Hey there,

So Koda is not liking being left behind?  Can ya blame him, your going out to have fun without him!  

Most people will get the same reaction from their dog/pup when they start to put them in their crates at night, or even made to sleep alone in another room.  Dogs are pack animals and are not used to sleeping alone. When they are pups they don't go off to a corner somewhere to sleep alone, they curl up with mom and/or the other pups.  So at bedtime when they are put in a crate in another room, they are thinking "whats goin on? Why dont i get to sleep with the rest of the pack?"  ...so they whine about it!

The same goes for when you put your dog in a crate and then leave the house; they are thinking "Whats goin on?  Why can't i come with you?"  ...so they whine about it!

While this takes much more patience with a young puppy who has not yet learned to obey your commands, it shouldn't take to long to fix with a dog who is obedient.

First of all, does your dog respond to your correction for bad or unwanted behavior?  This could be a stern "NO" maybe accompanied with a hand clap for emphasis (the water bottle squirt works well when within range) or some other vocal command.  The vocal command should only be a single word, not a full sentence like "Stop barking Koda, you'll bother the neighbors."   The dog will not understand sentences, but will easily learn to respond to a single word used with the right tone.   It is very important to keep in mind that the "tone" of the word you use is the most important aspect of its effectiveness.  A stern, growly tone for a correction, and a higher pitched happy tone when you want to praise good behavior.  

This is your first step, train your dog to be responsive to your corrections.

Once this is accomplished, you can effectively use it to curb your dogs barking when you leave.

Here is what you can try...  this is easier with two people as you basically have to trick Koda into thinking he is being left alone.  Go about your business like you are going out somewhere without Koda. Ask him to go to his kennel, then make like you are leaving, only one of you stays behind and hides behind a corner where Koda can't see you and the other person makes it obvious they are leaving the house.  The person who stays behind must stay quiet so that Koda thinks he is alone.  It is when he realizes this, he will begin to bark in protest of being left behind.  THE INSTANT he begins to bark or whine, the person who is hiding must correct him with a stern "NO" (and maybe a hand clap), do not come out of hiding and don't say anything else except the correction.  He will realize that his barking/howling is not acceptable.  Continue this until he doesn't bark for 10 minutes or so, then have the other person come back into the home (maybe phone or text them) and let Koda out of his kennel and praise him for being a good boy while you were gone.

  As with all dog training, you need to have patience and be consistent.  This means that if it takes 30 minutes or longer until he stops barking then that is what it takes.  And this isn't a one shot deal.  You need to go thru this routine several days (in a row) until the one person can leave and the person who stays behind no longer has to correct him.  

Koda will have learned that it is OK that you go out without him and he gets to stay home for a nap or a quiet chew with his favorite bone.

This worked well for me, as Chili did not like being left behind either.  It only took a few attempts with this method until she stopped barking when we left.

I hope that whoever suggested giving your dog a drug for this problem is not a pet owner!

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cheers,

benn & chili