In 1994, I created Bongo to illustrate the various situations dog owners and dogs get into and how to get out of them the best possible way. My objective was to explain and illustrate that many dog problems (maybe most) were the result of misunderstandings between us and them and that if we spoke a better “Doguese,” we could certainly avoid the worst troubles. I paired up with Henriette Westh, a brilliant Danish illustrator, and she gave Bongo more than a form; she gave him a character of his own as well.
Bongo is a nice, friendly and naughty English Cocker Spaniel (orange roan, the original drawings were in color) with his own mind. He’s a good dog and loves his family very much, but he gets often in trouble, mostly because of misunderstandings as you can see in “Bongo Home Alone.”
“Bongo Home Alone” was first published in 1994 in my book “Hunden, ulven ved din side”. The book was coincidentally edited by none other than Henriette’s brother, Poul Henrik Westh, for Borgen Publishers. The book never appeared in English, but Bongo did.
Enjoy this bit of history and nostalgia and have a good laugh!
R-
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Dogs are social animals; they enjoy company and dislike being alone. We must teach our puppies to be home alone to avoid serious problems later (photo by Roger Abrantes).
You can teach your dog to be home alone in five steps. The earlier you begin, the better.
Number one canine problem behavior is “home alone.” Don’t panic if someone tells you that your dog suffers from separation anxiety. It’s probably not the case. Anxiety is a severe disorder, and most dogs don’t have any anxiety when left alone. They are either under-stimulated and burn their surplus energy by wrecking the furniture, they’re having fun and don’t know that it is wrong to destroy human possessions, or the owners have not taught them the desired routines when left home alone. There is a good chance that you can solve the problem with my five-step program.
You’re not alone. Problems with dogs that can’t be home alone (I call it CHAP=Canine Home Alone Problem) are the most common issue worldwide when we keep dogs as pets. Everybody seems to have a different idea of how to solve the problem. Remember the principle: too many cooks spoil the broth. If you choose to follow some other method, please do it and don’t even bother reading the following. If you decide to follow my five-step method, stick to it and don’t listen to what others tell you.
Teach your dog to be home alone in five steps:
DLO means desired learning objective.
QC stands for Quality Control and refers to the number of consecutive times (or similar criteria) you must successfully complete your DLO before advancing to the next step.
1. Teach the dog to associate the bed (crate, blanket, spot, or whatever you have chosen) with positive experiences.
DLO: The dog likes to lie down on the bed.
QC: The dog often and voluntarily goes to its bed.
Throw a couple of treats on the dog’s bed (without the dog seeing it) whenever there are none left.
Whenever the dog lies on the bed, reinforce it verbally (don’t exaggerate, so that the dog gets up).
Sometimes, pet the dog when it lies on the bed (calmly).
Send the dog to bed with a specific signal, such as “bed,” 10-20 times daily.
Send the dog to its bed often when you watch TV, read the news, do computer work, etc.
2. Teach the dog the meaning of the word “bed.”
DLO: The dog goes to the bed after you say “bed” without any problems.
Send the dog to the bed by saying “bed” and pointing to it or throwing a treat on it.
Use only the word “bed.” Don’t say anything else.
Reinforce it verbally, calmly, so it remains on the bed.
3. The dog lies down on the bed even if you walk away.
DLO: The dog lies down on the bed even if you walk away.
QC: Ten successive correct behaviors.
Tell the dog to go to the bed with the word “bed.”
Reinforce it verbally, calmly, so it remains on the bed.
Stop reinforcing it immediately if it should leave within 10 seconds, and ignore it for a couple of minutes. (Important: those two minutes must be particularly boring for the dog).
Start over until the dog stays on the bed even when you walk away.
4. Teach the dog to stay on the bed.
DLO: The dog lies on the bed for three minutes after you leave the room.
QC: Ten successive correct behaviors.
Reinforce the dog verbally as soon as it lies on the bed after you say “bed.” Be calm.
When the dog lies quietly on the bed, leave the room for two seconds, then come back.
Repeat, leaving the room at irregular intervals and for irregular periods, e.g., 5 s, 30 s, 4 s, 1 minute, etc.
If the dog remains on the bed, do nothing.
Should the dog leave its bed, send it back and start all over.
5. Teach the dog to stay on the bed when you leave the room and close the door.
DLO: You can leave the dog and close the door without any problem.
QC: Ten successive correct behaviors.
As soon as you can leave the room for three minutes without the dog leaving its bed, repeat procedures in point 4, but begin to close the door.
The first few times, don’t close the door; just touch it.
The following times, leave the door ajar.
Then, leave the room, close the door for two seconds, open it, and enter the room. If all is all right, ignore the dog. Otherwise, start all over with point 5.
Finally, leave the room, close the door, stay out for irregular periods, open it, and enter the room. If all is all right, ignore the dog.
Maintaining good behavior
Even when you’re home, you sometimes leave the dog alone. Do not constantly pay attention to it.
Always stimulate the dog properly before leaving. Remember: too little and too much are equally wrong.
Give the dog something to do when you leave. You don’t even need to invest in expensive toys. A plastic bottle full of treats will keep the dog busy for a while, figuring out how to take them out (watch the dog the first couple of times and encourage it, if necessary, to toss the bottle around and not bite it).
Place the dog’s bed in a central place in the house (living room). Most dogs don’t like to feel isolated.
Continue using “bed” and continue making the bed attractive with occasional treats, verbal reinforcement, and petting (all very calmly).
Make sure the bed is not too clean (most dogs don’t appreciate our fragrance-drenched laundry), nor too dirty, and is doggy-comfortable.
Pick up your keys often (or put on your shoes, cap, or whatever you usually do before you leave) so that the dog disassociates these cues with being left alone.
Here is some explanation for those of you interested in the principles of the five-step method:
We create a positive association with the bed so that the dog will often and voluntarily go to its bed.
We get the dog used to lying on the bed when we are at home, either relaxing or doing our homework. After all, the ideal dog is the dog that is quiet at home and active when out.
We teach the dog the meaning of the word “bed.”
We got the dog used to us leaving the room and coming back as part of our regular routine.
We teach the dog to associate the door with a regular routine.
We create a routine for the dog so that, when there’s nothing to do at home, the best thing is to go to bed.
You maximize your chances of speedy success if:
The dog sleeps on its bed at night, and (even better) if it doesn’t sleep in the same room as you.
The dog is routinely well stimulated (under-stimulated dogs are more challenging to teach to be home alone)
The dog is not hyperactive or overstimulated (overstimulated dogs have difficulties remaining in the same spot for long periods).
Important for you:
Be calm, no matter what you do.
Advance step by step.
Be patient.
Control your emotions and behavior when you succeed as well as when you fail.
If you haven’t anything important to say to the dog, be quiet.
It’s your responsibility alone to understand and implement this five-step program and to adjust it if needed, not the dog’s.
If my five-step method doesn’t seem to solve the problem, it may be that your dog shows genuine separation anxiety, in which case you must contact a competent specialist.
Enjoy training your dog and remember that you train your dog primarily for the dog’s sake, not yours!
Roger Abrantes 