Separation can be tough on dogs
Does your dog miss you when you’re gone? Do you find that when you leave he can’t stand it? Does he understand the passing of time and know how long you’re away?
If your dog is well behaved when you’re home and only turns into a terror when he can’t be with you, then he is probably suffering from some form of separation anxiety. It is estimated that 10 to 15 percent of the canine population experiences some type of this problem.
Dogs are considered to be pack animals, so they prefer to be part of a group, and have a “pack leader” to follow and look up to. The dog’s owner becomes the “pack leader” in the eyes of the dog, and when the leader isn’t there to follow, the dog feels abandoned. This abandonment leads to anxiety and frustration that your dog has to deal with in the only way he knows how–what we call bad behavior.
In severe cases, anxious dogs will act out even when their owner is simply in another room with the door closed. Common ways of acting out include destructive behavior, excessive barking, house soiling, attempts to escape, loss of appetite, inactivity, seeming sadness or depression, and psychosomatic disorders such as diarrhea, vomiting, and excessive coat licking. Also, a dog suffering from separation anxiety will often closely shadow you when you’re together.
Some dogs simply do not ever gain enough confidence in themselves to be on their own. For some, it’s because they were left alone for too long when they were puppies. Others have had the hard luck of being abused or neglected. There are some poor pups that are pushed from home to home until they finally end up in an animal shelter. Needless to say, they are probably afraid of being left again.
There are many different ways that you can help your dog deal with his fear. The first thing is to teach him that you can be trusted to come back. When you return from being gone, avoid a big fuss and simply go about your business. The expectation of a big to-do when you come home only increases his anxiety.
Another strategy to help you deal with the problem of separation anxiety is to take your dog out for a good walk before you leave the house. Not only will you spend some quality time together, it will also help wear him out, making it more likely that he will spend his time away from you sleeping. Another benefit to the long walk is that once he understands the pattern, he will have something to look forward to and, hopefully, associate your leaving with something good. And the exercise will be great for both of you.
With enough time and patience, you can teach your dog that you love him just as much as he loves you. Eventually, he will realize that you won’t leave him.
For more information about removing separation anxiety, read a related article here.
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Separation anxiety is one of the most common problems that
dogs develop. It’s an anxiety disorder, and is defined as a
state of intense panic brought on by the dog’s isolation/separation from her owner(s).
In other words: when you leave for work in the morning, your dog is plunged into a state of nervous anxiety which intensifies extremely quickly.
Dogs are social animals – they need plenty of company and social interaction to keep them happy and content. No dog likes to be left alone for long stretches of time, but some dogs do a lot worse than others: these are the ones most prone to separation anxiety.
There are a number of contributing causes to the condition:
- Some breeds are genetically predisposed towards anxiety and insecurity, which is something you should consider when deciding which breed you’re going to go for (particularly if you’re going to be absent for long stretches of time). A few of these breeds include Weimaraners, Springer Spaniels, German Shepherds, and Airedales
- A significant proportion of dogs from shelters develop separation anxiety. Most of these ‘shelter dogs’ have undergone significant trauma in their lives – they’ve been abandoned by their previous owners – and thus they have little trust that their new-found owner (you) isn’t going to pull the same trick.
- Dogs that were separated from their mothers and siblings too early have been identified as being especially prone to separation anxiety. Puppies from pet-stores are a perfect example of this: they’re usually taken from their mothers well before the earliest possible age (which is 8 weeks), and confined to a small glass box in the petstore for anywhere between a few weeks to two months. This early weaning, coupled with the lack of exercise and affection
while in the petstore, is psychologically traumatic for the dog.
- Neglect is the number-one cause of sepration anxiety for dogs. If you’re absent much more than you’re present in your dog’s life, separation anxiety is pretty much inevitable. Your dog needs your company, affection, and attention in order to be happy and content.
The symptoms of separation anxiety are pretty distinctive: your dog will usually learn to tell when you’re about to leave (she’ll hear keys jingling, will see you putting on your outdoor clothes, etc) and will become anxious. She may follow you from room to room, whining, trembling, and crying. Some dogs even become aggressive, in an attempt to stop their owners from leaving.
