[94Magna_Tom]

I just installed a video camera that I can watch live on my smartphone. I can listen, and I can talk over a speaker as well. My question is if I'm away from home and I am watching Elroy in his x-pen, would talking to him be good or bad. Let's say, theoretically, he's crying non-stop. Would talking to him through a speaker help calm him, or would it maybe rile him up worse? Any thoughts?

 

[Starla]

I’ve never talked to my pets through a camera. They don’t even understand me on the phone. (You call your dogs when you leave them to go out of town too, right?!) The nest cameras we have distort voice so badly it doesn’t even sound like us. It confuses my kids enough, I wouldn’t try it with a pet.

 

[94Magna_Tom]

I’ve never talked to my pets through a camera. They don’t even understand me on the phone. (You call your dogs when you leave them to go out of town too, right?!) The nest cameras we have distort voice so badly it doesn’t even sound like us. It confuses my kids enough, I wouldn’t try it with a pet.

The speaker voice does sound like me.

 

[Rose n Poos]

We didn't have the cameras when our boys were puppies but they react now. I'd just try it by going outside and see how your boy Elroy reacts. You might even be able to make it a comfort tool for him. Or not .

 

[PeggyTheParti]

I’ve never thought it’s a very good idea. It would be so startling to hear your human’s voice come out of nowhere, no sounds of approach or familiar smell or sight preceding it. I think it would leave a dog on edge.

 

[Vita]

It's just a hunch, but I wonder it would be unsettling for a baby/pup to hear the your voice, but can't see or pick up your scent that you are near, and then poof! The voice is gone. If the pup is whining and howling when you leave, your voice might have the opposite effect of crying more for you. They really need to learn how to tolerate being alone for brief periods of time. It's like if you run back in the house every time they cry, they'll learn that nuisance barking works.


I listen to a lot of sleep, study, cafe type of relaxation music, always put on one for the poodles when I go out (and leave toys and kibble/water). YouTube has many marvelous 3 to 10 hour videos of this. Pick one that will last as long as you'll be out b/c at the end YT will have message "are you still there?" before auto playing the next video in the queue.

Here are two nice ones:

Btw, there was a study that dogs in shelters barked less and slept more with relaxation music playing in the background.

 

[PeggyTheParti]

Another good option is a sound generating app. I have one called “White Noise” that allows you to create your own soundscapes and play them on an endless loop. Peggy relaxes nicely to a mix of heavy rain, rainstorm, and car rain, probably because the variety of sounds mask outdoor noises that might otherwise keep her on alert.

Most important, though, is building up gradually to longer absences. In a perfect world, your puppy will never associate being alone with feeling stressed or anxious because you’ll teach him, in baby steps, how to self-soothe.

 

[94Magna_Tom]

I tend to think talking to him through a speaker would hurt (confuse) him more than it could help. That's why I asked, wanted to see if others felt the same way as I did. It certainly can't help him with getting used to being alone. I'll play with it while I'm in sight in the house, or just around the corner, but not when I'm away. I won't be away too often (for very long) anyway. I'll be away for shorter periods often though.

 

[Rose n Poos]

It is reassuring to have the camera and be able to see and hear. Since we've only had the cameras with the boys as adults, and them not having separation anxiety, we interact with them thru the camera when we're out those occasional times.

They mostly nap, then pop up and bark for vehicles and 2 and 4 legged pedestrians. We tell them to be quiet. They look at the camera then lay back down again, til the next round .

 

[lily cd re]

It is important for our dogs to be able to settle and soothe themselves so I would not talk to my dogs as a remote voice.
I also have to say you might see things that you really might not want to deal with. I know of someone who had a camera to watch her dogs through while she was out. She got to see someone break into her apartment, tell her two dogs to stay on the couch when they looked up, tell them they were good for staying while managing to stay out of the camera's field of view. Her very good dogs stayed on the couch for the guy while he took a computer, a TV and some cash and jewelry. It was all witnessed just not in any useful way. Good dogs, clever burglar.

 

[Basil_the_Spoo]

I refrain from talking on the ring cameras because I don't want to tease her.

I'm sure it could be harmless if I voiced in, but she's having special time w/ grandma, so I just let it be. Basil is velcroed to my hip, so a little space is okay lol.

 

[cowpony]

We've never talked to our dogs via the interior cameras. We point one camera at the wood stove at our cabin during cool weather, so we know to come in and throw another log on. (Place doesn't have central heat.) We can usually see the dogs when we check on the stove. Normally they just go to sleep when we are gone; sometimes we see them getting a drink or a snack.

 

[Mr.Ziggy]

When getting through separation anxiety, I didn't talk into my camera. I think it would make Ziggy more stressed.

Now that he is confident and comfortable being home alone, I use the camera to make sure he doesn't try to sneak onto the counter top or pull my duvet off the bed. A few rounds of "eh eh! Stop that!"s and I think Ziggy now gets that the rules of the house still stand when he is alone.

 

[Vita]

It is reassuring to have the camera and be able to see and hear. Since we've only had the cameras with the boys as adults, and them not having separation anxiety, we interact with them thru the camera when we're out those occasional times.

They mostly nap, then pop up and bark for vehicles and 2 and 4 legged pedestrians. We tell them to be quiet. They look at the camera then lay back down again, til the next round .

This is very interesting. I'll bet that waiting until they were adults made a difference, since by then they would have learned to settle down comfortably when alone.

Dogs can be sneaky, too. They know they're not supposed to get into the trashcan or counter surf, etc, and some will wait until you're out of view. Heh-heh, hearing your voice say "No-no-no!" might startle it back to behaving. 😄 Now that's something I would try.

 

[Newport]

@lily cd re thank goodness the thief did not steal her dogs!

 

[buddyrose]

I wouldn't talk to Elroy. I had a camera and could watch Casey. One time I talked to him and that made him more scared because he couldn't 'see' me. I did talk to my dog sitter if I happened to see her with him. She would hold him while we were talking. I recently read about Snuggle Puppy with heartbeat. I'm hoping to have a puppy in a few months and was considering purchasing it. Maybe it would comfort him? BTW, the camera was comforting for me because I saw him sleeping, getting up to drink water and walking down the hall to where the wee pad was in the bathroom. That was nice to see.
This link says Robot Check (?) but it takes you to Amazon to see the Snuggle Puppy toy:

Robot Check

 

[kontiki]

Most important, though, is building up gradually to longer absences. In a perfect world, your puppy will never associate being alone with feeling stressed or anxious because you’ll teach him, in baby steps, how to self-soothe.

Yes for sure! Teaching your pup in baby steps to be ok with you being gone is the way to go. There are good apps explaining how to do so. It can be time consuming, but so worth it in the long run!

There are even DVD's of music that is supposed to be especially soothing for dogs also.