be-housetrained dog to use one corner as a toilet and the rest as sleeping space, so bigger is not always better.

From Country Bumpkin to City Slicker

The majority of New Yorkers I know are actually transplants from the suburbs or countryside. And the same goes for our dogs. Approximately half of the dogs in my manners classes are rescue dogs transported to the city from rural shelters in the South, where the euthanasia rates are extraordinarily high, and even the cutest of puppies don’t stand much of a chance. My Chihuahua/terrier mix, Beans, rescued from South Carolina and transported to Our Best Friends Rescue on Long Island, New York, is among the lucky ones who got a second chance.

If you have brought a dog, particularly an adult dog, from a rural area into your city home, be patient. It can take several months for a dog to get fully acclimated to his bustling new life, and, during that time, his stress can cause him to exhibit “bad” behavior. Remember that your new dog has probably been through one or more shelters, on a transport van, and in a foster home before settling in with you, and he is likely confused and overwhelmed. Many rural rescue dogs have never been on a leash or lived indoors before, and it’s likely they have not had any training. Therefore, new rescues might bark or destroy items while left home alone, which is why I recommend management strategies, especially in the first few months. In almost all cases, with a little time and consistent practice of the techniques in this book, these unwanted behaviors will subside or disappear entirely.

Let’s face it: the first few weeks with a new dog, rescued or not, are stressful for everyone. In my family, we joke about our “buyer’s remorse” after bringing home a new dog because at first it feels more like having a strange roommate than a canine family member. But, as time passes, there is nothing more satisfying than adopting a dog and watching him learn to trust and communicate with his new family more and more each day. As the photo shows, Beans has acclimated to city life and doesn’t see a darn thing wrong with being an urban dog.

How to Crate-Train

Crate-training should begin well before you actually have to leave your dog in the crate unattended. The whole idea is that you don’t push the dog beyond his comfort level because that can create a negative association with the crate. Whenever I put a dog in his crate, I use a hollow toy filled with his meal or other goodies, like peanut butter or plain yogurt.

The following steps describe the “fast track” to crate-training. This is only appropriate for dogs who seem perfectly comfortable with being locked inside the crate. If your dog becomes uncomfortable at any point, switch to the “slow and steady” steps that follow the fast track. How do you know if he is uncomfortable? A dog who barks, whines, pants, or scratches while in the crate is telling you that he’s stressed and needs a slower approach.

  1. Feed your dog his meal stuffed into a toy in his crate. Put the toy in the back of the crate and let your dog enter on his own, without coercion. Shut and lock the crate door after he enters the crate. Walk away but keep an eye on your dog for signs of stress. When he has finished his meal, immediately let him out.
  2. Practice Step 1 for several meals to ensure he is comfortable. Once your dog will comfortably go into the crate, add the verbal cue “Crate” before putting the toy in the crate.
  3. Say “Crate” and feed the meal in the locked crate as before. When he has finished his meal, leave him in the crate for another minute. Assuming he is not barking or scratching, let him out. (If he is barking or scratching, see below.)
  4. Each time, increase the length of time your dog is in his crate, minute by minute. While he is in the crate, go about your business and leave him alone in the room at least part of the time. Assuming the dog is not barking or scratching, let him out.
  5. Use the “Crate” cue and toss a treat or stuffed toy into the crate at times other than mealtimes. Leave him in the crate for different lengths of time—sometimes one minute, sometimes ten minutes.
  6. Use the “Crate” cue but withhold the treat until the dog has entered the crate. Once he enters, he can have the treat or stuffed toy as you shut the crate door. Leave him in the crate for a variable amount of time, as in Step 5.

A crate-trained dog can be comfortable in his crate when left alone.

If your dog shows signs of stress, take the following “slow and steady” approach. The goal is to make crate-training fun, not stressful or overwhelming.