When you’ve left, the anxious behavior will rapidly worsen and usually will peak within half an hour. She may bark incessantly, scratch and dig at windows and doors (an attempt to escape from confinement and reunite herself with you), chew inappropriate items, even urinate and defecate inside the house. In extreme cases, she might self-mutilate by licking or chewing her skin until it’s raw, or pulling out fur; or will engage in obsessive-compulsive behaviors, like spinning and tail-chasing.
Upon your return, she’ll be excessively excited, and will leap around you in a frenzy of delight for a protracted period of time (more than the 30 seconds to one minute of a happy, well-balanced dog.)
This extended greeting is a source of some misunderstanding: without realizing that such a greeting actually signifies the presence of a psychological disorder, some owners actually encourage their dog to get more and more worked up upon their return (by fuelling the dog’s excitement, encouraging her to leap around, paying her protracted attention, and so on.)
If you’re behaving in this way with your dog, please stop. I know it’s tempting and very easy to do, and it seems harmless – after all, she’s so happy to see you, what harm can it do to return her attention and affection in equal measure? – but in actuality, you’re just validating her belief that your return is the high point of the day. So she’s as happy as Larry when you return – but, when it’s
time for you to leave again, her now-exaggerated happiness at your presence is under threat, and she gets even more unhappy when you walk out that door.
Fortunately, there are things you can do to minimize your dog’s tendency towards anxiety. Here’s a short list of do’s and don’ts:
Do:
- Exercise the heck out of her. Really wear her out: the longer you expect to be away, the more exercise she should get before you leave. For example, if you’re leaving for work in the morning, she’ll probably be by herself for at least four hours; and, if you’ve got a dog-walker to take her out mid-day instead of coming back yourself, she won’t see you – the person she really cares about – for at least nine hours. So she needs a good, vigorous walk (fifteen to twenty minutes is the absolute minimum here!) before you walk out that door. More is even better.
- Distract her from her boredom, loneliness, and anxiety by giving her an attractive alternative to pining, pacing, and whining. All dogs love to chew – why not play on this predisposition? Get a couple of marrowbones from the butcher, bake them in the oven for 20 minutes (so they go nice and hard and crunchy – and so she can’t smear marrow all over your furniture), slice them up into chunks of a few inches long, and give her one about 15 minutes before you leave. It’ll keep her happy and occupied, and will act
as a smokescreen for your departure.
- When you leave, put the radio on to a soothing station: classical music is ideal, but any station featuring lots of talk shows is also ideal. Keep the volume quite low, and it’ll calm her down a bit and give her the feeling that she’s got company.
- If at all possible, supply her with a view: if she can see the world going by, that’s the next best thing to being out and about in it.
- Acclimatize her to your leaving. Taking things nice and slowly, practice getting ready to go: jingle your keys about, put on your coat, and open the door. Then – without leaving! – sit back down and don’t go anywhere. Do this until she’s not reacting any more. When there’s no reaction, give her a treat and lavish praise for being so brave. Next, practice actually walking out the door (and
returning immediately), again doing this until there’s no
reaction. Gradually work up – gradually being the operative word here! – until you’re able to leave the house with no signs of stress from her.
Do not:
- Act overtly sympathetic when she’s crying. Although it sounds very cold-hearted, trying to soothe and comfort your dog by patting her and cooing over her is actually one of the worst things you can do: it’s essentially validating her concern. Make sure she can’t tell that you feel sorry for her: don’t ever say, “It’s OK, good girl” when she’s upset!
If you’re interested in getting a more detailed look at how to deal with your dog’s separation anxiety, you might like to check out SitStayFetch.
It’s a great learning tool for anyone who wants to learn how to deal constructively with their dog’s problem behaviors.
All of the common behavioral problems are dealt with in detail, and there’s a great section on obedience commands and tricks too.
Does Your Pet Have Post-Summer Separation Anxiety?
