Thread: Crying, following and more crying with some howling in there!

Hi All,

Sorry for the long post, but I need some help! I got my frenchie, Valentina, when she was just under 5 months. I've had her for 3 weeks now but am worried about separation anxiety starting. I've been crate training her and it’s been going well, but I might have given her too much attention in the beginning. It didn't help that she's had 2 bladder infections in 3 weeks either!

Here is some background to her training so far:

Day 1 was a write off with the bladder infection. She just kept peeing everywhere! But I was still putting her in and out of the crate to get her use to it. I did this for 4 days while I was home from work. In the beginning she was crying for a good 30 mins and the howling started on day 3 which was so heartbreaking! That would also go on and off for 30 mins. She slowly reduced the crying and howling within the first few days to maybe 10mins. But then I had to go back to work. Her new schedule is 5am wake up, quick pee on my balcony on a pee pads, 5:45 breakfast, 6am walk, back in the crate at 6:45. I give her one kong with her kibble, one of the bone kongs with peanut butter, a few chew toys and a dental chew every time she goes in her crate. Oh and I still have to bribe her to go in with a liver treat. Then I have a dog walker come at 11 and 4 for 30-60 mins and I'm home by 6:30-7:30pm. She cries for about 10mins still on some days and others just a few mins after being put back in the crate. I play her music at night and have both music and the tv on in the morning.

I recently got a webcam to really hear how long she cries for and now realize she's still going strong when I leave! It’s the worst in the afternoon, when she's wide awake with energy. She doesn't really cry when I put her to bed and it’s less and less in the morning when I leave. Yesterday she cried for a few mins about 2.5 hours after the dog walker came so I know she didn't have to pee.

She follows me from room to room and seems to get upset every time I leave the room or she can't see me. I have her crate in the kitchen with a gate for when she can be left out of the crate. My kitchen is just off my living room/dining room and then there is another gate blocking off the rest of my apt which is where the bedrooms and bathrooms are. If I leave the living room for just a few minutes she'll stop playing and run over to the gate and just sit there until I come back. She won't cry though. But if I put her in the kitchen behind the gate or in her crate she cries until she can see me and she'll wait at the kitchen gate until I let her out.

Is this the start of separation anxiety? If so, what can I do?! I was thinking of doing the crate training again in the kitchen to try to get her use to being alone in there. My friend also recommended the thundershirt. Any thoughts on that? And of course any other advice is very welcome!

Thanks
Jenn

I spoke too soon! She cried in her thundershirt yday afternoon when the dogwalker left but he didn't give her all the treats I've been giving her in the morning so maybe that's why?? She also cried for almost 10mins when I put her to bed last night. She was so sleepy I thought she would go right in her crate and pass out. Should I be using the thundershirt at bedtime? I wasn't sure if she should sleep in it.

This morning there was no crying so I think the morning routine is finally working!