  1. Feed your dog all of his meals inside the crate with the door open. At first, you might have to put the food-stuffed toy near the front of the crate and then push it a little farther back with each meal. Walk away while he is eating. Repeat until he is comfortable eating in the crate.
  2. Feed your dog in the crate as before, but gently swing the crate door open and closed several times while he eats. Sometimes, close and lock the door for several seconds and then open it again. You are conditioning him to the sound of the door and to very short periods of confinement.
  3. Once he is comfortable with Step 2, add the verbal cue “Crate” right before you put his meal in the crate. As he’s eating, close and lock the door for the duration of the meal. Walk away while he’s eating. Release him when he’s finished eating, before he starts to whine. We are teaching him that having the door closed is no big deal.
  4. Now, say “Crate,” feed him in the crate, close and lock the door, and walk away. After he has finished his meal, leave him in the crate for one minute. Again, the idea is to show him that it’s no big deal.
  5. Once your dog is fully at ease with this sequence, say “Crate” but do not give him the meal yet. Wait for him to go into the crate himself. Once he chooses to enter the crate, give him the meal and continue with the sequence as before.
  6. Gradually prolong the amount of time he’s in the crate, about one minute longer for each meal. Stay out of sight while he’s in the crate. If this progress is too fast and causes barking or whining, you can increase his confinement time by only a few more seconds with every meal. Let your dog dictate the pace of his progress.
  7. At random times throughout the day, cue “Crate” and give the dog a different goodie, like a treat, toy, or chewy. Leave him in the crate for varying lengths of time: sometimes, one minute; other times, ten minutes. Practice this as much as possible.
  8. Now you can use “Crate” in other contexts, like when you’re taking a shower or when the plumber comes to fix your sink. Give your dog something fun to do while he’s in the crate, such as a treat-dispensing toy or a rawhide (if supervised).

Even with the slow and steady approach, you might need an intermediate step if your dog appears suspicious of the crate. For instance, between Steps 1 and 2, you could add a step in which you feed him in the crate, swing the door closed only once while he’s eating, and immediately open it again. The goal is to keep your dog in the crate for a length of time that is tolerable and stress-free for him. The tricky part is this: if he starts to whine or cry while locked in the crate, do not let him out. This will only teach him to whine and cry and thrash until someone comes to rescue him. Rather, wait until he has quieted down, teaching him that only polite, quiet dogs will be let out. The reason I say it’s tricky is because there are two exceptions: (1) if your dog has to go potty, you should let him out immediately; and (2) if your dog has true separation anxiety, he will not stop crying and could even escalate to injuring himself in an attempt to escape the crate. In the latter case, contact a trainer for help.

While crates are excellent management tools, a dog should be crated only for a limited time. A puppy should not be crated for longer periods of time than he can “hold it” (unless he is confined in an exercise pen with a wee-wee pad), and even an adult dog should get the opportunity to stretch his legs every three or four hours. A dog should not be crated all day while you’re at work and also frequently crated while you’re at home to keep him out of trouble. Constant crating will likely exacerbate his behavioral problems because he has no outlet for his energy and can become frustrated from extreme cabin fever. If you find yourself crating your dog for more than a few hours a day, there are professionals who can help, including trainers who can show you how to improve your dog’s manners. There are also dog walkers and doggie-daycare facilities that specialize in giving dogs safe outlets for their energy. See Chapter 1 for instructions on finding a trainer, and Management Strategy 5 in this chapter for dog walker and daycare considerations.

Management Strategy 4: Create a Doggie Spa at Home

File this one under “can’t hurt, might help.” While these techniques alone are unlikely to cure full-blown separation anxiety, they encourage your dog to relax and can be paired with the other strategies in this chapter. If you think creating a spa-like atmosphere seems silly, consider this: do you think more people have meltdowns at the DMV or at a spa? While it’s certainly possible to lose your cool at the spa, there’s something about the soothing music, calm staff, and earthy tones that naturally relax even the most neurotic New Yorkers.

For the benefit of my human and canine family members, I’ve taken steps to make at least my living room, where the dogs and I usually spend time, as relaxing as possible. These are some considerations for creating a calm atmosphere, based on what’s worked for me personally and what Doggie Academy clients have found successful:

Management Strategy 5: Hire Help

If you live in a city, there’s a good chance you can find a reputable doggie daycare facility or dog walker to help you tire your pup out. A good doggie daycae or dog walker is an invaluable investment in your dog’s physical and mental health, and they can give you peace of mind when your health or work schedule limits your ability to exercise your dog. Let’s look at both options.

Doggie Daycare

How It Works

Doggie daycare is a relatively new concept, and the facilities you’ll find will run the gamut. In most cases, urban daycare centers include one or more open indoor areas for dogs to play; there may also be an area with crates and an outdoor area, depending on the facility. For safety, there should be separate areas for large and small dogs. The facility should take all precautions against predatory drift, in which a small dog suddenly triggers the predatory instinct of a larger one and becomes prey. Therefore, if your dog is small, make sure the large dogs can’t access or jump into the area for the little ones. As far as scheduling daycare visits, many facilities offer half-day or full-day options. If your schedule allows, consider a half day because eight or more hours of canine play per day can be exhausting to some dogs. Like overtired babies, overtired dogs can get cranky.

Dogs Who Would Benefit

First and foremost, daycare is meant for dogs who enjoy the company and play of other dogs. It is not meant to “teach” your unsocialized dog to be friendly. Consequently, daycare may not be right for all dogs, just like team sports aren’t suitable for all humans. If your dog doesn’t enjoy daycare or is rejected by a facility after the behavior assessment, it doesn’t mean there is something wrong with him; it simply means that there are other activities, like playing fetch in the park or taking agility classes, that better suit your dog’s personality.

