How to stop from Crying/Howling/Whining when sleeping or gone?

Hello,

I have a male 7yr old, black american Cocker Spaniel.

I've had him for the last 4 years and the previous owner (a friend of mine) had the same problems.

During the night, when I'm sleeping, I get woken up (not every night) by him crying/howling/whining from his bed. I have to first find him and try to get him to stop.

He also does this when I leave but stops after a while.

The Vet told me its possibly nightmares cause him to do it at night, or perhaps separation anxiety. But if its SA, when why does he do it at night when I'm only a few feet away?

I finally decided to start looking online since this is starting to cause problems with my girlfriend, who no longer wants to sleep at my place. He is also the reason I rent a duplex and not an apt. since I'd have complaints ALL the time.

If you need more info just let me know,

Any advice would be much appreciated.

My dad's dog did this and as cruel as it is, it stopped with the cage training and ignoring its fits for a whole week and a half. But every dog is different. That damn annoying dog will still wake you up putting its paw on your face and crying in the morning... but at least it's at a set time (right before alarm) vs every 5 seconds.

Best you might be able to do is a training school... ya those ones that cost about a thousand bucks and can have your pup for a week to themselves and then teach you another week the new methods etc...

I don't know if it works... But have you heard of "thunder hug"? It's some type of coat for the dog. I saw one at a pet store and heard one person swear by it... May be worth a try... Or call a dog trainer... Or leave a nice radio station on...

First, I have an American cocker too.. aren't they the cutest and sweetest things?!

Second, first you absolutely have to figure out if it is SA or nightmares to solve the problem, since there is two different ways to go about solving them.

Both of these issues are tough to tackle, but in different ways.

SA was easier for us to handle, since we found ways to ease him out of it. We would leave him for short periods of time, than longer and slightly longer. Honestly, this isn't plausible for some people because of work schedules. There are 3 people in my house with different schedules, so it was easy for us. For you, it may be harder to go this route.

We also make sure to keep the tv on while we are away, and we pay attention to what his favorite toys are, and make sure we leave them with him when we leave. This is my second cocker (my first passed away at the age of 13 recently and he is still a puppy, but we have been treating him the same way as the other one with his SA and they have reacted similarly: they will cry for the first five or so minutes when we leave (we have tested it by keeping one of us out of sight for awhile, while the other person leaves) and then will relax and go to sleep.

Being that it's at night, and while you are in the vicinity, I have to imagine it's either nightmares or a different issue entirely. Dogs are honestly not stupid enough to think their owners are gone just because they are asleep. However, every dog I've had exhibited clear signs of nightmares when they had them: still in laying position, eyes closed or only slightly open, while kicking their feet and howling. If your dog is clearly awake, then I would have to rule this out as well.

The third option is that your dog is not being taken to the bathroom close enough to bedtime, OR he is not being played with/exercised enough during the day and has too much excess energy. If he is primarily an indoor dog, and you are not giving him opportunities to spend some of his energy throughout the day, this energy will be pent up and he will, for all intents and purposes, be bored and lonely during the night (like doggy insomnia.) If this is the case, take him for walks or runs or play fetch with him after work and tire him out. Let him expend his energy. This will tire him out enough for bedtime, and can also help with the nightmares if that is actually the case.

If the SA is severe, you may wish to seek a trainer or counselor who can help with it. Just because he is a dog, doesn't mean he is not in need of outside attention.

@buddha55 : While searching I also came accross this "vest" if things don't improve soon, I'm definitely going to give it a try, Thanks

@kaoticbaby : Thank you very much for the long and detailed response. I think it's a mix of things. I have noticed that I've been getting him out let due to my shift work and weather, but I'm going to change that. I think his SA is only for a few minutes after I've left and not every time.

I'm pretty sure the night howls are nightmares, because a few times I've gotten up to find him and when he sees me there you can tell he "wakes out of it"

Again thank you so much for the help. I'm off for my 4 schedule days off and I'll try to implement the changes ASAP.

Teddy-Bear

It's definitely separation anxiety- especially if you are his second owner. My puppy (Corgi) did the same stuff when I first brought him home.

Have the dog sleep in the same room with you and inside a crate so you don't have to look for him at 2 am. This will help overcome separation anxiety at night. Make sure there are soft toys in the crate. When he starts to cry, ignore it. He's testing to see if he can get a response from you. If you try to coddle the dog while he cries, you are reinforcing the behavior in the middle of the night is acceptable. It's a lot like handling infants that cry at night.

How do you leave the house? If you are being "dramatic" and keep saying goodbye to the dog, it builds up anxiety. Just turn on a radio (less electricity than a TV) and calmly walk out of the house without the "goodbyes." As long as the dog stops after the first five mins, this is something that can be worked on.

I also believe this to be separation anxiety.

Some things that I found helpful were to take the dog for a quick walk shortly before you leave / you go to bed. This should tucker him out, let him go to the bathroom one final time and make him less anxious and able to sleep. Also, don't coddle him directly before bed. A lot of forums suggest not paying attention to him, talking to him, petting him, etc directly before leaving / going to bed.

I personally don't agree with the second tip. I would suggest allowing the dog to sleep in the room with you. It lets him know that you are there, and as suggested by others if he starts to cry - try to ignore it.

My experience with SA:

I have a one and a half year old 70 lb mixed puppy ( Australian Sheppard, Lab and Boarder Collie ) who loves me to pieces and gets very upset when he is not by my side at all times. Just to give you some examples, if I am sitting in my living room on the couch, he is on the cushion right next to me. If I get up to go to the bathroom, he is following in my footsteps and lays beside the toilet. When I am showering, he lays beside the bathtub. It is not enough for him to lay at one end of my king size bed, he insists on laying right beside me / partially on me. This is an everyday thing. He is crated when I am work but when I get home and let him out he acts as though I have just returned from a month long trip.

He can be in a very deep sleep, and I will try and move away from him very slowly so he can't feel me but he senses it and follows...

If I step outside in to my drive way to take the garbage out or god forbid attempt to sit outside in the backyard and enjoy the sun without him - it sounds like a pack of wolves are in my house being injured. He howls and cries and every other imaginable painful sounds come out of him. I could be outside for 5 minutes or 5 hours it would not make a difference he does it the entire time.

My wife says I encourage some of his bad behavior - which is probably true. I have more compassion for dogs than I do most humans.

Good luck

I would probably suggest for the daytime or when you leave, buy a toy that will keep your dog busy for a while. It helps for them to have some sort of distraction. I have an 8 year old toy poodle that has SA and she has this Kong toy. She tries to get all the treats out and doesn't even notice that I've already left

If the dog is alone all day and then while you sleep, why not just put the dogbed in your bedroom? Crate training is a good thing as well for sure. Also, your dog needs to gain confidence - why not teach your dog some commands and different tricks to build confidence.

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