Separation Anxiety in Dogs

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Separation anxiety is the result of the dog feeling abandoned and therefore fearful when left alone.

When a dog suffers from separation anxiety these disruptive behaviors generally begin shortly after their owner has left the home. We will pinpoint the behaviors that can be a sign of separation anxiety below. Remember each behavior on its own if done in front of the owner, could be a training issue. The key is if these behaviors occur for the most part when the pet is left alone.

A common issue that pet owners face is separation anxiety. Upon leaving their pet alone the animal displays anxious behavior such as being destructive, chewing, clawing, barking, urinating, defecating and/or trying to escape the house or their enclosure.

Attempts to escape can be serious, causing self harm and serious house damage. Further signs that the animal is suffering separation anxiety is that while you are preparing to leave, the dog may start drooling, becoming nervous and panicky or appearing to become depressed. Although some of these behaviors could simply be a symptom of poor training, quite often they are signs of separation anxiety.

A dog with separation anxiety may try to escape the home or its enclosure when left alone. This is done by biting, clawing, and tearing at the door or windows, or any other barrier. This behavior can often lead to injury to the dog, such as broken nails, teeths, cuts and abrasions to the front paws
self-inflicting-damage-separation-anxietyEfforts To Escape
A dog with separation anxiety may try to escape the home or its enclosure when left alone. This is done by biting, clawing, and tearing at the door or windows, or any other barrier. This behavior can often lead to injury to the dog, such as broken nails, teeth, cuts and abrasions to the front paws.
 
 
 
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Chewing And Clawing
Again dogs need to be taught what are their toys and what is off limits. But dogs with separation anxiety will often upon the owner leaving them alone proceed to destroy household objects such as rugs, pillows, floors, cabinets, doors and window frames, ect.
 
 
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Urinating And Defecating
Some dogs although house broken under regular circumstance will urinate and/or defecate when their owner leaves them alone, even if it is just for a short amount of time.
 
 
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Barking And Howling
The dog will bark and/or howl with no provocation and for long periods of time when left alone.
 
 
Pacing
Another behavior often seen in dogs with separation anxiety is severe pacing when left alone. This pacing is usually in a fixed pattern, either back and forth or in circles.
 
 
Coprophagia
Some dogs will defecate and then eat their excrement. If this disorder is from separation anxiety, it will only occur when the dog is left alone.
 
 
A Change of Residence or House Members
Moving to a new home or the removal of a house member can cause separation anxiety.
Causes Of Separation Anxiety
Any dog can develop separation anxiety, but the condition seems to be more common in pets who have been given up by their owner to a shelter or new family. In some cases the animal has been moved to multiple homes and shelters.
 

Many of the above conditions can be caused by reasons beside separation anxiety.
It is important to rule out any other causes for these behaviors.

 
Medical Causes For Incontinence

Urinary tract infections, a weak sphincter, hormone issues caused by spay surgery, abnormalities in the genitalia, diabetes, kidney disease, bladder stones and old age are some of the reason a pet may suffer from incontinence. Medications can also cause uncontrollable and frequent urination. If your pet is on any medications, check with your veterinarian as to whether any of the pets medications or any health issue could be causing the problem.

Identify The Cause
There are further reasons some of the before mentioned behaviors can arise other than from separation anxiety and medical issues. We will list some of the other causes for these behaviors listed above.  It is important to identify clearly if your dog is suffering from separation anxiety and not a medical problem as before mentioned or a behavioral problem stemming from training issues.
 
 
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Uncontrolled Urination
Unwanted urination can sometimes be attributed to excitement and feelings of submission. If submissive behavior is the cause, certain body postures will be associated with it, such as rolling over, crouching, flattening the ears back, holding the tail low.
 
 
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Poor House Training
A dog could be in need of further house training. A dogs training may have been inconsistent or incomplete.
 
 
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Marking Territory Through Urination
Some dogs, males and sometimes females will urinate on vertical objects in order to mark their territory.
 