A dog’s energy level is another consideration. If your dog seems to have infinite energy, even after a long walk or jog, then daycare will probably give you more bang for your buck than a midday dog walker. If your dog is having a blast at daycare every day (or even once or twice a week), you’re not under pressure to hurry home after work to expend all of your dog’s pent-up energy. I’ve had clients say that daycare saved their sanity because, at the end of the day, everyone was equally tired and both humans and dogs could relax on the couch together.

Finally, if your dog suffers from separation anxiety (or simply is destructive or constantly barking while alone), daycare indirectly manages this problem.

Things to Look For in a Daycare

Be picky and do your homework before choosing a daycare facility. Because doggie daycare is a relatively new and unregulated field, you will find huge variations in quality and standards. Find answers to the following questions before signing your dog up.

How it Works

As with daycare, there is a great deal of variety among dog walkers: their schedules, prices, qualifications, and so on. The right dog walker can put your mind at ease while you’re at work because you’ll know that your dog is getting a break from the monotony of being home alone. A dog walker will come to your home during a predetermined window of time to give your dog a walk and a little attention. He or she usually can also administer medications or feed your dog, possibly for an additional fee.

For dogs that only need a “pee break,” walkers generally offer twenty- or thirty-minute visits. For dogs with more energy to burn, walkers may offer hour-long walks or even jogs. You might be able to get a lower price if you do a group walk, consisting of your dog and a few other dogs from the neighborhood. A group walk is just that—a walk—so don’t expect doggie playtime. If you’ve ever seen the dog walkers in Manhattan, taking up the entire sidewalk with packs of a dozen leashed dogs of all shapes and sizes, you know that these folks are on a mission and do not stop at every hydrant. (I don’t actually recommend a pack walk that large, since even the best walker with the most amazing peripheral vision can’t watch that many dogs at once. What if one got loose? How would that walker get the dog back?) Regardless of the kind of walk, a good walker will follow up with a note or e-mail after each walk to tell you how it went.

Dogs Who Would Benefit from a Dog Walker

Dogs who are generally comfortable home alone, medium- to low-energy dogs, or high-energy dogs who aren’t suitable for daycare would do best with a walker. After adolescence, your dog may actually prefer to lounge quietly at home instead of being bombarded for hours on end by younger dogs. If your dog is skittish or easily overwhelmed, he could benefit from the one-on-one relationship that develops with a walker. I remember when I first brought Beans into our home; having come from a hoarding situation with presumably no contact from outsiders, she was extremely anxious around new people. We specifically hired a calm walker to come over, at first while I was home, just to spend time with Beans. After a few sessions, Beans trusted her dog walker enough to venture outside with her. Now we’re past needing such gradual introductions to all people, but, in the beginning, the patience and flexibility of our dog walker was very helpful.

Although this is a common sight in New York City, your dog will fare better in a smaller group or one-on-one with the dog walker.

Things to Look For in a Dog Walker

Like daycare facilities and dog training, dog walking is an unregulated business. Do your homework and find out these details about a dog-walking business or individual walker:

Training Strategy 1: Teach a “Find It” Game

This simple game is a great way to change how your dog feels about being left alone. He’ll learn that, once you leave, the scavenger hunt begins. It takes only a little training initially, and in no time your dog can play the game without you being present. When I play this game at home, I save a portion of my dogs’ dinners for the game (you can play this in a multiple-dog household, provided that you don’t have a resource guarder among them). We play Find It not only when I leave the apartment but also when we’re cooped up inside on rainy or snowy days.

How to Teach Find It

  1. Let the dog sniff a treat in your closed hand so he knows what to look for. Then say “Find it” and toss the treat in plain sight.
  2. Your dog eats the treat, and you cheer. What fun, he thinks to himself.
  3. Get four-for-four.
  4. Now hide the treat while your dog watches and then say “Find it.” You can hide it in an easy place, like behind a table leg.
    • If your dog is rushing to the treat, put him on leash. Hold or step on the leash while you stretch to place the treat. Alternatively, if your dog knows a Place or Sit-Stay, this is an excellent way to practice those skills in a real-life context.
  5. Get four-for-four.
  6. Next, bring him into another room and either shut the door or ask for a Sit-Stay so he can’t see you hiding the treat. Hide the treat in an easy spot, in plain sight, on the floor.
  7. Release him from the Sit-Stay or open the door and say “Find it.” Let him look and sniff around for the treat. He might need a little help in the beginning, so it’s OK if you look or point toward the treat the first time. After that, I don’t look or point because the dog needs to develop independence here; however, I might say “Nope” in a flat tone if the dog is in the totally wrong area or cheer in an encouraging tone when he’s nearby. By the fourth repetition, I am completely silent and still—until he finds the treat, and then I can’t help but cheer.

