Separation anxiety is a common problem encountered by many owners and their dogs. Simply defined, separation anxiety is when a dog is very anxious when left alone. Separation anxiety can present itself in many different ways including chewing, destroying property, excessive barking, self destructive behavior and inappropriate urination and defecation.
Dogs suffering from separation anxiety often whine, bark, cry, howl, dig, excessively lick themselves, have housebreaking accidents, chew and scratch at the door the entire time their owners are away. Well meaning owners often unknowingly encourage this misbehavior by rushing home to reassure their dog, but it is important for the well being of both the dog and the owner that the dog learns to deal with extended periods of separation.
Teach your dog to be independent. Do this by discouraging your dog from constantly following you around like a shadow. Train your dog to remain in a down stay position while you move freely around the house. Start off by leaving the room your dog is in for a few minutes and then returning. Slowly lengthen the times that you are in a different area of the house separating you from your dog. This will help with separation anxiety because you are building your dogs confidence. Your dog is learning to be alone yet he still has the reassurance that you are nearby and will return shortly.
When you do leave your house, how you go about leaving the house often contributes to separation anxiety issues. Do not make a big deal about leaving or returning home. If you act apologetic about leaving your dog, this can actually make your dog more anxious. A long and drawn out farewell with kisses and tearful goodbyes can makes matters worse by making your dog feel even more isolated when you finally do leave. Long farewells can also get your dog excited and then leave them with lots of excess energy and no way to work it off. Excited, isolated dogs often work off their excess energy in destructive ways such as chewing furniture or digging in the yard.
Excess energy is often mistaken for separation anxiety since the results are often the same. If you think that excess amounts of energy may be the problem, try giving your dog more exercise before you leave and see if that eliminates the problem.
If separation anxiety is the true problem, it is important to address the root causes of that anxiety. To prevent separation anxiety from occurring, it is important for your dog to feel happy, safe, secure and comfortable while you are away for the day. It is also important to give your dog plenty of things to do to stay occupied while you are away. This means providing lots of toys such as balls, Kong’s, or chew toys. A pet companion can also be effective at relieving separation anxiety. Giving your dog a playmate such as another dog or a cat is an alternative to help your dog cope with the stress of being left alone.
Schedule play time or exercise before your departure and give your dog your undivided attention. Providing your dog with sufficient attention and exercise is a proven way to avoid a stressed and anxious dog. Be sure that you give your dog some time to settle down after playtime or exercise before you leave. A happy dog that has been well exercised and well conditioned will generally sleep away the time that their owner is away. A tired dog is a good dog.
For dogs that are experiencing separation anxiety and associated misbehaviors it is important to get the dog accustomed to your leaving gradually. Leave your dog home alone for periods of time starting immediately. Practice leaving and returning at irregular intervals several times a day. If possible, start out with short departures and increase them gradually. Ideally, if possible, gradually build up to the full amount of time you will be away due to your work or school schedule. Doing this will get your dog accustomed to your departures and help them realize that you are not leaving them forever. Dogs that have been previously lost or those who have been surrendered to shelters and readopted often have the worst problems with separation anxiety. Part of treating this disorder is teaching your dog that you leaving is not permanent.
If you return home to accidents or damage to your house, this can be upsetting and the clean up will rank very low in the fun department. It is very important to not discipline or scold your dog for the behaviors committed while you were out. If you do, the separation anxiety may become worse because now your dog is worried about you being gone and worried about you returning home.
If your dog is crate trained, use your dog’s crate to deal with separation anxiety. Crate training is particularly useful if your dog chews or gets into mischief while he is home alone. For more information about crate training please review the article titled “Crate Training Your Dog”.
Remember, it is always much easier to prevent unwanted behavior then it is to correct bad behavior.
