Separation Anxiety

This problem afflicts many dogs around the world; a problem that sometimes isn’t handled correctly and quite often unintentionally aggravated. This page will outline some possible prevention methods as well as solutions for dogs with this problem, and will also clear up some misconceptions that many have regarding separation anxiety.

The problem with many dogs with separation anxiety is that they lack confidence in themselves and have become overly dependent on their owners. Many cases of separation anxiety involve rescued dogs especially those that were previously neglected or abused. However this isn’t always the case, at times certain life styles can contribute to the development of separation anxiety in some dogs. Yet sometimes the trigger could be a change in the dog’s schedule such as an owner having to go back to work after a couple weeks of staying at home for vacations. Having a traumatic while alone can also cause some symptoms of separation anxiety. There are a myriad of causes sometimes we may never know what the source of the issue is but here are some preventative measures one can take to avoid raising a dog that will be stressed when left alone and some solutions if your pooch has already developed this problem.

Misconceptions

Quite often many are too quick to think that their dog has separation anxiety simply because there may be a few problems when the dog is left alone. True separation anxiety quite often has some underlying medical condition which should be assessed by veterinarians. Once the medical problem is adressed then the behaviors can be fixed. Also many times an owner may come home to a disaster at home and may decide that the pooch has a problem with being alone when in truth the dog is just releasing some pent up energy. True separation anxiety manifest itself in most if not all the following forms: whinning, barking, self mutilation, destructive behavior, excessive salivation, and having accidents (sometimes to the point of dehydration). If the dog doesn't do this within the first few minutes of your departure (you can use a camera to find out), isn't by your side (a velcro dog) at all times when you are home, and isn't able to sleep unless he is with you; then the most likely thing is that the pooch is either bored when you leave or simply hasn't been conditioned to being left alone (minor confidence problems). If you suspect true separation anxiety contact your vet as soon as possible and fix any medical problem if there happens to be one, if the dog is healthy then continue with behavior modifications, plenty of exercise, and some confidence building exercises. The following information deals mostly with mild cases of what might be called separation anxiety but can also be used for dogs that simply lack confidence in themselves.

Prevention

There is one cause of lack of confidence that is not always suspected: excessive coddling. In the case of rescues, one would think we are doing the pooch a favor by always protecting and letting them know that everything is alright. What about puppies? Who can resist the temptation to fuss of them constantly and carry them as much as possible? However, in both scenarios, the coddling can do more harm than good.

Excessive coddling doesn’t allow the dog to go out and explore and learn to be by themselves , they become dependent on the person that is pampering them; slowly they start believe that they are only safe when they are near their owner. Carrying a pup or small dog too much may have a similar effect, not to mention that begging behaviors may arise. This being said, the key in raising a confident dog is to have moderation with the amount of coddling and carrying of the dog. Of course this isn’t to say that you shouldn’t show your dog affection, certainly not. Teaching a pooch (especially recently acquired ones) that they can trust you and caring for them are both vital in the development of a bond and that bond is important to train successfully.

At times, a lack of socialization can later develop into lack of confidence. To insure that our dogs have confidence in themselves it is important to expose them to a myriad of situations and allow them to meet and play with other dogs. Every now and then at home, it might be beneficial to allow our dogs to have some alone time, even if it’s very short periods. Socialization becomes more difficult if the dog actually develops separation anxiety, thus it is always best to prevent rather than have to fix it later.

Two other tools that can be used as methods to prevent separation anxiety is the manner in which you arrive and leave. A dog that is overly dependent on their owner doesn’t want them to leave and will try anything to make you come back. This is solved by making your departure unexpected and your arrival uneventful. To make is so that your pooch doesn’t really know when you are leaving you have to start to go through “Fake Leaves”. This meaning that you do everything that you normally would while you are about to leave, but then simply go back to what you were doing. For example, you are sitting down watching TV, all of a sudden you get up, put on your jacket, and pick up your keys but you just sit back down to see TV. Many dogs lacking confidence will begin to show signs of restlessness as soon as they see you putting on the jacket. Doing this and slowly adding on to it (such as opening the door, putting on your shoes, or turning on the car) will desensitize your pooch to your departure. In case you really are leaving then the last 15 minutes of you being at home should be devoid of attention so that the pooch is a little more accustomed to not receiving attention which is what happens when you are not home. Your arrival is also key to helping reduce stress for the dog while you are gone. If the owners arrival is less exciting, the dog’s eagerness for that event also will lessen thus mitigating certain behaviors caused by anxiety. This is done by completely ignoring the dog when you first come home, this means no physical contact, eye contact, and no speaking to him. Jumping, whining, and barking should be equally ignored. Once, the pooch settles down and is calm, then you may quietly go over and acknowledge him.

If your dog already shows signs of having separation anxiety problems it is best to take a slow and patient approach, there is no such things as a quick solution with problems of this sort. Harsh and aversive methods will do no good with these dogs either. Here are a couple of exercises that one can do to help alleviate this problem.

Exercise One: Teaching your dog that being alone is perfectly fine will help in cases where you are forced to leave your pooch alone for some period of time. Start by placing your dog in an empty room, give him a Kong (or a toy if your dog isn’t food motivated) and close the door. The Kong (or other reinforcer) helps reward the pooch for being alone without requiring your intervention. Leave the pooch alone for a few seconds at first. If all is quiet open the door and discretely praise him/her. Making too much fuss will cause the dog to get excited, lose their focus, and possibly cause him/her to whine the next time they are left alone. In the case that your pooch whines and barks continually after you’ve closed the door, wait for a period where the whining/barking is at its lowest, open the door, ignore the pooch and try again later. However, if you are doing well and your dog isn’t whining, gradually increase the amount of time he/she is left alone. After some time a dog should have no problem with being left alone. 

Exercise Two: If your pooch loves going on walks then this might be a good method for you. This exercise not only teaches a less confident dog that it can do things without you but it also teaches the dog that he/she can safely be around strangers, it is gear to help those dogs that have an extreme attachment to one person in specific. That being said, the best way to go about this is to invite a person your dog doesn’t know. All three of your go on a walk, and after a couple minutes release the lead to the other person. Slowly distance yourself from the two and if your dog doesn’t react negatively keep increasing the distance. If for any reason your dog becomes uneasy, get a little closer up until your pooch no longer seem stressed and continue on. When your dog is focused with something else increase the distance a little more so that your dog doesn’t even notice. Slowly and steadily you will be able to increase this gap without distressing your pooch. During this time occasionally allow the stranger to give the pooch a tidbit. All this should be done at the pace and comfort level of your individual dog. Having other members of the family participate in this exercise may be beneficial as well. It allows the dog to be comfortable with everyone in the family and not just one.

A good way to boost your dog’s confidence is to play tug o war and allow him/her to win a couple times provided that in the end you take charge of the situation. Mental stimulation can come a long way in these cases and play time such as this can alleviate the problem to an extent. Activities such as agility are a good way to accomplish this mental stimulation, not only this but it also allows your dog to experience new situations and meet new people and dogs.

To avoid the problems associated with these panic attacks try a couple different solutions, being that every dog is different one may work well and others may be ineffective:

Crate Training: As discussed in the crate training page, a dog is a den animal and will tend to feel safer when it has a place of his/her own that they can retreat to for safety. There is the benefit of having your dog feel safe and also the advantage of keeping them contained so that there isn’t any accidents (destructions or potty) around the house.