Separation Anxiety

One of the things we love most about our canine companions is how they bond closely to us, and love us unconditionally.  Sometimes that emotional attachment becomes so great that our dog can develop a certain amount of anxiety when we leave them.   It’s not uncommon for a dog to show signs of stress when their owner leaves, and there are some things you can do to alleviate that.  With that said, Separation Anxiety can be very difficult to overcome, but through proper behavior modification it can be accomplished.  I always recommend a force free trainer to help you in these cases.

How do you know if your dog is exhibiting signs of stress?  You’ll want to examine their overall body posture.  Some common characteristics of a stressed dog is: their tail is down, their ears are back, pupils dilated, body is lowered, pacing heavily, lip licking, panting rapidly, barking or whining.  If your dog acts like this as you walk out the door and while you’re gone, then it’s possible he/she is struggling with Separation Anxiety.  Of course it can range from mild to moderate or extreme.

What can I do?  I recommend taking baby steps in these cases.  Give your dog a food stuffable toy like a Kong that has some yummy treats in it.  You can also give them safe toys, or something like a Nylabone.  Give the things your dog loves most, while you’re gone.  (As long as it’s safe)  You can also try a Thundershirt or Anxiety wrap for your dog.  In some cases that can be beneficial.  Very soothing, calming music has been proven effective.  There are many good options to choose from created especially for dogs, and you can pop that in your CD player and play that as you’re gone.  Before you do that, play the CD while you’re in your dog’s presence to create a positive association and see how your dog reacts.

Before you exit the house, give your dog his favorite toys and put on the music.  When you leave it’s important not to make a big deal about it.  Simply get up and calmly walk out the door without saying a word.  Dogs are very observant, and there are often triggers that set off a reaction.  It could be that when they see you pick up your keys, their stress level goes up.  In the early going, desensitize your dog to these triggers.  If it’s your keys, pick them up throughout the day, and don’t leave the house.  After many repetitions your dog will learn picking up the keys is irrelevant.

If your dog shows signs of stress only when you leave, but not when your spouse or child leaves, it may help to have them stay with the dog in the early stages of the training while you exit the house.  Again we’re trying to ease the dog into being okay with you being gone.  The first time you leave the house I would suggest leaving for 30 seconds and then come back inside.  You can listen outside for any signs of stress like barking or whining.   Build up the time that you’re gone slowly if your dog is adjusting well.  Add a minute to your departure time the next time around and see how they do.   As success is achieved, add more time.  See if you can build up to being gone for a couple hours without your dog showing signs of stress. It may help to set up a video camera so you can monitor your dog’s reaction while you’re gone.  If your dog is exhibiting stress as you increase the time that means you’re going too fast.  Drop the amount of time you’re gone for starters and see how they do.

In some extreme cases you may want to start by desensitizing your dog indoors.  For instance, maybe you have your dog in one room and you’re in another room for a while.  If necessary setup a baby gate so your dog can see you but can’t get to you in the early stages.  This will ease their tension and get them used to being apart from you to some degree.  Gradually work up to being in other areas of the house until your dog shows no signs of stress.  Then you can work on leaving the house as described earlier.

Again this is a very complicated issue and in many instances it takes a long time to overcome.  Be patient, don’t rush, and before you know it you’ll be able to leave the house knowing your dog is stress free.