Q: Hi Maree, Ollie is growing beautifully and I have had lots of comments on what a beautiful pup she is from people we cross during our daily walks. We all love her to bits!! We do have one minor concern that we are finding difficult to curb though.

It's nothing terribly drastic...seeing that the days are warming up beautifully here I would like Ollie to spend the day outside but she doesn't like that idea terribly much at all!!!!! She starts off with the whining and then progresses to distressed crying at the back sliding door. This wouldn't too bad in itself except that she accompanies this with jumping on the back door and tries to dig her way through the glass whilst on her hind  legs. She has already taken the fly wire out of the screen door through her efforts and is starting to make her way through the paint on the glass door!!!! She has also started to dig holes in the garden and lawn.

We walk her everyday in which she has time on the lead and free running and swimming time, we play with her in the backyard to help her settle in that area, she has toys to play with, a reward ball to keep her occupied, we give her large raw bones as well as puppy rawhide bones all in an effort to curb her behavoiur.

We have also 'growled' at her for her behavoiur with the command to "stop whining" or "stop digging" but all to no avail. Please help we don't know what else to do!!!!

The digging has only been a fairly recent thing but the crying and jumping on the back door has been a constant thing...in the beginning we thought it was because she had just left you and her siblings and would stop once she became settled.

I don't mean to sound like a drama queen I just want you to have all the information in the hopes you will be able to help us. As I said before we all love her bits and besides our little problem she's doing perfectly. She's eating well. She walks on the lead beautifully with little need for the command to heel, we have perfected the command to come when she is called whilst off her lead and she has has an absolute ball bounding around the edges of the dam trying to get to the ducks and swans floating around the middle of it!!!! All in all we have lots of fun and love her dearly we just want to help her with her separation anxiety.

Hope you can help,
Regards

A: OH a naughty child.... Ok what has happened is she has got used to coming inside.... and so is doing tantrums... Have you got or could you build a small enclosure for her? So that's were she gets locked in for very long periods.. and inside is only a privilege that you earn... you have to be very 'tough' in a deep voice and in manner to her. A couple of buckets of water dunked on her head can curb door scratching too... and a big smack on her rump or nose whatever you can get to 1st. Don't be afraid of really telling her off...(As soon as she starts the whining .. bucket of water on her... she will probably think you are murdering her.. but will come back very quickly)

The holes in the yard... put her poop in them and cover or. .. lots of Pepper... sneezo time... also try & catch her at it and put her head in the hole and put the dirt in her mouth .. growling at her all the time... If mine have been in mischief I walk out the back door and say "WHO DID THAT" dogs go hiding with curly ears.. pretending.. not them..... and also "AAARRRGG" very deep & loud also  reminds them they are doing something wrong... You have to get her back into the routine that she was here... she comes in when I want her to not when she wants.... I don't call it separation anxiety.. I call it .. spoilt naughty puppy... who like a child will do naughty things when they don't get their own way... If it was one of the kids doing naughties.. we would maybe send to their room..(dog enclosure) get told off .. reprimanded.. same as we would the kids but more showing them what doing wrong..and telling off at the same time... so timing is the thing too... Hope this all makes sense... Time for her to sleep outside too... Privileges........ be bad.. get none...... Cheers Maree. let me know how you go... till next time..

A: Thank you for your tips they are working a treat!!!