Separation anxiety is one of the most common reasons dog owners see an animal behaviourist. It makes up between 20-40% of all canine cases seen by behaviourists and is most commonly characterised by destructive chewing, barking incessantly and leaving poop in conspicuous places. Unfortunately, many owners don’t understand what’s happening with their dogs and punish them for their behaviour. This only exacerbates an already tricky problem.
Separation anxiety: the causes
It all has to do with group mentality. As social animals, dogs love to hang out with their peers, and, when raised with people, they view these people as their peers. Usually this isn’t a problem. We humans like the attention. Separation anxiety occurs in dogs are a little too bonded to their two-legged friends.
Often you can spot these dogs right off. They follow their owners from room to room, never letting them out of sight or even out of reach. It’s as if they’re afraid that their human could vanish at any time. These dogs may ask for constant reassurance by perpetually leaning on their owners, climbing into their laps, and asking for attention. In essence, these pooches have a sort of doggie low self-esteem.
But this isn’t the only type of dog who succumbs to feelings of angst upon an owner’s temporary departure. Any dog who is used to having a person with him at all times is prone to despair when abruptly left alone. This could occur, for instance, when the human gets a new job or school starts and the kids are no longer home.
This is how it might happen. After a melodramatic goodbye, the owner leaves Fido alone for the first time. Fido’s puzzled.
“Hey. Where’d you go? You forgot me. I’m in here! Hey! Hey!” Of course to the casual listener it sounds more like this. “Woof! Woof! Ruff……. Owoooooh!” After 10 minutes, Fido figures he wasn’t just forgotten; he’s been abandoned. Now he’s really worried. He tries to get his mind off the situation by chewing on something convenient — the sofa — but it doesn’t work and what’s more, all this worry’s giving him an upset stomach. He leaves a number two on the carpet. Finally, he can’t stand it anymore. “I gotta get out and find him!” So he starts frantically digging at the front door.
Separation anxiety: what you can do
Punishment is out of the question. It only confuses the frightened Fido. But surprisingly, a sympathetic streak can make things worse, too. Coddling actually may deepen Fido’s dependency when what he really needs is a chance to stand on his own four feet. The best way to deal with separation anxiety is to start training when your dog is still a puppy. “A dog’s needs are not just physical,” says Helderberg animal behaviourist Dr Aileen Pypers. “Psychological wellbeing is essential if your dog is to grow into a healthy, well-adjusted adult. Protect your dog from being fearful through good socialisation while he/she is still a puppy. Puppy school is a must.”
However, if your dog is already in adulthood and your leaving him is causing issues, here are some things you can try:
Teach him independence
The first step is to teach Fido some emotional control so that instead of immediately whining and then barking and getting more and more worked up as soon as you leave, he learns to sit or lie down calmly to get you to come back. Start by training him to say please by sitting immediately and automatically for treats/kibble and then progress to sitting to earn petting, attention, toys and virtually everything he wants.
Next, teach him that out of sight doesn’t mean out of mind. This starts with teaching him to lie down several feet away with treats coming frequently (such as every 3 seconds) and then systematically decreasing the number of treats he gets while also increasing the distance your walk away from him. This is basically a down-stay that gradually progresses to being able to have your dog lay out of sight of you for, say, a half hour.
Then teach Fido that goodbyes are okay; they’re followed shortly by hellos. Make sure you cut the drama out of greetings and departures and turn both into ho-hum events. For easy dogs you can do this simply by ignoring Fido for 20 minutes prior to leaving and after returning home. Or you can teach him to look forward to your departures by pairing them with special treats or toys. Goodies should be given well before departure and must occupy Fido for a while when he’s alone.
For more challenging dogs, you have to actually train him to remain calm while you leave by, for instance, having him lie down and receive rewards while, and after, you leave. How can you reward him when you’re gone? An automatic treat dispenser can help.
Sometimes only medication will do
This treatment plan sounds simple, but if you’ve ever lived with a needy dog you know it’s really not. Some dogs turn around within days while others drag on for months. In some cases, Fido may even need medication but even with these drugs, separation anxiety is not quickly fixed. For best results, the medication has to be paired with the behaviour modification. And to throw a wrench into the process, dogs showing individual signs of separation anxiety may have a different problem instead.
Many dogs need the help of a qualified behaviourist. In many cases, it’s a good idea to seek the help of an educated, behaviour specialist (ask your vet for a referral). That means someone who won’t just tell you that your dog is trying to dominate you and, that to fix his separation anxiety, you have to show him you’re the boss. Undoubtedly, if your dog has true separation anxiety, you will suffer thousands of Rands in household damage, making the cost of a good veterinary behaviourist well worth their fee.
Article adapted from drsophiayin.com
