Separation Anxiety

Often times, we have an inkling that our dogs may be a little anxious. Maybe they follow us around as we get ready for work, or perhaps you’ve come home to find shredded crate liners, blankets or rearranged pillows. We tend to see the biggest, obvious signs of anxiety when we begin to observe elimination in the house- peeing and pooping for a “house trained” pet, or major destruction- chewing window or door frames, shredding couches, and bending crate doors even to the point of injuring the dog.  Sometimes it all comes down to receiving a note from a neighbor about our dogs’ barking or howling while we are away. Whew! As stressed as the dog may be, that usually just adds more stress on the owner too.

First Step: Access and Work with a Professional

Effectively alleviating stress for a dog that is exhibiting separation anxiety, or anxious behavior, really starts with assessing the severity of the issue and gathering a thorough history of the dog’s behavior; ruling out any medical causes, if this seems to have a quick onset; and also getting clear about the relationship between the owners and the dog. 

There are typically two “types” of separation anxiety. One in which the dog is closely bonded with 1or 2 individuals, and when these folks aren’t around, the dog is stressed, even if the dog is left with people or other animals. A second “type” of separation anxiety is usually where the dog seems phobic of just being alone.  In this scenario, if the dog has company, be it animal or human, they usually appear to be “fine”. In some cases, getting your dog an animal buddy can help, as a form of social enrichment.

Second Step: To Medicate or Not to Medicate?

Medication, in some cases, can help a dog deal with the emotional roller coaster of being left alone, while the owners are attempting behavior modification. Ideally, the dog is weaned off of medication in 8-12 months as we begin to see improvement. 

Third Step: Try These Helpful Tips 

1. More enrichment!
Give your dog more mental stimulation and activities that the dog enjoys- sniffing, walks in the park, chewing, digging, hiking, and foraging for food from interactive toys.

**Leave your dog with multiple chewies or food stuffed toys when you leave the home. **

2. Confinement- Is it “Working” or Causing More Stress?
In some cases, the dog may simply have confinement phobia or is just not used to being confined.  Try eliminating the use of a crate and creating a larger confinement space, like a kitchen or a bedroom. This can make a huge difference in your pet’s behavior.

3. Ignore, Ignore, Ignore Attention Seeking and Clingy Behavior.
This is one I can’t stress enough!  Many times with our new puppies or newly adopted dogs, we spend extra time off from work with them for a few days and then boom- we’re gone- back to work and our daily routine. In many dogs, there is a predisposition to anxiety and then we add stress and voila- the dog can’t cope. In a nut shell, play it cool with your pup!

 That doesn’t mean being the “ice queen”, but really, if you are less reactive -avoiding eye contact, not responding when a dog is barking at you, pawing at you, leaning, or licking you, you are likely to have a dog whose attention seeking behaviors are not reinforced. This all goes back to the dog-human dynamic, and many dogs that I see presenting with anxiety issues, tend to have a LOT of attention seeking behaviors. The more we react to them by reinforcing the behavior, the more we’re communicating to the dog that we need them to protect and defend us, our home and possessions.  This can be quite an overwhelming job for most dogs, so again, playing it cool is the way to go!

 There are many different tips, tricks and techniques to experiment with in regard to your dog’s anxious behavior, but working with a professional is the best place to start!  

**Leigh Siegfried of Opportunity Barks Behavior & Training will be offering private training and behavioral consultations at Paws, Purrs and Exotics Animal Hospital located at 133 South Peyton Street in Old Town Alexandria. Please visit our website at www.pawspurrsandexotics.com for schedule and information on how to sign up for services.