Separation anxiety

[Emily & Maggie Doodle]

Hi everyone, it's been a really long time since I've posted on here and a lot has happened! I have a 6 month old baby boy and Maggie is currently the only fur baby I have living with us. Jace has been staying with my parents because he had serious issues with Nolan (growling, aggression, resource guarding) and it only got worse once Nolan started crawling so I though it would be best for us to let my parents take care of Jace since he loves their house anyway! But Maggie has severe separation anxiety, (howling,destruction,barking,whining, etc) it's something we've dealt with for a while but recently we moved to the st.louis area and are currently living in an apartment! We love it here but when I leave Maggie will bark the entire time were gone, I would try and make the crate appealing to her (food,treats,toys,Kongs) you think of it we've tried it, and the other day we had a note on our door. Ever since then I've took her with me everywhere we go since its been in the 70s here and I don't go many places as a stay at home mom. I need to deal with this issue and I need some serious advice! She's a wonderful dog otherwise! She loves Nolan, listens, obedient, and just a perfect fit for our little family. Sorry for the long post!

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Wow it sounds like you have your hands full!  I do have a few suggestions that you might try....

-First of all, I've read that separation anxiety often gets worse when there are changes in a dog's routine...so losing a pack member(Jace), the new baby, moving...all these can really throw a dog into an anxious state.

-You are going to have t show Maggie that you are a strong leader and will keep her safe....but that she doesn't have to always be by your side to be okay.  Work on training a down/stay and several times a day give her that command and leave the room....at first just for a few seconds and then work your way up to several minutes. 

-You need to desensitize her to all of your "leaving the house triggers".  Leaving needs to be a non-event.  So several times a day do the exact routine that you would do if you were preparing to leave....but don't actually go anywhere.  Crate her, give her a treat, grab your coat and car keys and then just sit down and read for a few minutes.  When she's calm, go out the door but only stay out for a few minutes.  Keep extending the time.  Be careful not to come back in and let her out when she's barking....you'll need to wait until she's quiet to return.  Returning also needs to be a "non-event"....don't say a work...just let her out of the crate.

-I always leave the TV on for my dogs when I leave...it muffles sounds from outside which helps with the barking.

-If you try all of this with no success, you may want to talk to your vet about trying a med to help with the stress temporarily.

Good luck....I know this can be really difficult.