Separation anxiety/potty training

[lovedobe]

My 2 years old doberman has separation anxiety!

She wont pet us leave the house it is to the level that i have to put my shoes on outside of the house coz she jumps and bites me I donno how to stop her from doing that!

When I walk in she start doing the same thing, jumping biting stealing I have no idea what she is trying to say!


Also, she started having accidents at the house is this somehow linked?


Please share your experience how you stopped your dog from attacking you before u leave the house…

 

[Ravenbird]

You have described what she does, but tell us what you do when she jumps/bites on you? Is she mad, is she demanding? Do you say no and make her stop? You MUST take control, whether she is sad, mad, or just playing. If she hasn't been crate trained, get a crate and begin with that. Yes, accidents in the house - if they didn't happen before can be from anxiety. If you make a crate a safe haven she may be happier to be locked up than loose in the house. Or if she has true separation anxiety, it is a hard road ahead. Many Dobermans don't do well being left alone all day and she may just need more quality time with you for the hours you are at home. Training is something these dogs crave & need, their brains go out the window if they have nothing to do.

 

[Firestar Dobe]

I agree with everything @Ravenbird said above. A crate is a safe secure den for your Dobe. Put in a blanket or pad, maybe some toy she loves, you can cover it with a sheet and just leave the front uncovered so she can see out. Training is very important as it stimulates the mind and body, and makes a happier Dobe and a happier you. A ton of exercise will help as well. These things take time and patience, but with consistent effort they pay off. Hang in there and don't be afraid to ask questions, everyone on this forum is always willing to share their knowledge and experience. Read everything you can on this site, there is a ton of info on dealing with different problems and trying different approaches. Hang in there, it will be worth it!

 

[Oh Little Oji]

Oji has similar problems, overall. We never had him very overtly bite at us; but thinking back, yes, he used to paw and mouth at my legs as I left (for a phase, we used to leave him alone in the house when he was a year or so old, but he lost that privilege probably for life). I know that when I tie him out to a tree or something at a park or some such place so I can separate myself from him for a few moments, say at a park and walk several paces away, he may paw and bite at my legs as I leave. He then barks aggressively, which is his default bark.

Yes, we had major peeing issues when left alone. We crate trained since early on, and he would always pee and poo in his crate when left.

For a phase, we used to leave him loose in the house when we'd leave, and he'd bark like a maniac, but the only thing disturbed was the front rug was all bunched up. The day he lost his freedom for good, my wife and I took our daughter to a birthday party and we had lunch out. It rained and mildly stormed during that time. We came home to pee and destruction, very thankfully, located mainly in one bathroom where he chose to freak out. Yes, he has storm anxiety too.

So, he is always in his crate every time I leave the house. It's a major hassle, especially since nowadays I also muzzle him in the crate because over the years he has chewed his crate to the brink of needing replaced (NOTE: It may be a safety hazard to leave a dog muzzled in a crate).

But let me share with you the situation surrounding the glorious day he finally stopped peeing in his crate:

For this particular Doberman, comfort is paramount. Yeah, real tough guard dog here. He melts in the warm sun. It was one of the very first hot days of the year, and I switched from the wire crate on the main floor where it was warm back to his plastic crate in the basement where it is cool, darkish and sort of cozy in a way. He had been out for a hot walk, and I then crated him in this spot and haleluia, when I came back home, no pee!!! He did not relieve himself in the crate after that day! No, I cannot leave any sort of blanket or cushion or anything in his crate with him though. He will destroy it and possibly ingest it and have a dangerous or life-threatening internal situation result.

So, I would seek to find a safe crating situation for your Dobe that suits her individual needs.

 

[lovedobe]

You have described what she does, but tell us what you do when she jumps/bites on you? Is she mad, is she demanding? Do you say no and make her stop? You MUST take control, whether she is sad, mad, or just playing. If she hasn't been crate trained, get a crate and begin with that. Yes, accidents in the house - if they didn't happen before can be from anxiety. If you make a crate a safe haven she may be happier to be locked up than loose in the house. Or if she has true separation anxiety, it is a hard road ahead. Many Dobermans don't do well being left alone all day and she may just need more quality time with you for the hours you are at home. Training is something these dogs crave & need, their brains go out the window if they have nothing to do.

Thank you for your reaponse, when she jumps on me I will get her toy and try to get her focus on the toy so that she wouldnt jump on me that doesnt work most of the time tbh. Then I will get spray bottle. Thats a magical word spray that calms her down a bit but still she keeps jumping and so on….

I have not crate trained a dog before so I have no idea is she is gonna do good but I will try it!

 

[lovedobe]

Thank you for you answer yes this form has been really helpful, I will look into crate training her!

I agree with everything @Ravenbird said above. A crate is a safe secure den for your Dobe. Put in a blanket or pad, maybe some toy she loves, you can cover it with a sheet and just leave the front uncovered so she can see out. Training is very important as it stimulates the mind and body, and makes a happier Dobe and a happier you. A ton of exercise will help as well. These things take time and patience, but with consistent effort they pay off. Hang in there and don't be afraid to ask questions, everyone on this forum is always willing to share their knowledge and experience. Read everything you can on this site, there is a ton of info on dealing with different problems and trying different approaches. Hang in there, it will be worth it!

 

[Ravenbird]

Thank you for your reaponse, when she jumps on me I will get her toy and try to get her focus on the toy so that she wouldnt jump on me that doesnt work most of the time tbh. Then I will get spray bottle. Thats a magical word spray that calms her down a bit but still she keeps jumping and so on….

I have not crate trained a dog before so I have no idea is she is gonna do good but I will try it!

Use a negative marker like "No, Nope" when she jumps on you and at the same time grab her collar and remove her front feet from you and make her keep her four feet on the floor. Does she know basic obedience? Sit, down, heel, stay? If she doesn't begin teaching those now, take her to structured obedience classes where all dogs stay on the leash with their owners and learn these basic manners on command. If she knows sit or preferably "down", when she jumps on you use that command and make her stay there a moment before releasing her. Soon she'll learn that jumping turns into an obedience session, every time, without fail.

Use crate games to start on the crate - a cozy bed, leave the door open all the time. On & off all day, toss a treat in, let her go in to get it and come out. Over & over without shutting the door until she goes in on her own and learns that its a great place to be.