Separation Anxiety in Dogs: Part 2

The previous blog gave an overview of separation anxiety in dogs and its possible cause. This blog will focus on how dogs display separation anxiety.

Presentation

Unwanted behavioral signs of separation anxiety are only seen when the owner is absent, or when the dog is prevented from being close to the owner (at night, for instance). Under such circumstances, a needy dog is in a high state of anxiety because she wants to be with her owner and is prevented from doing so. Dogs, like people, cannot stay in a high state of anxiety for long, and must do something to relieve the tension.

To reduce the tension, dogs may engage in destructive behavior, house soiling, and distress vocalization. Other signs may include a reduced activity level, depression, loss of appetite, ritualized pacing, aggression when the owner leaves (mouthing, growling, nipping, or body blocking), excessive grooming, diarrhea, vomiting, panting and salivation. Signs of over-attachment when the owner is home include excessive following behavior, anxious behaviors associated with signals that the owner is preparing to depart, and exuberant greetings.

Excessive chewing, digging and scratching tends to occur in areas near doors and windows (“barrier frustration”). Damage in such areas is virtually diagnostic of separation anxiety. These areas represent exit routes for the dog as it attempts to reunite herself with the owner or, at least, to escape the loneliness. If the dog is confined to a crate, or its movements are restricted by a gate, destruction is usually centered around the crate door or the gate itself. The dog may seriously injure itself during these escape attempts. Attempts to free itself from barriers may result in broken nails or teeth, a bloody mouth, or more extensive injuries from tearing through glass and wood. Dogs may also destroy property that carries the owner’s scent, such as bedding, furniture, clothing, or shoes.

Barking, howling and whining are other common signs of separation anxiety. Distress vocalization and active seeking behavior occur when many social animals are separated from their companions. Such distress vocalizations represent the dog’s attempt to reunite the social unit. Excessive vocalization may occur primarily at the time of the owner’s departure or may continue throughout the duration of the owner’s absence. Owners are often unaware that their dog is distressed by the departure and it is only when neighbors complain about the excessive barking or howling that they become aware that their dog has a separation problem.

Dogs with separation anxiety may become so distressed in their owners’ absence that they urinate or defecate in the house. When this occurs only in the owner’s absence, such “inappropriate” elimination is not indicative of a loss of house training but rather is a physiological response to the extreme distress the dog is experiencing from being alone. House soiling typically occurs within 30 minutes of the owner’s departure as the dog becomes more anxious.

The first step in treating separation anxiety is to break the cycle of anxiety. Every time a dog with separation anxiety becomes anxious when its owner leaves, the distress it feels is reinforced until it becomes absolutely frantic every time the dog is left alone.

The next blog will focus on treatment and behavior modification for separation anxiety in dogs.

Separation Anxiety in Dogs Part 1

Separation Anxiety in Dogs Part 1

Posted June 14th, 2012 by Ritzy

Tagged and categorized as: Calming For Dogs
, Anxiety, Dogs, part, Separation

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Separation Anxiety in Dogs: Part 5Behavior Modification for Departures

The intention of this blog is to give you some training ideas for a dog with separation anxiety.

Many owners erroneously feel that if separation is so stressful, then they should spend more time with their dog before leaving. Unfortunately this often exacerbates the condition. Everyone in the family should ignore the dog for 15 to 20 minutes before leaving the house and for at least 10 to 20 minutes after returning home. Alternatively, your leaving can be made a highlight of your dog’s day by making it a “happy time” and the time at which she is fed. Departures should be quick and quiet. When departures (and returns) generate less anxiety (and excitement), your dog will begin to feel less tension in your absence. Remember to reward calm behavior.

You should attempt to randomize the cues indicating that you are preparing to leave. Changing the cues may take some trial and error. Some cues mean nothing to a dog, while others trigger anxiety.

Make a list of the things you normally do before leaving for the day (and anxiety occurs) and the things done before a short time out (and no anxiety occurs).Then mix up the cues. For example, if your dog is fine when you go downstairs to do the laundry, you can try taking the laundry basket with you when you leave for work. If your dog becomes anxious when you pick up your keys or put on a coat, you should practice these things when you are not really leaving. You can, for example, stand up, put on a coat or pick up your car keys during television commercials, and then sit down again. You can also open and shut doors while you are home when you do not intend to leave. Entering and exiting through various doors you leave and return can also mix up cues for your dog.

