Barking issues.

Callie has been getting worse with her barking when I have to leave. My neighbors don't seem bothered by it, but I don't like the fact that she barks loudly when I leave to go to class, or anywhere else. Is there something I could do to get her to stop? I know that she barks for awhile after I leave, and that she does howl too. I am not sure how long after I leave that she continues but I know she will keep barking after I'm out the door and to my car.
I know that she misses me and doesn't want me to leave, but I can't stay home with her all day every day. And I am never gone for extreme amounts of time.
Can anyone help?

(Oh and I really have NO money to spend on buying anything. I'm one of those poor college students.)

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Permalink Reply by Bev Levy on August 26, 2009 at 9:21pm

I always put cheese in a kong or cow bone when I leave. Mine really look forward to it and if I am home all day Misty brings her kong to me. It keeps them busy when you first leave so they are not focusing so much on you leaving.

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Permalink Reply by Beth on August 26, 2009 at 9:35pm

I agree with Bev:

When you leave, give her a treat that she never gets except when you leave, and make it yummy and long lasting. We used peanut butter or cream cheese on a Kong.

When you get home, painful as it may seem, don't greet her when you first walk in. Come in, put your things away, ignore her, then very calmly greet her after the initial excitement has died down (this should usually only be a couple minutes at most).

The trick is to try to make the coming and going seem like no big deal. It's harder to fix than prevent separation anxiety, unfortunately.

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Permalink Reply by Natalie, Lance &Tucker on August 26, 2009 at 9:40pm

Do you make a big deal about you leaving? Dont make a big deal when you have to leave, just leave. You can say goodbye as long as you dont make it a huge deal. I'll be back in a little while, bye, then walk out the door. No drawn out good byes, they cause anxiety!! Same thing for when you come home, dont make a big deal that you are home. When you get home, go about your business, like putting shoes away, hanging up a coat, or something you need to do, do that first and then greet your dog hello.

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Permalink Reply by Lusa on August 26, 2009 at 10:12pm

I usually give her a treat in a Kong and then say good bye and grab my things quickly and go. When she barks I do ignore her and just leave. And when I do come home I usually set my things down and read my mail (Which I never get a lot) before letting her out. She has started ignoring her Kong... There is usually still part of the treat left in it when I come home.
Which is why I'm so frustrated with it. I so far have done everything I know to do, but she keeps barking.

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Permalink Reply by Natalie, Lance &Tucker on August 26, 2009 at 10:40pm

Maybe when you have extra time, you could do short training lessons of you coming and going.....gradually increasing the time you are gone? Find a treat that she really likes and save it for these training sessions only. I would walk out the door and wait outside the door and see how long it takes for her to quiet down, once shes quiet you can walk in and reward her for being quiet, saying good quiet....then treat???? I am no expert just trying to think of something that may help. Maybe she calms down quicker than you think!

When you leave do you have her in a crate? Being in a crate when you leave may help also, they do like to be in their crates as they feel secure in them. Alot of people actually think the opposite!!! Or if shes not crate trained maybe section off a smaller spot for her if you dont already do that??

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Permalink Reply by Bev Levy on August 27, 2009 at 8:12am

Use something she has to lick out of the kong. It takes longer and it should be cheese or peanut butter that she never gets any other time. Mine eat treats in about a split second so that would not take their focus away from me leaving!

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Permalink Reply by Natalie, Lance &Tucker on August 27, 2009 at 8:44am

The treat I would use as a training tool not for when you are walking out the door to leave.

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Permalink Reply by Lusa on August 27, 2009 at 10:36pm

Today I put peanut butter in her Kong and she only had a small bark when she realized I was gone. But nothing more after that. She stays in my bedroom/bathroom area of my apartment when I am gone, but I do have her kennel sitting in there for if she wants to go in it. I will try the peanut butter again tomorrow (I didn't put too much in it)