Hi there, we have had our puppy for a week and after a few days we thought we were fine in terms of separation anxiety (we had none) all the articles we read suggested it would start immediately and get better but oh boy is it the other way around. All week she was fine, fine for the night, fine for an hour during the day. We always associate her den with positiveness and have NEVER, EVER returned to her because of or during her whining. But it's getting worse. Straight after leaving her and at random times when alone she will howl/bark/screech herself hoarse and literally have physical fits. She never used to and seems the opposite from all other new puppies. Please for the love of god what are we doing wrong.

Do you mean your pup is like this when you are home and she is in her den or when you are vacating the house? I'm going to assume you are giving her a walk before putting her in her den.
Our Shady did not like to be left alone - she was our first Berner and we spent the first two weeks with her, rarely leaving her alone; when I had to return to work, she did not like the crate one bit and made a huge fuss, but we perservered. During this time, we only fed her IN her crate which, at first, was actually far too large for her, we eventually made it smaller by putting boxes to take up some of the room to make her feel it was more of a den rather than the "large home" we thought she needed. My advice is, 1) make her den as small as possible, she should only be able to barely get up to move around for a more comfortable position 2) feed her all her food in the crate 3) feed her all her food via stuffed "kong" toys in her crate (add some treats to the kongs so she has something to work for) 4) use her crate/den even when you are home so she doesn't associate it with being left alone. (I also put a bowl of water in there and a personal item or a toy & left music playing) One more thing, try to ignore her for at least 5 min when you get home (it's hard, I know!!) and to not make TOO much of a big deal of her when you are home so she doesn't get a "big head" if you know what I mean.

Hi, thanks for reply. ill try and answer your questions.

Its basically whenever she is in her pen and not able to be with us whether we are in the house or not. (except night time, at night time she tends to go all night without whining).

We are not giving her a walk before she goes into her den no, she is only just 9 weeks old and hasn't had her vaccinations yet and also I thought you shouldn't walk Berners that are young? Saying that we do try and time her going into the pen when she is sleeping/very sleepy.

Ill try some of your suggestions, we do the trick of ignoring her and not making a fuss.

What really weird about this is that unlike all other puppys, the problem has gone from non existent to getting steadily worse. I cant get my head round it, i'm sure we are doing everything right and she is only ever in her pen (closed in, she likes going in there of her own accord at points you see.) for max 2 hours during the day. not even everyday.

thanks

Your dog needs time. Separation anxiety is normal on the first months of your dog's stay.

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Bernese Mountain dogs have a way of finding the people who need them, filling an emptiness we don't even know we have.

In the musical world Akon is the well known name.Akon, born Aliaune Thiam, grew up in Senegal before he and his family eventually settled in the USA, in the state of New Jersey. There he discovered hip-hop and R&B music as well as crime.

I hope I can help with a few points:

First, it is critical that puppies, and especially sensitive and often shy Berners be socialized and the critical window for this is between 8-16 weeks. Please do not allow an archaic vet who knows nothing about animal behavior science to convince you not to take your puppy out anywhere until 16 weeks. This is the number one reason dogs are turned into rescues and shelters - lack of socialization in the critical window.

Just be prudent about what you expose your young puppy to....no dog parks and other highly contaminated places, including the floor of a vet clinic. But small neighborhood parks and known healthy dogs should be utilized. New places, sounds, children etc. Yes, she is too young for leash walks, but should be getting plenty of free exercise with puppies her own age. Introducing her to a leash and doing 10-20 feet on a leash, is a good idea.

This will help with stimulation -both mental and physical and exposure building self confidence. So this is tip #1.

Now second, it is important not to isolate a Berner - this is not an independent breed, rather a breed designed to be by the farmer's side at all times, and this is what they need. Being kept away from their people will cause stress and anxiety if you are nearby and ignoring her. Potty training is best done during the day by tethering the puppy to you, or placing in an x-pen in the same room so you can talk to her etc.

Keep in mind, this is a very young baby and so expectations should be low. You wouldn't leave a newborn baby after all right? So know that a lot of separation and isolation at this age all alone is asking a lot - having just left mom and littermates.

Finally, begin working on getting her comfortable being left alone by doing two things: 1) leave the house for 2 minutes to start, then return and reward, next do it for 3 minutes, then 5 and gradually work up to 20 minutes. Then go for 30 and then 1 hour.....this is the recommended start for a young puppy. 2) Never leave her alone to focus on her isolation, rather leave her with a stuffed Kong, or Premier Toy with her favorite treats or kibble inside to keep her occupied and stimulated. This is key to giving her something rewarding to focus on.

Last, get her into puppy class by 10 weeks of age - key for socialization and all puppy classes will advertize that 10 weeks is the optimal start. This will help stimulate, build confidence, and wear her out. A tired puppy is a good puppy

Check out Ian Dunbar's Bringing Puppy Home for more guidance.....a great resource.