I have a great dane named Daphne who is suffering from separation anxiety when I leave. Any suggestions?

She is driving my family nuts at night when I go to work because she paces the house and cries, which keeps them awake. She has also eaten my hairbrushes.

I have a great dane named Daphne who is suffering from separation anxiety when I leave. Any suggestions?
The first question is how do your family react to the noise? If they go downstairs every so often, even if it is just to shout at her, they may be reinforcing the behavior. She wants human company so going downstairs is a reward.


Next, does she follow you round the house when you are home. If she does then you need to gradually stop her from being dependent on you. Get other members of the family to take her for walks/ feed her. Practice leaving her for short periods of time during the day. First, try leaving her just at meals, then try leaving the room for a few minutes.Try and time this so you return before she gets upset and reward good behavior. If she does howl then either wait till she stops and then return or unlatch the door quietly and ignore her.


Try and develop a bedtime routine. Take her for a last short walk to empty bowel and bladder. Give her something of yours to sleep with (eg:old jumper), providing she wont chew it. (We also use phermone plug in diffusers that can calm some dogs.) Say goodbye once firmly then leave, don't keep returning.


If all else fails you could try letting her sleep upstairs for a period of time, while the daytime training takes effect, and then gradually move her back down.


Finally there are some prescription drugs a vet can supply that may help short term while the training continues.


If she chews and swallows objects then beware of foreign bodies getting lodged in the gut. Get her something safe to chew.
Reply:You may want to try giving him a unwanted shirt you worn before, he may feel better with it when you are not around.
Reply:there is a pill you can get from your vet it is called doggy Ritalin
Reply:Give her something of yours that smells of you. Also, you could try gradual training- Leave her for 10 minutes, then return and play with her, then leave her for 20 mins, increasing the time each time. She is probably worried that you won't return so you have to make sure she knows that you will come back to her.
Reply:consider crate training. dogs feel very safe in the crates. dogs like being in a smaller space. it will also keep ur house safe from the dog
Reply:I saw a poster at the vets office showing medicine for this. You may want to taker her to a vet to get something to help her. This is causing her alot of anguish too.
Reply:My dog used to be that way. Then I got him a friend and now he hardly even notices me and my wife any more. He loves his cat. They play non stop all the time. Hes a small dog about the size of the cat. Maybe your could get her a companion.