From there, you can build up to hiding several treats in a room, placing them while the dog is out of sight. Whenever you use a treat with a new smell (or even a toy), show it to the dog first so he knows what to look for. Finally, once he understands the game, set it up right as you’re leaving. You can strategically place his food or treats around a room or just walk through the room, dropping treats as you go. (Just be sure not to let them roll under furniture, unless you want your house redecorated while you’re gone.)

If you prefer, you can do a more controlled variation of this game with an old bedsheet or blanket. Sprinkle food or treats on top of and under the blanket and then rustle it up so the treats get nestled in the wrinkles. I use this method for those with a small living space or for dogs who get so excited about the Find It game that they would be jumping on furniture and knocking things over.

Troubleshooting

Problem: My dog gives up before finding the treat(s).

Solution: First, make sure your treats are stinky enough for him to find. Though dogs’ sense of smell is incredibly strong, some dogs don’t know how to utilize that skill very well. It’s also possible that your treat-hiding spots are too difficult for your dog at this moment. Make it easier by making the treats more visible. The whole point is to have fun, so avoid creating a situation that’s frustrating rather than rewarding.

Problem: My dog stares at me instead of looking for treats.

Solution: While it’s great that your dog looks to you when he needs help, occasionally this behavior can tip into either dependency (“I can’t do it! Help me!”) or demands (“Hey, human, get it for me. Now!”) Neither of these situations is particularly desirable. In most cases, we inadvertently encourage this needy behavior by helping our dogs do things that they are fully capable of doing themselves, so the remedy is simply for you to step back and not get involved. Check your phone, tidy up the room, or relax with a book to tell your dog that this is his game to play, not yours.

Beyond that, there are a few other techniques you can implement if your dog appears clearly confused or distressed. You can make it easier for him to “win” the game, and thus build his independence, by choosing a smaller area, like a bathroom, for him to find treats. Resist the temptation to show him where the treat is, and if he looks at you for help, simply use an encouraging tone, tell him to “Find it,” and then break eye contact with him. If your dog gets frustrated and barks at you, that’s your cue to walk away. Give him the cold shoulder for about ten seconds; you can even leave the room and shut the door behind you, if possible. This tells the dog, on no uncertain terms, that his barking will yield the opposite of what he wants. Not only will you not help him, but you’ll leave the scene altogether.

When to Call a Trainer

If your dog’s behavior fits the description of separation anxiety or isolation distress, a qualified trainer or behavior expert can help you make a plan. When contacting a trainer, be ready to explain your routine in detail, including how often, far, and rigorously you walk; your leaving routine; whether your dog will eat his food-stuffed toy when left alone; your dog’s behavior and manners when the family is home; and other important details. It is possible the trainer will recommend that you make some small change(s) to his training, daily routine, and/or exercise before attempting the protocol for separation anxiety. The full protocol is intense and might involve several weeks or months in which your dog can’t be left alone.

Glamorous, Clamorous Clare

Clare, a senior Beagle mix with an irresistible charm, hit the jackpot when she was adopted by JoAnne, an apartment-dweller in Brooklyn. As with many rescues, Clare’s journey home had many stops: from unknown origins to a rural southern shelter to a transport van and ultimately to Sean Casey Animal Rescue, a no-kill shelter in Brooklyn. When JoAnne adopted her, she found that Clare had a lot to learn about indoor living, particularly about being left alone.

Problem: Clare was showing signs of distress when left alone in the apartment, and, thanks to her thunderous Beagle bark, the entire neighborhood knew it. The neighbors in adjacent apartments were complaining, and tensions were high.

Solution: Upon meeting (and falling in love with) Clare and talking to JoAnne, I found that the only sign of distress Clare showed was barking. No scratching at the door, panting, or accidents. Furthermore, according to neighbors, the barking didn’t last all day. Clare would wail when JoAnne left for work, when she heard someone in the hallway, or when there was a loud noise, like a delivery truck, outside. At all other times, she was quiet. This led me to believe that she did not have true separation anxiety and that, with management and time, Clare would become more comfortable alone in the apartment, and her howls would subside. We implemented these changes:

After a week, Clare’s wails became noticeably less frequent. After about one month, she had settled into her new routine and come to terms with the sounds of city living. The barking was no longer an issue, and now everyone, including her neighbors, can enjoy Clare’s beautiful beagle smile without wincing from the voice behind it.