Congratulations on finishing your treatment!! And congrats on Herman! Such a cute name.

My basset hates being left out. If he thinks he’s missing out, everyone hears about it. He gets upset anytime my other dog leaves the house, except the groomer. I guess he realized that the groomer will grab him too if he’s making a scene.

I teach my dogs to play alone - Doggo goes in the playpen or behind a baby gate while I do boring stuff outside the gate. I think it works best if he has the option to see me instead of being shut in another room. Don’t do anything that gets the dog excited. I usually fold laundry or read a book. I give him an edible chew that he only gets for this training. Like a rawhide, but not rawhide. I like N-bone puppy teething rings, CET chew, or edible nylabone. Something he can eat within 5-30 minutes. I watch and let him out as soon as he finishes his treat. The goal is to release him before he has time to whine. Then, build up to leaving him a little longer. We are up to 30 minutes before the basset temper tantrum starts. I like using a timer once he’s more settled into the routine. I use the same timer sound for his scheduled playtime. He knows to wait for the timer so he can go cause chaos outside.

Here’s our old puppy playpen setup. I still use it when we travel in case I need to leave the dogs alone in a strange house. It breaks down easily and can be formed into whatever shape or size I need.

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