Greg and I are going to attempt to start leaving Lily alone in our extra bedroom. Her couch, which she is laying on in this picture, is located in that room, and it's her favorite place to be. Two days ago, we left her in the room and went on a quick jog. My mom watched her from Skype, so she could call me if Lily did anything bad. We blocked her in the room with a big box (she's not the most intelligent dog out there) and left her for about fifteen minutes. She howled. She paced. She put her front legs up on the box. She didn't lay down once.
We're definitely going to keep trying for short periods of time. She still goes in her crate for the most part. I've read loads of material on separation anxiety, and I've tried just about all the methods mentioned. Tawny, my sister, suggested I place a timer under a few blankets when leaving. The sounds reminds them of their mother's heartbeat.
Victoria Stilwell, a dog trainer, gave some information to a couple on her show It's Me or the Dog. Since dogs are pack animals, they do not understand when part of their pack leaves them behind.
Poor Lily doesn't understand why her pack leaves her behind. Would a friend help? Then, Lily would at least have half her pack with her at all times.
Maybe, but in the meantime, we'll attempt to ease her into a crate-free life.
No comments:
Post a Comment