Separation Anxiety In Dogs – How Can You Help?
Anyone who has dealt with a dog experiencing separation anxiety understands how devastating it can be. Much has been written about it and there are a few ways to help lessen your dog’s extreme anxiety, but I feel it is important to keep emphasizing the fact that there is help for these dogs.
Shortly after adopting my dog Maia, I started noticing signs of this condition. Lucky for me, she has a fairly minor case involving mostly barking, but some dogs will literally tear up a house if left alone for any length of time.
It seems to be the case that most separation anxiety appears to be exhibited in dogs who are rescued from a noisy shelter or have been totally deprived of any attention or placed from one family to another. Something else that could cause separation anxiety is when there is a traumatic event in a dog’s life while it is alone, such as a an earthquake or even being tormented by neighborhood kids throwing rocks or sticks at your dog. This sort of traumatic event will then be connected with being left alone and could show up as separation anxiety.
I was given my dog Maia to me by a couple who were moving into a home where dogs were not allowed. She obviously had a strong attachment to the couple. It was heart-wrenching to watch her go from window to window, expecting her people to come back for her. Eventually she seemed to accept that this was her new home and became very bonded with me. Maia was about two at the time I adopted her. Although I have no idea what her early life was like, being left by her family seemed to make her worry that I too, would abandon her. She goes almost everywhere with me since I run my own mobile dog grooming business.
Here are a few signs of possible separation anxiety:
1. barking or howling when left alone
2. scratching at doors and windows
3. destroying furniture or other items in the house
4. eliminating in the house even though they never do it any other time
5. frantically running in a state of panic through the house
Outside dogs may even escape from an “escape-proof” yard.
Dogs are pack animals and feel the need to be with other living creatures, whether they be people, other dogs or even a different species. However, with separation anxiety, it does not always help to have a canine companion for your dog. Even when I leave Maia with her best pal, Buster, she is more concerned with why I am not there with her, or that she is not with me.
Don’t give up on your dog if he is in the grips of separation anxiety. Although it takes consistency and patience, you can help lessen the overwhelming anxiety.
The first thing you can do is give your dog some exercise before you have to leave. Go for a walk, toss a ball, work on learning a new trick.
Then, set aside a chunk of time as often as possible to help your dog learn to accept your absense. You can start out by working entirely within the home. If your dog does not like being separated from you at all, start by calmly entering a room by yourself and closing the door. Only stay in there for a few seconds and then come out, walk down the hall, maybe go into another room and close the door, wait a few seconds, come out and continue doing this for several minutes. Try to be oblivious to your dog’s antics as she tries to get your attention. If you can, try to time when you open the door with the second or two your dog is calm or quiet, rewarding that behavior by reuniting with her.
Once you see some positive results from working inside, try going outside for a few seconds at a time, shutting the door between you and your dog. Keep the time you are gone to a minimum and keep it very low key., even if you are seeing a huge change in your dog and are excited about it. Making a big deal over her progress may only backfire because she has finally learned to be calm and then you go and get her all excited again. Try to avoid that. What you are working toward is a totally uneventful coming and going. Eventually, make the “away” time longer and longer.
You should never get in an excited state when leaving your dog. You can say the same thing every time, such as “see you later”, and maybe leave a special toy for your dog as you leave, but make it as calm, quiet and casual a departure as possible.
I would not recommend giving your dog a sedative, mainly because occasionally sedatives can have side effects and can possibly even make your dog worse.
There are, however, tools you can use in conjunction with the training process. One such tool is the Thundershirt Anxiety Treatment Wrap. Another is the Original Anxiety Wrap for dogs. Both of these are a type of shirt fitting snugly around a dog to exert deep touch pressure on the nervous system, creating a calm demeanor. The anxiety wrap may not completely eliminate the extreme anxiety in your dog, but it should greatly reduce it if used with the training.
Try to be patient with your extremely anxious dog. If you would like more help, seek out a trainer or dog behaviorist in your area.
Related Blogs
Mail this post
Tags: how to help dog overcome separation anxiety, separation anxiety, separation anxiety in dogs, symptoms of separation anxiety