When you are actually leaving, you should try not to give any cues to this effect. Leave your coat in the car and put your keys in the ignition well before leaving. It is important to randomize all the cues indicating departure (clothing, physical and vocal signals, interactions with family members, other pets, and so on).

Another technique:

The planned departure technique can be very effective for some dogs. This program is recommended only under special circumstances because it requires that you never leave your dog alone during the entire retraining period, which can be weeks or months.

Timing is everything when implementing this program. If your dog shows signs of anxiety (pacing, panting, barking excessively) the instant you walk out of the door, you should stand outside the door and wait until your dog is quiet for three seconds. Then go back inside quickly and reward your dog for being calm. If you return WHEN your dog is anxious, this reinforces your dog’s tendency to display the behavior because it has the desired effect of reuniting the “pack” members. The goal is for your dog to connect being calm and relaxed with your return. Gradually work up to slightly longer departures 5 to 10 minutes as long as your dog remains quiet, and continue in this fashion. Eventually, you should be able to leave for the day without your dog becoming anxious when you depart. When performed correctly, this program can be very helpful in resolving separation anxiety.

Separation Anxiety in Dogs: Part 1

Dogs are social animals that form strong bonds with people, so it is not surprising that they may feel somewhat anxious when separated from their social group. Most dogs adapt well to the typical daily separation from their owners. Unfortunately, problems can arise when an overly dependent dog develops a dysfunctionally strong attachment to its owners. The dog with separation anxiety is distinguished by signs of distress when left alone and over-attachment when the owner is present.

Separation anxiety may be manifested as destruction of the owner’s property and other behaviors that may be harmful for the dog or annoying for people sharing the dog’s immediate environment.

It is important to realize that dogs with separation anxiety are not doing these things to get even with the owner for leaving, out of boredom, or due to lack of obedience training. These dogs are not being destructive out of “spite” or “anger”. They are truly distressed when left behind.

Consider instead that the dog’s dependence on the owner is so great that it becomes anxious when the owner leaves. The dog must find an outlet for this anxiety, and its methods of doing so may cause considerable damage. Also consider that, no matter how flattering a dog’s constant attention to its owners may seem, it is not fair to the dog to allow it to be so stressed by the owner’s absence that it must resort to one of these unwanted behaviors to alleviate inner tension.

For some dogs, the anxiety associated with being left alone becomes evident to their owners soon after they join the household. In some cases, dogs may be genetically predisposed to anxiety but inappropriate or insufficient socialization experiences during the puppyhood is the most likely cause. For some dogs, no initiating trigger can be identified. Symptoms of separation anxiety may develop gradually over time or may appear in full-blown form the first time they are left alone.

The onset of separation anxiety sometimes occurs after the dog is exposed to an experience that disrupts its social bond. This can occur when owners board the dog for vacation or change their work schedule. It may also occur when a household member leaves or dies, or when the dog is relocated to a new house or household.

Overly indulgent owners may promote separation distress in predisposed dogs. Owners of dogs that show separation distress are often nurturing, empathetic people who indulge their dog. They allow the dog to follow them around the house and encourage the exuberant welcome the dog gives them when they return home. Somewhat less-nurturing (but by no means neglectful) owners may help instill independence in the dog thus circumventing the worst throes of the problem and permitting its gradual resolution.

Separation anxiety may be confused with other separation-related behavior problems that occur in the owner’s absence. A lack of stimulation leads some dogs to engage in excessive and destructive “exploring,” barking and other nuisance behavior. This type of problem does not necessarily indicate a dysfunctional bond with the owner.

Cause

It is widely held that dogs with a dysfunctional background (adopted from shelters, puppy mills, pet stores, dogs that have had multiple owners or traumatic handling early in life) are more prone to separation anxiety. Whether this is because these dogs were relinquished or abused, or whether the condition emerged after their abandonment, is not known for certain. Certainly, inadequate early socialization is a concern with puppy mill and pet store dogs, but not all dogs acquired from these facilities develop separation anxiety.

