.jpg)
Separation anxiety is one of the most common problems for dog owners. Dogs who become anxious, upset, and even destructive when left alone may be suffering from separation anxiety. There are many roots and causes, and as a result, guiding your dog to learn to be alone can be a difficult process for many dog owners. A great amount of literature exists on this topic, and we've complied a summary from
Angie’s List and the
ASPCA great in-depth articles to help guide dog owners through managing and
preventing separation anxiety.
What are the signs of separation anxiety?
- Urinating
and defecating
- Barking
and howling
- Whimpering
and whining
- Chewing
- Digging
- Destruction
- Escaping
- Pacing
- Over-salivating, foaming at the mouth
There is a large spectrum of separation anxiety from mild to
severe. When treating a dog with separation anxiety, the goal is to resolve the dog’s
underlying anxiety by teaching him to enjoy, or at least tolerate, being left
alone. While each dog and each situation varies, here are some general tips to
help all dogs who are anxious when you leave.
Exercise. Try aerobic
activity for 30 minutes or more before you leave. This will give your dog less energy to
expend, and less energy to worry with!
Discourage behavior. Sometimes pet owners reinforce behaviors that
increase separation anxiety without realizing it. For example, if you return
home and your dog gets excessively excited and jumps on you, if you return the excitement, you are
reinforcing their undesirable behavior.
After your dog has calmed down, give them a gentle and peaceful
greeting.
Don’t make a big deal out of leaving. Do not say goodbye to
your dog. The bigger deal you make about leaving, the harder it will be on the
dog. By making a big deal out of leaving, you convey to your pet that your time
apart is a big deal.
Counterconditioning. Most
destructive behavior occurs within the first 30 minutes of you leaving home.
For dogs with separation anxiety,
counterconditioning focuses on developing an association between being alone
and good things, like delicious food or toys. To develop this kind of
association, every time you leave the house, you can offer your dog a puzzle
toy stuffed with food that will take him at least 20 to 30 minutes to finish.
Keep in
mind, though, that this approach will only work for mild cases of separation
anxiety because highly anxious dogs usually won’t eat when their guardians
aren’t home.
Eliminate Departure Cues. If your dog gets anxious when you pick up
your keys or put on your shoes, help them disassociate these signs with your
departure.
A few times a day, pick up
your keys or shoes and watch television instead.
Leave on the television or radio. Background noise soothes the pet, and has been
known to decrease anxiety. Don’t forget to leave it on a channel with a
consistent volume, like a shopping channel, rather than one with loud
commercials.
Take small steps. Start by leaving your dog for very short
periods of times and build up from there. For example, ask a neighbor or friend
to hold onto your dog for one minute, then go into your house. After a minute,
go back outside where your dog can see you. Then, go inside for two minutes.
Increase the time in small increments until your dog remains comfortable with
you leaving for longer periods of time.
Be consistent. Once you decide on a method, stick with it. Alleviating anxiety requires consistency and it may take time to
see a change in behavior. Switching methods because you’re not seeing results
right away can confuse the dog.
Alternatives. There are other alternatives to leaving your
dog home alone. Try leaving your dog with family or friends, or even better, bring them to
doggie daycare to socialize and play with other dogs to learn that separating from you for a couple of hours
can be a fun
experience!
