Lap dog gone bad!!!

Question
I have a 6 month old Maltese. I have had her for three weeks. When she is in my arms, she is the sweetest little thing. She loves new people and dogs. If I put her in her pen and leave the room, she will not stop barking! I usually have to close the door because she is so loud. She always stays in my room. She can not have the free run of the house because she pees on the floor. I take her out every hour and her pen has a Pee pad in it. I work from 7 to 4. The next 2 months I don't have to work. I try to leave her in her pen with the door closed at least 3-4 hours a day even though I am home. I want her to learn to be alone. She is a 2 pound dog and she thinks she is a monster! I leave her a stuffed chew toy but she does not seem interested until I am back in the room she is in. She cant eat when she is alone. She does not destroy anything in her pen or try to escape, she just barks. I try not to enter the room unless she is quiet, but her ever being quiet is rare.

Answer
She sounds less like a monster than a dog with impending separation anxiety. You say you have had her for three weeks and she is 6 months. What was her situation before you got her? I would try cuddling and carrying her less, as dogs can get very dependent on being handled and comforted. Start teaching her some obedience behaviors, and give her rules and routines. Dogs are less anxious if they know what their rules are. Ask her to give you something (a behavior) for things that she wants. It's easy to "spoil" a cute little dog, but its not particularly mentally healthy for them. She needs to learn not to be held and pampered. At least until these problems get fixed. Also continue working on house training. If she truly has separation anxiety, you may need the help of a veterinary behaviorist who can prescribe anti-anxiety meds. And the fact that you will be off work for a couple of months gives you a great chance to work on the problem. Here's a good article on the subject http://www.clickersolutions.com/articles/2002/sa.htm If she has simply learned that barking works, you may wish to do some clicker training, and wait for a moment of silence that you can click and reward her with your presence and a treat. The biggest problem with demand barking is that we generally allow it to continue until we can't stand it any longer and eventually enter the room while the dog is barking. Which teaches both that barking works and that if you bark long enough you get the attention. Is there any way you can be out of her sight without being out of the room? What happens then. Your task is two-fold, allow her to gain enough self-confidence that she can be comfortable left alone, and to find a way to reward quiet. You might also teach her to bark on cue and be quiet on cue as a game. Sandy Case MEd CPDT www.positivelycanine.com