 
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Destructive Behavior
Young dogs can often be destructive by chewing and digging when left alone, but are often destructive in front of their owners also do to poor or incomplete training.
 
 
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Barking and Howling
Dogs will often bark and howl at stimuli in their environment. Sometimes the barking can be excessive. This type of barking will often take place when the animal is with its owner or alone.
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Mental Stimulation
Dogs need things to keep them entertained both mentally and physically. A bored dog is not an anxious dog, but can often show many of the above mentioned behaviors that are displayed from separation anxiety.

Although all these behaviors can be very difficult for the pet as well as the owner, there are solutions that can work to alter these behaviors. Once you have determined that your pet is suffering from separation anxiety and not poor training or any medical issues, there are techniques that can be used to help your pet accept the periods of time you are away from home and to help him or her to remain calm and peaceful until your return.

 The most important thing is to get your dog in to a calm condition, where the animal will feel safe, and loved. Therefore never use punishment as a way of treating this problem. Punishment will only prove to make your pet more anxious and more fearful.
 
Mild Separation Anxiety
Counter conditioning can used to treat mild separation anxiety. The idea behind counter conditioning is to change the thing, or situation that the dog finds fearful and unpleasant into something that the dog associates with good things that the dog likes.
 
A dog with mild separation anxiety has a fear of being left alone and abandoned by the animals owner. Therefore you want to change that experience for the dog in to something he or she can associate with something good, such as food or a special treat. There are puzzle toys such as A Kong ® toy that holds food inside of it. It can take up to 20 to 30 minutes for the dog to remove the treat from the toy. This method only works as a treatment on its own if the separation anxiety is mild.
 
If the anxiety is severe the dog will not be able to eat.
 
Below is a list of activities that can help counteract your dogs anxiety issues.
 
Regular Exercise
With mild to severe separation anxiety, exercise will go far
to help the condition. Most dogs behavior will benefit greatly by giving your pet plenty of physical and mental stimulation. Aerobic activities such as running or swimming will improve your dogs mental as well as physical health and greatly decrease the dogs stress level. Exercises your pet for at least 30 minutes before you have to leave the animal alone, this will help him or her have less excess energy to spend in disruptive pursuits.
 
 
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Games
Play games with your dog such as fetch and tug-of-war. Mental stimulation can be very effective at releasing an active dogs energy. Toys, puzzles or even short training sessions to brush up on your pups skills can help relieve excess energy.
 
 
Training Classes
Enroll yourself and your dog in reward based obedience classes. These classes can be a time for bonding with your pet. Most dogs find these classes enjoyable and mentally stimulating. A dog that understands what you need from him or her will be a happier pet, and you will be a happier pet owner.
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Daily Outings
Your dog will enjoy daily walks and outings, especially try taking new and different routes each day with your dog.
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Socialization
If you find your dog enjoys spending time with other dogs, you may want to set up play dates with friends who have a dog or take your pet to a dog park for fun.
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Toys
Be sure to have different types of chew toys for your dog, from edible to inedible. Make these toys available especially when your dog is alone. These types of toys along with the before mentioned puzzle toys (that hold food treats inside) will go along way to keep your dog calm and entertained when you are away from home.
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“Hiding” Games
Another trick to keep your pet engaged while you are away from home is to hide treats in places he or she can find them. If you use this game be sure to put the treat in places that the dog does not have to dig or scratch for the item, so as not to encourage any destructive behavior.
 Moderate To Severe Separation Anxiety
When the separation anxiety is more serious, other methods along with counterconditioning must be utilized. A dog must be desensitized through many short separations, and by gradually increasing durations of absence over many weeks. This technique together with counterconditioning should in time help prepare your pet to stay home alone for longer and longer periods.
 