PurinaCare(R) Pet Health Insurance reveals why the end of summer can create behavioral changes in dogs and cats
SAN ANTONIO, Aug. 24 /PRNewswire/ --Fall 2009 - Back to school time creates a dramatic shift in family schedules, which can have a devastating impact on family pets that have spent more time with their owners over the summer vacation season. PurinaCare(R) Pet Health Insurance (www.purinacare.com), which is committed to help pet owners provide a lifetime of care for their pets, is urging all pet owners to be aware of the signs of post-summer separation anxiety in both dogs and cats. Pets suffering from post-summer stress can exhibit a wide range of abnormal behaviors as families return to school and work.
Signs of Post-Summer Separation Anxiety include:
* Hyper-salivation or drooling
* Soiling the pet owner's belongings
* Chewing or scratching at doors or crate
* Non-stop howling, barking, meowing
* Compulsive grooming or licking
* Tearing up furniture or pushing items off counters
"Dogs are naturally social animals and especially sensitive to loneliness this time of year. The family fills the role of 'the pack' and in their absence; dogs can feel abandoned and become quite destructive," says Dr. Bill Craig, DVM, Chief Medical and Underwriting Director of PurinaCare Pet Health Insurance. "Teaching dogs that their owners will return and the 'pack' will be reunited is the key to alleviating the stress of post-summer separation anxiety."
Prepare your Pet for Post-Summer Routines:
* Wean them into new post-summer schedule. Give positive reinforcement with praise and treats for appropriate behavior
* Resume normal leash / walking schedules
* Take the drama out of leaving - grab your coat and keys at times when you are not leaving so your pet doesn't connect the action with being alone
* Create a pet safe haven - a well-lit area where the family "pack" normally gathers, keep the TV or radio running, leave plenty of toys and safe clothing / items with family scents on them
* Don't punish bad behavior related to anxiety; it will only reinforce the stress
* For pets with severe stress, medications are available. They will rarely work alone without a behavior modification regimen. A veterinarian must prescribe these drugs
PurinaCare Pet Health Insurance covers behavioral modification therapy for separation anxiety performed by a licensed veterinarian in a clinical setting for medical reasons and covers prescription medication for separation anxiety prescribed by a licensed veterinarian. For information about PurinaCare Pet Health Insurance policies, go to www.purinacare.com or call 1-877-8-PURINA.
About PurinaCare Pet Health Insurance
PurinaCare Pet Health Insurance, Inc. is dedicated to providing pet owners with a Lifetime of Care(TM) for their pets. A wholly-owned subsidiary of Nestle Purina PetCare Company, PurinaCare Pet Health Insurance, Inc. offers PurinaCare(R) Pet Health Insurance to pet owners in most states and promotes responsible pet care, humane education, community involvement, and the positive bond between people and their pets. For more information about PurinaCare Pet Health Insurance, go to www.purinacare.com.
Have you ever wondered why your dogs sometimes do what they do sometimes? Why do they sometimes dig excessively, bark for nothing, chase their own tails and tear newspapers, biting their own feet continuously. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a behavioral problem in dogs that stems out from stress, boredom, separation, anxieties etc. Obsessive Compulsive Disorders in dogs – OCD usually gets manifested in the subjects, who are stressed, bored and anxious, and often leads to destructive consequences directed towards the dogs themselves or any other objects in motion like, car, bikes, running kids, or even flying crows or any other pack members.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorders Caused by Stress
It is very important to see your vet as soon as you suspect you dog to be getting such behavioral problem due to stress. Dogs in stress are not safe for you and the other pack members. If the stressed dog is a large breed, he can be potentially threatening. Experienced vet can come up with the cure with right medications.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorders Caused by Boredom
This is again another serious issue that cannot be taken for granted. Boredom will lead to certain typical problems such as tail chasing, digging, seemingly purposeless barking, chewing his own lead, and even sometimes trying to destroy things. I would like to mention why actually I used the phrase “seemingly purposeless barking”. Putting it simply, apparently it may seem that your dog is barking at nothing and for nothing. But theirs is an underlying reason and that is he wants an end to his boredom, and he finds nothing to do but barking.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder by Separation
Separation from his loved ones – his owner and other family members can expose him to the risk of OCD. Separation causes anxiety (separation anxiety), which in turn may cause this behavioral problem in your dog. Remember, dogs are pack animals and they always love to live in close contact with their family members or other pack members. When they are forcibly deprived from what they want by instinct they tend to develop OCD. The "velcro dogs" (the dogs that are severely dependent on their owners) are more prone to develop OCD, if they are separated. Dogs are social animals and love to see you (owners and pack members) pass around in front of them. Thought of abandonment is one of the major reasons that most dogs get OCD attacks.
