My puppy is attached. How do I leave her alone for the first time?

Most people make the mistake of leaving their dogs for the first time without regard to how long they'll be gone. This can lead to separation anxiety. It is best to begin by leaving for, literally, a second or two. The dog will not have had time to work herself up into a frenzy yet. Come back in and greet her happily. Do this several times; then gradually increase the time you are out in 10 second increments; keep lengthening your time away. If you find her anxious when you come in, go back to the amount of time you were able to remain out without upsetting her. You can also use a Kong toy filled with peanut butter (be sure it's not made with xylitol). For a longer play session, freeze the Kong with the snack in it. She will begin to associate your going out with a goody, which will make it pleasureable.

Begin with crating her for very short periods of time. Gradually increase that time as she acclimates. This will take time and requires patience and consistency. Offer a special toy or treat as a distraction. Praise and reward her as she acclimates. A pheromone product, such as the Adaptil collar or DAP plug in diffuser, may help to decrease anxiety. This same method can be used to acclimate her to your absence. Additionally, you can prepare to leave several times daily then put everything away and stay or actually leave. Upon your return, ignore Lily Belle for 15 minutes or until she is calm. Do not make a big deal about coming or going. Consider a pet day care program or having a dog walker visit during the day. At her age, she should not be crated for more than 5 hours before being let out to relieve herself. This time can increase as she matures. The general rule is 1 hour of crate time per month of age plus an additional hour.

Congratulations - Brenna is adorable! There are plenty of puppies who are just fine being left alone while their owners work. I think the play pen and potty pads will be perfect - just be aware that it may take a little longer to house train her if she is using potty pads. She can have walks and play time before and after you work. You also may want to look into interactive toys for her while you're gone - she could have her breakfast in a food puzzle to give her some stimulation.

You will need to do it gradually. Begin by leaving for one or two minutes, then returning. Gradually increase the amount of time you are out. Use a special toy or treat to be given only when you leave. Pick it up upon your return. Don't make a big deal about leaving or returning. If Eli is overly excited when you return, ignore him for 15 minutes or until he settles down. Be patient and be consistent.

Sounds like some separation anxiety is starting. You should try and keep her distracted while your mother prepares to leave. Dogs will pick up cues like putting on shoes or picking up keys and start to feel anxious. Sometimes just doing these things and then not leaving will help, as the dog will start to disassociate that with her absence. Also practice getting your mom to leave for very short periods of time and keeping the dog busy in the house with a food dispensing toy, play time etc. Or just chilling quietly and rewarding her like crazy when she isn't looking to the door, acting anxious, whining etc. Have your mom come back. Any time she leaves or returns she needs to not make a big deal about it for the dog. That means no more "Ohh Fluffy, I'm so sorry I''m leaving" or "Hiiiiii Fluffy, I'm home, oh, aren't you just the best dog ever?!". It needs to be really neutral so they dogs behavior isn't being reinforced. Any attention (good or bad) is attention to the dog and you can actually be rewarding them for doing things you don't want reinforced by accident. Keep working on building up the length of time that she is gone and the dog is comfortable. You are absolutely correct that the sooner you get started on this the better off you will be! I also recommend upping your dogs exercise. A tired dog, is a good dog. Dogs with extra pent up energy are more likely to find ways to keep themselves busy and this usually means by doing something we won't approve of. Most "bad behavior" is stemmed from pent up energy and frustrations, and is just a way of expelling that. Make sure walks are just not a leisurely stroll. They need to include running, jumping, sniffing around, try some commands-anything to get their mind and body working together, and tired. If you aren't able to work through this yourself you will need professional help and guidance to work through this issue and give you the tools to be effective in helping her through this. This is imperative that be it addressed now. Over time, the behavior re-enforces itself and it gets worse and harder to treat.

Being only 6 months old, it is safest in a kennel until he gets used to the new routine. It will prevent him from having an accident and destroying things out of bored and possibly ingesting something that may harm him. If you can start getting him used to the kennel before you leave to let him know it is a safe spot that would help. make sure you give treats when he gets in there. Leave him toys as long as he does not destroy or ingest them, and make sure to rotate toys so he does not get bored with the same one every day.

Trooper is such a cutie! :) I would recommend leaving him in a crate or dog-proofed room where he can't get into anything dangerous. Give him something to keep him busy while you're gone, such as a Kong toy stuffed with peanut butter, and be aware that you may need to clean up if he has an accident while you're away - an 8-week-old puppy often can't "hold it" for very long in between potty breaks.