SEPARATION ANXIETY:
Everyone needs a little time alone now and then unless of course you are
a dog who suffers from separation anxiety. Dogs with separation anxiety
exhibit behavior problems when they're left alone. Typically, they'll
have a dramatic anxiety response within a short time (20 to 45 minutes)
after their owners leave them.
The most common of these behaviors are:
Digging, chewing, and scratching at doors or windows in an attempt to
escape and reunite with their owners. Howling, barking, and crying in an
attempt to get their owner to return. Urination and defecation (even
with housetrained dogs) as a result of distress.
Why Do Dogs Suffer from Separation Anxiety?
We don't fully understand why some dogs suffer from separation anxiety
and, under similar circumstances, others don't. It's important to
realize, however, that the destruction and house soiling that often
occur with separation anxiety are not the dog's attempt to punish or
seek revenge on his owner for leaving him alone. In reality, they are
actually part of a panic response.
Separation anxiety sometimes occurs:
When a dog accustomed to constant human companionship is left alone for
the first time. Following a long interval, such as a vacation, during
which the owner and dog are constantly together. After a traumatic event
(from the dog's point of view), such as a period of time spent at a
shelter or boarding kennel. After a change in the family's routine or
structure (such as a child leaving for college, a change in work
schedule, a move to a new home, or a new pet or person in the home).
How Do I Know If My Dog Has Separation Anxiety?
Because there are many reasons for the behaviors associated with
separation anxiety, it's essential to correctly diagnose the reason for
the behavior before proceeding with treatment.
If most, or all, of the following statements are true about your dog, he
may have a separation anxiety problem:
The behavior occurs exclusively or primarily when he's left alone. He
follows you from room to room whenever you're home.
He displays effusive, frantic greeting behaviors.
The behavior always occurs when he's left alone, whether for a short or
long period of time.
He reacts with excitement, depression, or anxiety to your preparations
to leave the house.
He dislikes spending time outdoors by himself.
What to Do If Your Dog Has Separation Anxiety
For a minor separation anxiety problem:
the following techniques may be helpful by themselves. For more
severe problems, these techniques should be used along with the
desensitization process described in the next section. Keep arrivals and
departures low-key. For example, when you arrive home, ignore your dog
for the first few minutes, then calmly pet him. This may be hard for you
to do, but it's important! Leave your dog with an article of clothing
that smells like you such as an old t-shirt that you've slept in
recently.
Establish a "safety cue" a word or action that you use every time you
leave that tells your dog you'll be back. Dogs usually learn to
associate certain cues with short absences by their owners. For example,
when you take out the garbage, your dog knows you come right back and
doesn't become anxious. Therefore, it's helpful to associate a safety
cue with your short-duration absences. Some examples of safety cues are
a playing radio, a playing television, or a toy (one that doesn't have
dangerous fillings and can't be torn into pieces). Use your safety cue
during practice sessions with your dog. Be sure to avoid presenting your
dog with the safety cue when you leave for a period of time longer than
he can tolerate; if you do, the value of the safety cue will be lost.
Leaving a radio on to provide company for your dog isn't particularly
useful by itself, but a playing radio may work if you've used it
consistently as a safety cue in your practice sessions.
If your dog engages in destructive chewing as part of his separation
distress, offering him a chewing item as a safety cue is a good idea.
Very hard rubber toys that can be stuffed with treats and Nylabone-like
products are good choices.
Desensitization Techniques for More Severe
Cases of Separation Anxiety
The primary treatment for more severe cases of separation anxiety is a
systematic process of getting your dog used to being alone. You must
teach your dog to remain calm during "practice" departures and short
absences. We recommend the following procedure:
Begin by engaging in your normal departure activities (getting your
keys, putting on your coat), then sit back down.
Repeat this step until your dog shows no distress in response to your
activities.
Next, engage in your normal departure activities and go to the door and
open it, then sit back down.
Next, step outside the door, leaving the door open, then return.
Finally, step outside, close the door, then immediately return. Slowly
get your dog accustomed to being alone with the door closed between you
for several seconds. Proceed very gradually from step to step, repeating
each step until your dog shows no signs of distress.
The number of repetitions will vary depending on the severity of the
problem. If at any time in this process your actions produce an anxiety
response in your dog, you've proceeded too fast. Return to an earlier
step in the process and practice this step until the dog shows no
distress response, then proceed to the next step.
Once your dog is tolerating your being on the other side of the door for
several seconds, begin short-duration absences. This step involves
giving the dog a verbal cue (for example, "I'll be back"), leaving, and
then returning within a minute. Your return must be low-key: Either
ignore your dog or greet him quietly and calmly.
If he shows no signs of distress, repeat the exercise. If he appears
anxious, wait until he relaxes to repeat the exercise. Gradually
increase the length of time you're gone. Practice as many absences as
possible that last less than ten minutes.
You can do many departures within one session if your dog relaxes
sufficiently between departures. You should also scatter practice
departures and short-duration absences throughout the day. Once your dog
can handle short absences (30 to 90 minutes), he'll usually be able to
handle longer intervals alone and you won't have to repeat this process
every time you are planning a longer absence. The hard part is at the
beginning, but the job gets easier as you go along. Nevertheless, you
must go slowly at first. How long it takes to condition your dog to
being alone depends on the severity of his problem.
Teaching the Sit-Stay and Down-Stay
Another technique for reducing separation anxiety in your dog is
practicing the common "sit-stay" or "down-stay" training exercises using
positive reinforcement. Your goal is to be able to move briefly out of
your dog's sight while he remains in the "stay" position, and thereby
teach your dog that he can remain calmly and happily in one place while
you go to another.
To do this, you gradually increase the distance you move away from your
dog. As you progress, you can do this during the course of your normal
daily activities. For example, if you're watching television with your
dog by your side and you get up for a snack, tell him to stay, and leave
the room. When you come back, give him a treat or praise him quietly.
Never punish your dog during these training sessions.
Interim Solutions
Because the treatments described above can take a while, and because a
dog with separation anxiety can do serious damage to himself and/or your
home in the interim, consider these suggestions to help you and your dog
cope in the short term: Consult your veterinarian about the possibility
of drug therapy.
A good anti-anxiety drug should not sedate your dog, but simply reduce
his anxiety while you're gone. Such medication is a temporary measure
and should be used in conjunction with behavior modification techniques.
Take your dog to a dog day care facility or boarding kennel. Leave your
dog with a friend, family member, or neighbor.
Take your dog to work with you, even for half a day, if possible. What
Won't Help a Separation Anxiety Problem: Punishing your dog. Punishment
is not an effective way to treat separation anxiety. In fact, punishing
your dog after you return home may actually increase his separation
anxiety.
Getting another pet as a companion for your dog. This usually doesn't
help an anxious dog because his anxiety is the result of his separation
from you, his person, not merely the result of being alone.
Crating your dog. Your dog will still engage in anxiety responses in the
crate. He may urinate, defecate, howl, or even injure himself in an
attempt to escape from the crate. Leaving the radio on (unless the radio
is used as a "safety cue," as described above).
Training your dog
While formal training is always a good idea, it won't directly help a
separation anxiety problem. Separation anxiety is not the result of
disobedience or lack of training; it's a panic response.
Adapted from material originally developed by applied animal
behaviorists at the
Dumb Friends League, Denver, Colorado. All rights reserved.
If you have questions or need our services, please contact the shelter
at
618.346.5213 or contact us today via
e-mail
Copyrights 2009 WARREN BILLHARTZ ANIMAL SHELTER OF
COLLINSVILLE. A KTLLC Communications Solution