Separation Anxiety
How does your pup react to being alone? Does she whine, bark, howl, paw at the crate, pace, soil herself, or become destructive? Chance are, she’s developing Separation Anxiety, which is very common among domestic dogs these days.
It’s very natural for us to become attached to our dogs and for our dogs to become very attached to us. The only difference is that when we are apart, we humans have an entire world available to us as distraction, whereas our dogs have nothing. Ideally, we should have quality time with our dogs every day and they should feel confident enough that they can remain independent while we are absent.
The most common cause of Separation Anxiety is lack of exercise and mental stimulation. Sadly, most dogs do not get enough exercise in order to allow them to relax and remain in a calm state for a period of time. Dogs are naturally more active at dusk and dawn, so these are the best times to wear them out. Start each day off with a long walk that also includes some mental stimulation, such as having the dog sit every few metres and then heel, sitting at the corner before crossing, etc... This will help exercise their mind so that when they return home, they are both physically and mentally exhausted and ready for sleep.
Boredom is another cause for Separation Anxiety but with long walks that include mental stimulation, this can be easily solved. Ensuring that your dog has training will also help her to feel like she has “a job” and will certainly help to alleviate boredom.
One of the first steps is to eliminate attention initiated by your dog; if she comes to you displaying behaviours in order to receive attention from you, ignore it until she stops and then initiate attention when she is calm. This will encourage her to find other ways to spend her time rather than depending on you.
It’s best that she has enjoyable toys to play with, that will allow her to chew or play - some toys that give her something to do when she is to be alone. For example, provide her with several interactive toys filled with a portion of her kibble before you leave home so that she has an activity to mentally stimulate her for most of the day. (This is recommended only for dogs that have completed house-training and are older than 5 months since they will need to eliminate shortly after eating).
Lastly, the most common error we make with our dogs is to make a fuss before leaving and when returning home after an absence (of even two minutes). Here are some simple guidelines to follow:
- Separate yourself from your dog while you are home by using a crate. Begin with short periods of time and gradually build in increments, only releasing your dog when she is calm and quiet. This will help teach good independent behavior in and out of your presence.
- When arriving home or leaving, downplay your departure or greeting so it doesn’t seem like anything your dog should become stressed over. Cues that show your dog that you are leaving should also be downplayed or performed in different sequences to help minimize stress putting on your coat, picking up your keys, putting on your shoes, turning off the lights, etc...).
- Accustom your dog to being alone by practicing graduated departures several times a week. Gradually increase the amount of time you are gone as your dog shows fewer signs of stress upon your departure.
New Pups:
When bringing a new dog or puppy into the house, it is often on a weekend and owners tend to spend a lot of time with and around the dog. The owner then has to return to their normal routine of work, and it comes as a shock to the dog to then be left alone.
Separation anxiety can be prevented in new young dogs with planning. Instead of constantly spending time with your new dog or puppy when he arrives home, make certain that you set aside some time that he will be left alone. This will better prepare him for his new routine, as well as let him know that you will return after being gone.
Final Note:
Before enlisting the help of a Behaviouralist or Trainer, it is wise to bring your pup to the vet for a check-up to ensure that there is no underlying condition that is causing these symptoms as some physical and behavioral problems carry similar symptoms to separation anxiety: urinary tract infections, loss of bladder control, parasites, digestive disorders, geriatric cognitive dysfunction, puppy exploration, teething, hunger, incomplete housetraining, marking behaviors, phobias, and more.
When in doubt, contact us directly and book a Behavioural Assessment.