Separation Anxiety
Don’t Forget Me!
When your dog’s dependency becomes an anxiety
by Eryka Kahunanui
Does this sound familiar: you come home to find your dog just destroyed all your clothes that were lying around and eliminated in several rooms of the house? The neighbors report that he’s been barking since the moment you left. When you walk in the door, your dog is overjoyed to see you and spends the next ten minutes showing just how happy your return has made him. While the first two examples are more likely symptoms of boredom and the need for proper housebreaking, the second examples of barking and an overjoyed and lengthy greeting can indicate separation anxiety in your pup.
What exactly is Separation Anxiety?
Dogs are naturally social creatures and want to be part of a family – whether that’s one person or six. It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what causes the fear of being separated because there are many reasons a dog can be insecure when alone. Being removed from his mother and litter too early could be one cause while some dogs are born with a genetic history of anxiety. For other dogs, there may have been a recent change in the dog’s environment such as the death of a human or canine family member.
The symptoms include very anxious and nervous behavior such as pacing, whining and following people from room to room. This behavior usually starts when the dog picks up on cues indicating he is about to be left alone. His people grabbing their keys, making their coffee, opening the garage door – these are all indicators to the dog that they are about to be left alone. They begin to feel uneasy and may start to drool heavily. A dog experiencing true separation anxiety will not eat in their owner’s absence and may become destructive and vocal until the owner returns home.
My dog does these things!
Well, hold your horses. Be sure to rule out all other reasons before thinking your dog has separation anxiety. Fact is, only a small percentage of dogs actually have true-blue separation anxiety. Some dogs will go through windows to make sure they aren’t separated from their family! If this is the case with your pet, seek help from a qualified veterinary behaviorist who can recommend medical treatment along with behavior modification training. Be sure your dog is getting an appropriate amount of exercise, a well-balanced diet and has had proper obedience training before deciding on separation anxiety as the cause for his behavior.
Treatment
As with all behavior modification, you want to address the problem rather than the symptoms. Therefore, punishment will not work because the behavior is based on the anxiety or fear of being left alone. Punishing an anxious or insecure dog will only lead to more insecurity and anxiety. Treatment should include training that builds the dog’s confidence in the absence of people, starting with the very first departure cue.
No Long Good-byes
Be sure to keep your good-byes to a minimum. In fact, the less you do to indicate you are leaving, the better. Don’t say anything like “Good-bye sweetie! Mommy’s going to miss you!” or “We’re leaving now!” You don’t want to make a scene of your departure because your dog will pick up on these words and immediately pair them with you leaving, thereby adding to his anxiety.
Make a list of all the things you do before leaving the house. This list might include: grabbing keys, packing lunches, pouring coffee, running things out to the car, opening the garage door, and so on. Perform one of these items without leaving the house and act as if nothing happened. If your dog responds with calm behavior, calmly praise them. Repeat this performance with something else on the list. The idea is to start desensitizing your dog to these cues. Your dog will stop seeing you grabbing your keys as a sure sign that you’re leaving.
Obedience Training
Basic obedience training including sit and stay will not solve separation anxiety by itself; however, it will give your dog more confidence. Requesting a sit before interacting with your dog or before feeding them teaches him that he must earn things through work rather than through begging or displaying erratic and anxious behavior. Teaching your dog to stay while you walk away can also decrease his anxiety about you leaving him. If your dog is taught that you will return, he will begin to feel more confident about being left alone.
In addition to your dog’s treatment, consider hiring a dog walker or taking your dog to daycare several times a week. Sure, it costs more money but it can be an important step towards your dog’s independence. Research merchandise that aids in calming and soothing an anxious dog such as Dog Appeasing Pheromone (DAP), which releases calming scents in to the air. Another option is a body wrap such as a Thundershirt™ which wraps tightly around your dog’s body and has a proven calming affect. “Through a Dog’s Ear” is a music compilation that plays soothing and relaxing tunes – it’s so effective, they’ve even developed a version that’s safe for the car!
Most importantly, keep in mind throughout this process that your dog is experiencing anxiety. He is not behaving this way out of spite but rather out of insecurity. Therefore, above all else, be sure to remove verbal and physical punishment from your routine. Punishing a dog who is already very unconfident can have disastrous effects to their mental well-being. If you find that your dog’s separation anxiety is not improving, consider hiring a qualified professional to help you and your dog become successful.
About the author
Eryka Kahunanui is a relationship coach and owner of Kahuna’s K9s dog training in Prince Frederick, Maryland. She is a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner (KPA CPT) and an Animal Behavior College Certified Dog Trainer (ABCDT). She is dedicated to teaching dogs and their owner’s life skills and raising awareness about dog and children safety as a presenter for Dog Gone Safe.
To find out more about Kahuna’s K9s visit their website at…
(dog training, training dogs, how to train a dog, dog obedience school, dog training schools, separation anxiety in dogs)
Has your dog experienced separation anxiety? Please share your experiences by submitting your comments below.
Top