How to get started on training our Beagle to be alone

[emailrampi]

Hi,

 

We have a 4.5 month old Beagle (Luke). I wanted to know how to go about training him to be alone for a few hours.

He is crate trained - i.e. he sleeps in his crate.

So far we have left him alone couple of times for a couple of hours - but on both occasions it matched his nap time - so that was convenient.

 

I wanted to know how to go about getting him adjusted to being alone - even when he is awake.

 

Thanks,

Rampi

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Hello and welcome to the forums!

I am glad to hear you are seeking information on how to prepare your puppy for longer absences. As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and I am a firm believer of the importance of preventing problems from the get-go, which means starting from an early age when the dog is a puppy. Beagles as you know have a history of being selectively bred to hunt in groups so they tend to like being in company, therefore, fostering some independence from a young age can be helpful.

 

There are several things you can do to up the chances that your puppy enjoys a relaxed (or at least tolerable) in-home stay in his crate or exercise pen when you must leave the house. Here are some tips/ideas that come to mind:

 

-If your puppy has completed his vaccinations and your vet gives you the OK, walk your puppy prior to leaving the house so that his exercise needs are met and he may be more likely to relax. If walks are not possible, make sure to play with your puppy and provide mental stimulation (brain games!) to tire his mind and body.

-Make sure your puppy is "empty" prior to crating him. Give him time in the yard to pee and poop as needed. For sake of convenience, I always suggest puppy owners work on training their pups how to potty on command, here is how to train it:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/potty-on-command/

-If you need to leave for longer than your puppy can hold it, have somebody stop by to give a potty break or keep him in a longer confinement area (exercise pen) with pee pads. We don't want the pup to suffer holding it for too long as that can cause the crate to assume negative associations.

-Turn on some calming music to help your puppy relax and to buffer outdoor sounds. There are many music CDs made for a dogs. A popular one is "Through a Dog's Ear." Make sure to turn it on half hour prior to preparing yourself and leaving so it doesn't become a predictable cue announcing your departure.

-Placing a blanket over the crate can help some puppies relax.

-It can help using calming pheromone diffusers such as Adaptil plug-in, collars and sprays.

-Leaving a shirt that smells like you (and that you don't mind possibly getting ruined) can help provide some reassurance.

-Provide some goodies your puppy can chew on that are safe and durable. Stuffed Kongs are a favorite among dog owners but make sure you pup learns how to get the goodies out some days prior.

-Act neutral when leaving and returning from your outings.

-Invest in a Furbo camera so that you can monitor your puppy and even talk to him while you are away. If your puppy is in an exercise pen you can even have the camera toss him some goodies!

 

Other things that come to mind are some exercises to foster independence. Here are some:

 

-Let your puppy spend some time alone in his crate or exercise pen for short periods while you’re home and get him really used to it. Never use your puppy's confinement area for punishment, always make great things happen when there to create a strong emotional conditioned response (a strong positive association) Here is a guide on teaching dogs to love the crate: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/video-archive/love-the-crate/

-After your puppy learns to sit down and lie down, aim to teach your puppy some sit-stays and down-stays. Keep in mind that young puppies have short attention spans so just stick to brief stays at first gradually increasing them.

-Encourage independent games at a distance from you, such as searching for goodies in a different room. You can start by asking your pup to hold a brief stay while your pup sees you hiding a couple of pieces of kibble in an easy-to-find-spot. Then, give him a release word. Go inside for 1 minute as your pup searches and eats. Then gradually, work up to more minutes, increasing the number of kibbles hidden in different places. If your pup can't handle the stay, decrease time. Read about the treasure hunt brain game:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/elementary/the-treasure-hunt/

-Place novel toys in other rooms or in corners so to reward esplorative behaviors away from you.

-If your puppy acts like a Velcro dog, following you when you get up from sitting and as you move from room-to-room, follow these Velcro dog tips: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/following-owners-around-house/

-Play in and out games in the crate. With the crate open, toss a treat of kibble and let your puppy go get it. Repeat several times.

-Gradually condition your puppy to being left alone starting with brief absences and building from there. If your pup struggles, it means you have pushed too fast and need to take smaller steps, so decrease the length of time.

 

I hope this helps!

Best,

Adrienne

Edited January 24, 2020 by Adrienne Farricelli

[emailrampi]

Thank you very much for the tips.

[emailrampi]

Actually I have a question about walking the puppy, I will post the question separately.