It also has been reported that mixed breed dogs appear to suffer from separation anxiety more commonly than purebred dogs. Since more mixed breed dogs are obtained from shelters than purebred dogs, this raises a question: Does exposure to a shelter environment predispose some dogs to develop separation anxiety or are more mixed breed dogs relinquished to a shelter as a result of preexisting separation related issues?

It is possible that some dogs are genetically predisposed to develop stronger than normal attachment to members of their social group. Logically, we would predict that these dogs would be more submissive in temperament. Such dogs may belong to breeds that have been genetically selected to form overly tight bonds with owners in order to perform a “job,” such as hunting or herding.

Dogs that develop separation anxiety are often young dogs. However, geriatric dogs may develop separation anxiety in response to physical discomfort accompanying old age. These dogs become less independent and more emotionally attached to the owners as a consequence of their infirmity.

How do you know if your dog has separation anxiety?

Next blog will talk more about this.

THUNDER ANXIETY - PART 2

I BRING GOOD NEWS – YOU CAN MITIGATE AND EVEN CURE YOUR DOG’S THUNDER ANXIETY – DON’T GIVE UP HOPE!

Your kit-of-tools to success is complete, you don’t need to go out and purchase anything – you already have what you need…you just have to dust off and polish up your tools a little. Your tools are – your patience, persistence, determination – your will; and a safe, comfy, not too large space for your dog to stay. We will get into the details below.

And please be further reassured – the age of your dog does not matter, puppy, teenager, adult or senior dog – all is possible.

Of my ten dog pack – primarily rescues – two of the females were severely affected by thunder and gun shots – Abby my German Shepherd x Belgian Shepherd and Tasha my Australian Shepherd. Tasha also had separation anxiety.

If the air pressure change signalled the on-set of a T-storm Abby would start to quiver, then shake, pant and then tremble so acutely – her heart beat was as if she would have a heart attack. I adopted Abby at 18 months of age – she arrived with this anxiety. Tasha would also have these physiological symptoms. They would dash about looking for a safe haven – jumping into the bath tub, wrapping around the base of a toilet, moving from one place to another in search of safety – in total panic, meltdown, shut down. With patience and the right type of care they are both much better today.

The key to stop the meltdown and shut down is to provide leadership – eventually you will see improvement. If you have not already red these two articles you will need to in order to have a full understanding of your role as guardian through the storm! Leadership, Sensitivity, Dogs and Thunderstorms Part 1

FIRST PLEASE DO NOT ANTICIPATE – PLEASE STRATEGICALLY LEAD

If, at the first sign of rain, storm, thunder – you feel any negative thought/emotion anticipation, even release a sigh – it will reinforce your dog’s reaction to the incoming storm! To help break the pattern – the association ever little bit counts. Really the first place to start is to switch your own association – switch your entire psyche to focus on work. Being your dog’s guardian, leading – it is work. When we remain in personal mode we are emotive, and this makes us ineffective as we forget to disengage from emotion. Our expectations and communication becomes clouded rather than clear. We get too close, too involved in emotion and argument. When we switch our brain to working mode our expectations are different than when we are not working. When we think work – we employ logic, we direct, we are confident and calm.

Dogs want direction not sympathy. If you see your dog start to react…ears go down, tail goes down, a shiver, a whine switch modes immediately! Don’t feel sorry; instead switch to work and action from a calm and determined perspective.

Timing as in many situations is everything. The sooner you strategically intervene the better.

Most dogs that are afraid of thunder (gun shots, fire works) go into flight mode, they run about looking desperately for somewhere safe to go. Freedom to run about only makes them more desperate.

If your dog is crate trained, calmly, confidently bring your dog to its crate, guide your dog in and close the crate door. Your dog may try to evade going into the crate – don’t feel bad – just be calm, no panic, have no second thoughts – guide your dog in. Your dog is simply struggling as they are in panic mode and are accustomed to fleeing, remember if you have an ingrained habit it is normal for you to seek fulfillment of that habit. If they have a favorite toy, you can put it in the crate too.

If your dog is not crate trained then have another small space in which you can confine your dog – the space should be large enough to fit a comfy dog bed – no bigger no smaller.

