How do I help her?

When I leave my house, even if someone is home with her, my schnauzer stares at the door and cries till I come back. Or she will go under my bed and won't come out until she hears my voice. What can I do to keep her happy? She has toys, food, and 2 other dogs to play with.

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Feb 24, 2018
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starstarstarstarstar 		Make Your Leaving A Game
by: Anonymous

I remember 13 years back when my mini would cry bloody murder if I left the house, and I lived in an apartment, so it was super embarrassing. I asked my old family vet and he gave great advice. He said since she had a strong food drive, I should hide a few treats with her toys....I placed one on her dog pillow, one on the floor near my chair and i would place a treat near my socks across the room. Then, i would say "whisk,whisk" with emphasis on the "s" and ask her "where is it?" She would start hunting those cookies right away and forget about me completely. I only gave her cookies when I left and she quit crying completely. It still works to this day, only now she pretty much gets her cookies anytime she wants.
Dec 06, 2016
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starstarstarstarstar 		There is stuff you can do
by: Anonymous

I have seen this technique on Cesar Milan but it won't work unless you really work at it, it takes time and patience. Go outside for a few seconds for a couple of times or more a day for a few days. Increase the time by a little every few days, start taking bits with you like your coat, then your bag but a little bit at a time. You must be consistent. Don't make a fuss of your dog (very difficult) when you come back in, wait a few minutes or you are rewarding him for being anxious. Hopefully this will work but it is not quick. In the meantime try not to reward your dog either with treats or attention for anything negative (hugs if your dog is nervous when there is a thunderstorm) as this reinforces reward for negative behaviour. Praise your dog for good stuff like lying down quietly. This shows the dog that this is the behaviour that you like. Same with kids! Good luck with this.
Dec 05, 2016
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starstarstarstarstar 		separation anxiety
by: Linda and Max

Like many minis, your Schnauzer is suffering from separation anxiety, which is an exaggerated response to you leaving her.
Max also suffers from it.
It's hard to stop it once started, but keep departures and arrivals low key.
Don't make a fuss of her when you leave nor when you return.
Leave a radio or TV on softly, or some relaxing music.
Good luck.

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