By observing my four Westie litters over the years, I learned how a litter's mother teaches her offspring the ability to cope in her absence at a very young age. By four weeks of age, mother dog begins leaving the whelping box for longer periods of time since the puppies don't need to feed as often, can eliminate by themselves, and after being on duty 24/7 for a month mother desires some alone time.
She will return to feed, but as soon as she is done will often remove herself from the whelping box and go back to doing her own thing. How do the puppies handle this? Oh, they don't like it one bit. And does mother come running back to them? Absolutely not. Why? Because she knows the difference between a cry for attention and a cry of distress, and she will ignore a cry for attention. Mind you, just as with humans, every mother is different but this is generally how it goes. She is establishing early on the need for her offspring to cope, which is compatible with handling life. But we as humans, the minute we get a puppy, or adopt a dog, we think we must be available to them all the time. This totally undoes what was established to the dog as an infant, and now we have a dog who can no longer cope. I have also found through my own experience over the years, having five males and ten female Westies, that males are more dependent/needy than females.
To help a dog remember what he was first taught as an infant, you want to teach your dog to cope in your presence before you can expect him to cope in your absence. Mother dog will lie beside the whelping box just out of view and reach of her offspring, they can smell she is there, they will whine and cry for her, but she will steel herself and not respond. Eventually the puppies settle back down. To mimic this would be to put your Westie in another room with a door closed or baby gated, or in a crate out of sight, and go about doing a quick house chore like vacuuming a room, then without fanfare return, release, and go about your business.
Separating yourself from your Westie is not punishment, but by teaching them it is okay to be separated for a little while, even when you are home, will offset the anguish they go through when you aren't home. By practicing these steps daily, for short periods at first, then for longer periods, your Westie will learn that though he knows you are home, he has to cope with being separated from time to time. He will then be able to handle being left alone without dissolving into the abandonment mode.
There are other coping mechanisms which are common such as leaving on the TV or music, spritzing the room with lavender essential oil, CBD treats, etc. But by rehearsing what mother dog established way back can help immensely.
Jane Fink
Greyfaire Westies
Anderson Dog Works, Inc.
Anderson, SC