If the space, crate that you confine your dog in can be located in a quite corner within a space near where you will be, coming and going that is fine. I tend to use a crate in the kitchen or living room for this purpose. Don’t hide the dog away in some remote space – you want them to learn not to cower and hide. While you work to get them accustomed to normalizing storms they need to feel secure not sequestered.

Once your dog is in the space or crate, walk away. Don’t say anything, don’t look, don’t touch, don’t feel anything but calm. As you go through this entire process you need to think ‘thunderstorms are normal, and you, my dear dog need to get accustomed to such storms and that is it’. And then you should go about your business in a normal, relaxed fashion – forget how your dog feels and what your dog is doing. By normalizing this in your mind, by relaxing and not treating the storm as anything more you will help your dog to normalize.

Right now you may think you need to stay by your dog’s side, that you need to touch them, say affectionate things to them…but if you do these things you are telling your dog that the situation is not normal. You are reinforcing their anxiety. Just think about it. Instead if you settle them into a comfortable spot, get up and go about your business – you are saying this is normal, be normal. This is what your dog really needs. To feel from you that all is well, normal and safe.

You may be thinking – but my dogs comes to get me and expects me to be there holding her and talking to her. She only does this because it is the pattern you have set in motion – you have not shown her what else she can do – relax – you have not shown her where – in a safe, comfortable contained space. She has no other option. Give her an alternative, be patient and allow her to adjust. Give her proper direction – calm, confident logical – no playing into emotions hers or yours.

You may not see any changes the first time but be patient, just wait. This is a psychologically driven situation – patience and confidence is key. The first time you may see little change – don’t worry. Persist. Soon you will see your dog learn to calm and sleep in comfort. Eventually they will not require such confinement.

Remember your most effective tool is your own state-of-being – employ calm, confidence and logic. Lead by the right example. Don’t engage in fuss, emotion and worry – you will make your dog worried and stressed. This is all about changing your dog’s association with thunder storms and your bad habits of supporting and enabling psychological trauma with emotion.

❀ᵔᴥᵔ❀

Related Articles

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Feel free to leave a comment below – if your comment is polite, informative etc. I will publish it. If your comment is a quick question, I will answer it if time permits…

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Notes:

Please note – this article is for information purposes and is not a substitute for an in-person Session with me. When working with dogs I use many techniques – it is important to note that this article may touch on one or several techniques but not all. I select the technique that I use for a particular dog based on my observations of the dog and an intuitive, instinctive assessment of that dog’s and its human’s individual requirements. For example when I am working with a dog that is hyper sensitive and very physically reactive I will not use voice or touch. I use a lot of therapeutic touch on some dogs, others require the use of herding techniques and so on. Each and every technique must be combined with:

• an understanding of the real intelligence, sensitivity and capability of dogs;


• an understanding of how to read a dog’s face and a dog’s overall body language;


• an understanding of the full spectrum of ways that humans communicate and dogs communicate; 


• understanding and recognition of the individual that is each dog – no two dogs are the same…taking a ‘cookie cutter’ approach to techniques is not the way to work with a dog;


• a complete recognition and understanding of all the elements that feed a behaviour and create an issue:




•  the vast majority of people can only identify one or two elements…which vastly inhibits the ability to resolve behavior issues;


• behaviours do not exist in isolation – there are always many elements that feed a single behaviour, there all always multiple behaviours that create a behavioral issue;




• self-restraint and discipline on the part of the human who is directing the dog;


• sensitivity, awareness, intuition, instinct and timing on the part of the human who is directing the dog;




• to understand, connect with and adapt quickly and effectively to a dog’s learning requirements you must be able to employ the same tools a dog uses – acute sensitivity, awareness, instinct, intuition and timing;




• kindness, endurance, consideration, patience, persistence, perspective, the ability and know how to let the past go, the ability to set realistic expectations at any one point in time;


• the creation of structure, rules, boundaries and limitations for each situation at the macro and micro level;


• understanding of all the elements that make up an instruction and direction to a dog…there are multiple steps involved in an instruction – not just one!


• absolute honesty – if you cannot be honest with yourself you will not be able to communicate clearly with a dog.

These are just some of the techniques that I teach my clients – it is a holistic, all-encompassing approach. If you are missing any one element of the above mentioned your success rate will be affected to one degree or another in implementing the techniques offered in the article presented above.