Separation Anxiety

Does your dog suffer from separation anxiety?

Separation anxiety is the second most common behavior problem, aggression ranks first.  Veterinarians report that about 14% of their clients have problems with this disease.  Some dogs exhibit mild behaviors  (panting, whining, or barking), and others demonstrate more sever actions (self-mutilation, defecation, or chewing).

In difficult cases, owners must understand that their dog cannot help what he is doing.  Any form of punishment will not be effective and can make the problem worse.  Dogs with mild symptoms can be helped with the following techniques (9 and 10 are advanced behavior modification techniques):

1)    Ignore attention-seeking behaviors.  Only give attention on your terms, not because he demands it.

2)    Only offer attention and rewards when your dog is relaxed and calm.  This will reinforce calm behavior.

3)    Do not encourage anxiety by talking in a sad voice or worrying too much about your dog when you leave.  Dogs feed off their owner’s anxiety.

4)    Adopt the “nothing in life is free” philosophy.  The dog must respond to your commands before anything positive is provided in return.

5)    Ignore your dog before leaving and upon returning.  When your dog has quieted down, praise him.

6)    Discourage attachment:  Do not encourage your dog to be constantly by your side.  When you watch television, make your dog lay down on the other side of the room.

7)    Provide good leadership to give your dog a sense of order and structure.  Build your dog’s confidence by playing games, trick training, and obedience.

8)    Use counter-conditioning: Train your dog to exercise an obedience command or a trick (sit/down/shake) when leaving.  Alternate your reward system; use treats, praise, and touch) so you don’t get stuck in a new pattern.

9)    Change your departure routine.  At random times, go through rituals of leaving, but don’t leave, or leave then come back.  Put on cologne, shower, dress in work clothes, pick up your keys, then sit and read the paper.  This technique (habituation) will reduce your dog’s reaction to your departure routine.  If you pack and unpack a suitcase every day for 10 days, your dog will no longer react to the ritual.  Break existing patterns by presenting them without leaving is crucial for rehabilitation.

10) Graduated planned departures: After a week of breaking pattern behavior, leave for two minutes, then increase it to five minutes, and so on, only increasing the length of absence if no anxiety is exhibited.  This process can take weeks and or months to make a difference.

A thorough medical and behavioral consult needs to done to determine if your dog is an extreme case.  Clomipramine is currently the only FDA drug that is approved for use with canines.  For sever cases, studies show that the combination of a behavior modification program and medication increase the success of rehabilitating dogs afflicted with separation anxiety.

2008 Written by Dog Builders

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