A Cocker Spaniel is an intelligent animal that loves to be around people. But, there are times when you have to leave him alone, or you must leave it alone. If you have not trained your pup to cope with loneliness, he will become mentally disturbed. In worst cases, he can develop separation anxiety, a severe condition to treat. So, in this article, please get to know the importance of teaching your Cocker Spaniel puppy how to be alone and live with it.
Ways to help your Cocker Spaniel puppy handle loneliness:
Different methods can help your Cocker Spaniel better cope with being alone. Here are some of them below;
Crate training:
A crate is your Cocker’s private little space. It is his crib where he can be all by himself and chill and relax. To have a more welcoming and comfortable crate, first of all, check its material. Make sure that it is not hard or coarse. Go for a soft wire mesh or a soft plastic for the crate. Put in your pup’s favorite chewable toys, a food puzzle, or something else that he likes to play with. Just ensure that these toys don’t pose any choking hazard. You don’t want it to get in any trouble with it. If you are going to start crate training by yourself you should learn the dos and don’ts of puppy crate training first.
Develop a private room for your puppy:
If you do not want a crate, allocate a small room, a den using a playpen for your puppy. The idea is to make him realize that he can be alone for some time and there is nothing wrong with it. He must get used to being alone in a particular place of the house, and when you leave him there, he should automatically realize that it’s time for him to be alone.
Link loneliness with something exciting for your Cocker Spaniel:
It could be his favorite food, activity, toy, or game he likes to play. He should know that he will get these in the bargain when he is alone, and he should enjoy his “me-time” away from you. But don’t make it so exciting for him that he starts longing for it starts feeling bored in your company. Maintain a delicate balance here.
Progressively extend his ‘alone’ time:
The next thing you should know about the importance of teaching your Cocker Spaniel puppy how to be alone is the duration of his alone time. Do not subject him to long hours from the very start. It should start with a few minutes and then gradually increase it to an hour. But, you must also keep an eye on your puppy’s behavior during this period. If he acts cranky after his “alone-time,” then do not prolong it and work on your dog’s behavior.
In the beginning, you should not leave your puppy alone for more than ten minutes. See how the puppy reacts during this time. If Cocker Spaniel whining and crying are manageable, you can extend his confinement. It would help if you also acted strong do not give in to his slight complaining. It will make him realize that he can get out of his confinement by crying. So please don’t make him do that.
Don’t make a fuss about your coming and going:
Let it sink in your dog’s mind that it is normal for you to come and leave. The sooner he normalizes it, the better it would be for you. Observe his behavior when he welcomes you. If there is excessive licking and vocalization involved in it and he tends to linger on with it, you should discourage it. He must not feel too overwhelmed upon seeing you and should feel okay when you leave. Communicate firmly and matter-of-factly, so he gets from your tone on how to behave.
Make him strong mentally:
Another thing that you ought to do is to keep your puppy mentally sharp and healthy. Many dog-owners emphasize physical health but ignore their mental health. The reality is that mental health is as important as physical health, if not more. A mentally strong dog will cope with loneliness with comparative ease. To make your Cocker Spaniel mentally fit, indulge him in different mind games for dogs like dog puzzles. Hide and seek is also very effective in this regard.
Teach him the importance of “quiet time”:
Let your puppy know about “quite-time.” When you are playing with him, ask him to leave everything, settle down and be quiet for a while. It will be challenging initially, but your dog will soon realize its importance and know that quite a time is part of the everyday living routine. It should help him tackle loneliness better.
Hire a help:
If you think you cannot handle your pup’s “alone-time” in a better way, you should consider hiring an expert to help you do the job. An expert can “puppy-sit” your pet while you are gone and keep checking on him during his confinement. He can also potty-train the puppy, making things easier for you to manage.
Patience is the name of the game:
Like any other aspect of puppy training, you also need patience and lots and lots of it. However, it would be best to be persistent in your efforts, and the results will start flowing in your direction.
For how long can you keep your Cocker Spaniel puppy alone?
It is a very crucial question that many dog owners ask. There is no clear answer to it, depending on how you have conditioned your puppy to be alone. Some experts weigh in at four hours as the maximum time your puppy alone. Others extend this time in the range of six to eight hours. In any case, please do not make it more than eight hours. A Cocker Spaniel is a social animal, and if you subject him to long hours of loneliness, that may not be very good for his mental and physical health.
Conclusion:
That wraps up our topic about the importance of teaching your Cocker Spaniel puppy how to be alone. We hope it has been a learning experience for you, and you have learned different ways to help your Cocker Spaniel handle his alone time.
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