Once your dog gets afflicted to OCD it is really hard to bring him in the main grids of life, if not impossible. Better to prevent him from getting attacked by such a crucial behavioral problem than to cure. The more you let him play off the leash, the more you expose him to exercises, better for him. Tired dogs usually do not develop OCD, since they are content. Play fetch with him. Treat him as a member of your family and make feel being loved.
Check out my posts on:
Dog's Emotion
Dog Care Tips
An Un-Happy Celebration
My poor hound-mutt, Eddie (short for Edward J. Snuggle-Bottom Pants-Man, III) is already having a terrible 4th of July weekend. To be fair, Eddie is an extreme case; he's a rescue and x-rays have confirmed that he was shot several times. The bullets are buried deep in his backside, but his fragile mental state is plainly obvious.
Like many fears Eddie's "consistent concern" with noises has grown to include any loud noises. A big gust of wind is enough to put him on high alert, but fireworks are the worst and I pay special attention to Eddie each year as the Fourth of July nears.
The climate of San Francisco is virtually thunder-storm free, but if it were not I would likely consult with Eddie's veterinarian and begin the process of finding him the right anti-anxiety medication. As it is, the incidents are fairly isolated and we have gotten by with the following routine:
Like many sound-phobic dogs Eddie is prone to pacing. While confinement can exacerbate the panic response (they feel stuck), many dogs do well having access to a small den in a dark room. Eddie does best when confined to the back of the house in a small room with little light and his crate open and available to him. Some dogs also enjoy a small fan or a radio.
In the days leading up to the Fourth of July there are often single firecrackers that go off. For each of these Eddie gets a huge surprise delivery of broiled chicken (about 1/2 cup of 1" pieces). In fact I often don't feed him much in the days preceding the 4th except his a light kong (his usual meal stuffed into a rubber toy and frozen) and the "Noisy-Snacks!" Eddie gets these "room-service" style, meaning: he doesn't have to do anything for them, I bring them to him.
While it is tempting to hold, pet and sooth my terrified dog with sweet words, this has never helped. In fact it actually seems to make things worse. So I must put aside my urge to comfort as a human being and just do my best to make him believe that noises bring snacks. Incidentally these "Noisy-Snacks" are special to this time of year and that seems to really help. As does getting an early start.
In preparation for the big celebration, Eddie fasts all day (with the exception of a few pieces of chicken for the early booms, whizzes and pops). that evening I usually give Eddie a nice big frozen Kong stuffed with rice and hamburger and cheese and small chunks of pig's ears. This is all carefully layered into Eddie's Extra-Large Kong and frozen that morning. At the first pop that evening I deliver Eddie his Kong into the crate and turn on some music -(Eddie likes Johnny Cash & Patsy Cline). I deliver additional Noisy-Snacks for outstanding sounds, but otherwise I leave Eddie alone.
He usually has some soft stool the next day (either from the stress of the food, I'm not sure) and is on-edge for about a week. Still that's a small price to pay. If your dog panics because of loud noises, please plan to spend some time to make arrangements to help them cope with the fireworks. Take special care to make sure they are safe indoors. Too many dogs are hurt and injured each year when they panic and try to escape the scary storm of booming, popping, whizzing noises. In particularly bad cases, anti-anxiety medication can usually be prescribed by your veterinarian.
HOPEFUL FOR A HAPPY FOURTH
