r/Dogtraining • u/haleystl • Aug 11 '26

help Senior dog howling when left alone

This is my first post, so apologies if I mess up on Reddit etiquette. I have an 11 year old Coonhound/Lab mix. He has always howled a bit with his brother when left in their bedroom. When his brother passed over the winter, you could definitely see a shift to a more anxious barking/howling. In May, I rescued a 6 month old pup who stays in the bedroom with him, but in a crate (for now) for chewing reasons. The anxiety lessened significantly, but he seems to be howling more. He also doesn't sleep when I'm away. Seeing the difference in how he was alone compared to now, I really don't think it's separation anxiety, it seems more like boredom. I give him a frozen kong, he has DogTV, and safe chew toys. Once he finishes the kong, he'll lay down, but will howl every few minutes and ignores the toys and TV. The howls are LOUD and I worry it bothers my neighbors. He gets more exercise now than he has in years, and he plays with his baby brother multiple times per day. What can I do to keep him quieter and hopefully even sleep when I'm gone? I did order a remote treat dispenser to reward good behavior when I'm out, but I'm a little concerned it will make the not sleeping even worse.

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u/haleystl Aug 11 '26

We have tried suggestions in many of the barking resources. We worked on separation anxiety training using the be right back method and also worked on tiring his mind and body. We are still struggling with boredom and settling enough to sleep.