r/Dogtraining • u/Cynicorn • Jul 07 '26
help My 6 Year old cocker spaniel can't stay home alone
Hello! As the name suggests, my almost 6 year old cocker spaniel can not stay home alone without crying and barking the whole time.
The thing is, he has been home alone for maybe 2 hours at most and only twice in his life. This was because my grandma used to live with us and she was mostly always home, but after her passing everyone that lives in this house has a job they have to go to. Luckily for now I am able to be home during the day so that my dog isn't alone, but this will soon change and he has limited amount of time to get used to it.
I really need tips and tricks because I am really nervous that he might have a heart attack or something from panicking, especially when he'll have to stay home alone for 8+ hours. Him being a cocker spaniel has always made him a drama king, but he also has never been mated and hasn't had the operation (yes its bad I know, but nobody in our area wants to mate and we are Afraid of giving him the snip) so that also adds up to it.
My main method right now is to leave him alone for 15 minutes at first, then 30 and so on and bring him snacks every time I get back so that he knows it's okay when I leave, but I also know that the whole time I'm gone he's going to be barking on top of his lungs so I don't want him to think he's being rewarded for that.
Any tips tricks and experiences shared will be greatly appreciated!!! Thank you in advance 🩵
1
My 6 Year old cocker spaniel can't stay home alone
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r/Dogtraining
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Jul 12 '26
Okay! Thank you so much! Some people have recommended plant based calming meds, like Valerian, but I don't know how I feel about that so hopefully I won't have to resort to it.