Counter Conditioning
Counter conditioning and desensitization will take patience and understanding to accomplish successfully. A trained and experienced professional can also be brought into help. Be sure though if you reach out to a consultant, that they are a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB or ACAAB) or a board-certified veterinary behaviorists (DipACVB).
 
Pre-departure Preparation
Some dogs start getting anxious when they observe their owner preparing to leave.
 
Triggers for your pet’s anxiety may be the actions they see you do before departing. These triggers may be dressing, putting on makeup, gathering your purse, brief case, keys, putting on a coat or shoes, ect. If your pet begins panting, pacing, drooling or crying, he or she is most likely displaying predeparture anxiety. In order to start alleviating this fear, you can begin going through these actions but after completing some of them do not leave the home. After preforming these actions give the dog a treat and go sit down to watch TV or do anything around the house. Remember it took your dog years to understand the signs of an imminent departure, so therefore it will take many fake departures to break this cycle for the dog. Plan to do this many times a day for many weeks, until you see the dog is not displaying anxiety during these tasks.
 
Crate Training
Some dogs feel safe in a crate when you are away from home. It is important first to figure out if your dog is comfortable in a crate before you ever leave him alone in one. Introduce the crate to the dog, putting a bed inside (and water) and leaving the door open. You can invite him or her to enter the crate and even put a snack inside or a toy, see if the dog is willing to go into the crate. Over a few days and only when you a re at home, you can have
your pet go into the crate while you do other things around the house.
 
You can also try closing the crate and seeing how he reacts to that while you are at home. If you find your dog likes being in the crate, you can try using the crate during your test outings. It is possible the dog will find the crate a comforting place. You will easily be able to determine whether a crate is a good option for your pet by how he or she is reacting to the crate.
 
Short Absences
Once you notice that your dog is handling his anxiety about you leaving, you can move onto short trips out of the house. Even fake trips would be a good beginning step, such as walking outside and returning in a few minutes, or getting into your car and driving around the block and returning.
 
Remember to use the counter conditioning techniques we have described of giving your dog a treat as you are leaving, or better yet a puzzle toy that holds snacks in it. You may also want to leave the surprise treats around the house, so that the dog has something to do while you are gone. You should if possible, exercise the dog for at least 30 minutes before your departure. If you are having success countering your pets anxiety during pre-departure and the very short trips out, you may want to begin leaving for 15 to 30 minutes at a time.
 
Remain Calm
Since coming and going are both high anxiety experiences for your pet, it is always good to have a very calm and quiet exit as well as keeping your return at a very low level. Try not to make a big show of coming in and saying hello. Your dog will be very excited to see you and your natural response is to match that excitement, but instead co me in calmly, with very little fanfare. If the dog remains excited, it may help to go through some training
exercises with him or her to distract from your arrival, such as sitting, staying, paw shaking, ect. This all begins taking that excitement and anxiety out of the coming and going process.
 
Increasing Alone Time
Forty minutes after you leave is often a trigger point were dogs will become very anxious, therefore you want to gradually increase the duration of your absences over many weeks.
 
Once you find that your dog is handling 40 minute absences without showing the signs ofanxiety, you can begin slowly increasing to 90 minutes. You will find that after the dog is accepting 90 minutes absences, you can start leaving him or her for up to four hours, slowly increasing to eight hours a day.
 
During The Treatment
Helping your pet overcome separation anxiety is not an easy process and takes time. Many of us have jobs and obligation out of the home. During this conditioning period you may need to find alternate ways to care for the dog in your absence. Ask a family member or friend to sit for your dog. If there is no one who can come to your home, you can opt to bring the dog to their home, or hire a dog sitter or bring the dog to a doggy daycare.
 
Medications For Anxiety
You can explore medications for anxiety with your veterinarian. Medications can sometime be useful, especially with severe separation anxiety. The medication can be used along with the behavior modification techniques explained here. Eventually you can wean the dog off the medications as the behavior modifications takes root. Some people find using the two tools together makes the process easier on the pet. These options should be discussed with a professional prior to use.