STOP DOG BARKING
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 (20-45 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 house-trained dogs) as a result of distress.
Why Do Dogs Suffer From
Separation Anxiety?
We don't fully understand exactly
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 occurs with separation anxiety is not the dog's
attempt to punish or seek revenge on his owner for leaving
him alone, but is actually a panic response.
Separation anxiety sometimes
occurs when:
* A dog has never or
rarely been left alone.
* 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 : a child leaving for college, a
change in work schedule, a move to a new home, 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.
* Leave your dog with an article
of clothing that smells like you, an old tee shirt that
you've slept in recently, for example.
* 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 practice departures and short-duration
absences.
* Some examples of safety cues
are: a playing radio; a playing television; a bone; or a
toy (one that doesn't have dangerous fillings and can't
be torn into pieces). Use your safety cue during practice
sessions, but don't present your dog with the safety cue
when you leave for a period of time longer than he can
tolerate or 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.
* When 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 work
up to all-day absences minute by minute. 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
Practice sit-stay or down-stay
exercises using positive reinforcement. Never punish your
dog during these training sessions. Gradually increase the
distance you move away from your dog. Your goal is to be
able to move briefly out of your dog's sight while he
remains in the "stay" position. The point is to teach him
that he can remain calmly and happily in one place while you
go to another. 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 quietly praise
him.
Interim Solutions
Because the above-described
treatments can take a while, and because a dog with
separation anxiety can do serious damage to himself and/or
your home in the interim, some of the following suggestions
may be helpful in dealing with the problems 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
* Punishment is not an
effective way to treat separation anxiety. In fact, if
you punish your dog after you return home it may actually
increase his separation anxiety.
* Getting another pet. This
usually doesn't help an anxious dog as 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.
* Leave the radio on (unless the
radio is used as a "safety cue" - see above).
* Obedience school. While
obedience 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.
Copyright Dumb
Friends League.
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