It turns out that my dog suffers from severe separation anxiety and one of its major signs is elimination in the house. In my research, I found out that separation anxiety is one of the most miss understood but common problem in new pets, especially those that come from a shelter. The difficult thing for the new pet owner is that there is so much information on the internet. When it comes to training a dog, everyone has a "tested" method and it becomes very difficult to figure out what will work best for you.
I'm posting this because the picture you see is the fruit of my labor. In addition to crate training (in order to keep her from eliminating in the house), we were trying to get her to sleep (or at-least sit) in her bed. The lhasa apso breed is already a difficult breed to train (according to some internet experts) but then we have to over come her anxiety. We could not leave the room without her whining, barking, or eliminating if she was away long enough. I tried treats, I tried clicker training, and I was working with the crate. It seemed like she was just ignoring me.
The struggle with the crate is that experts tell you not to let the dog see the crate as a punishment. You are supposed to let the dog explore the crate and see it as their home. I have to tell you that this is not a SIMPLE task when your dog comes from and shelter and sees that crate the same way they say that cell they were in. To add to this struggle, my dog is older and simply not that playful. She was in no way interested in wondering into the crate. I had to place her in it and this was opposite what is suggested for successful crate training. She whined and cried all night and resented the crated during the day. The good news is we are getting better.
We also had to place her on her bed make her stay there. She has not been happy about any of this. Nevertheless, you see her in the bed. Today she got in her by herself. I want to leave you with a few tip for dealing with separation anxiety.
1) BE PATIENT - You and your new dog have to adjust together. In my case, there is so much of her past that I have no knowledge of. Everything that I want her to do could be completely foreign to her. It takes time.
2) BE CONSISTENT - There is so much out there for you to choose from when it comes to training your dog. You have to decide what you think is best for you and your dog. Once you have made a choice, you have to be consistent. Dogs are creatures of habit. Training will seem tedious at times but keep it up and you will see results.
3) BE FAIR - Your dog will disappoint you. If you have my luck, she will eliminate on your floor and you will be very upset. In those moments, you MUST remember to celebrate your dog when she does what you what her to do. Telling the dog that she has made you happy is important to her associating the action to the love and attention that she desires from you. It is easy to forget that when we are still upset that our little furry friend has let us down. Be stern in letting your dog know that she is not making you happy but do not forget to celebrate when she pleases you.
I hope that my experience can help you in your journey with your new friend. Good luck and congratulation on joining the large family of animal lovers.
