Just as the name suggests, separation anxiety is an anxiety disorder which causes various typical problem behaviours when the dog is left alone. It's definition is a state of intense panic brought on by the dog’s isolation or separation from his owners.
Dogs are social animals and need plenty of company and social interaction to keep them happy and content. No dog likes to be left alone for long periods of time but some dogs cope a lot worse than others and these are the dogs most prone to separation anxiety.
Dogs suffering from separation anxiety form new bonds readily, but there is a desperate, clinging quality to the attachments, and great distress when left alone.
These dogs quickly learn your routines when you are preparing to leave, and display hyper vigilance and rising anxiety as the departure approaches. Upon being left alone, these dogs may vocalise, urinate, defecate, destroy objects, or even aggressively attack you as you attempt to leave. The severity of these behaviours, which, and how many occur, varies widely among individuals and breeds.
Adopted strays or rescued dogs may begin to display both the extreme attachment and the anxiety about being left almost immediately after acquiring a new home - usually within the first week.
For a behaviourist or trainer familiar with separation anxiety, it is relatively clear in these cases what is going on. If the new owner is willing to work with the
dog, the prognosis is good. De-sensitisation and counter-conditioning are so effective that
you can honestly call this problem 99% solvable.
Your dog has good, established habits and has been totally reliable. He suddenly starts showing undesirable behaviours when left alone. You start to wonder what's going on. Is he bored? Has he been spoiled? Is he unwell?
In cases like this, separation anxiety is normally the last thing that anyone suspects because it just doesn't seem likely. However, if the behaviour fits the pattern of separation anxiety, chances are, it is separation anxiety. It is worth considering the following:
Dogs whose anxiety stems from grief over the loss of a companion may simply be mourning their loss and experiencing
loneliness - but they might also be anxious about the disappearance of those they love.
Many experienced dog people recommend that if a family member dies (including companion animals) that the dog be given an opportunity to see, smell and touch the body.
Loneliness is a problem that can be addressed by an owner sensitive to the dog's need for companionship, but the grieving process is normal and will pass in time.
Anxiety that seems to result from disruption or moving will diminish as new routines are established.
De-sensitising and counter-conditioning will contribute to the dog's sense of security.
Before beginning to work with separation anxiety, it is important that you understand that a dog driven by anxiety to destructiveness, toileting in the house or frantic barking/howling/whining is not able to control these behaviours! Therefore, it is not a problem to be solved by punishment! It is absolutely critical to lower the dog's distress before he can learn acceptable behaviours.
To do this requires the following process of de-sensitising the dog to your departures, and to being alone. Once some progress has been made, counter-conditioning - that is, teaching the dog to do something when he is left alone that precludes his anxious, destructive or vocal behaviour - can begin to change the way the dog feels about being alone.
Although your best course of action is to find a professional trainer to visit your home and evaluate the situation, it does sound a lot like separation anxiety. There is a step-by-step protocol for separation anxiety. It entails getting your dog used to your departures and returns. A professional trainer can show you how this is done.
Normally it takes a dog thirty or so days to acclimate to a new environment. Since dogs thrive on routines with positive outcomes and their being able to predict daily occurrences, you may find the situation improving as
he gets use to your lifestyle and relaxes more and more. You can help speed this process along by trying to maintain a daily routine of quality times that include training (which will help the bonding process, build trust and instill confidence), exercise and just hanging out together. Massaging your dog while you both relax will really help.
Your first course of action should be to set up a safe environment so that your dog can't injure himself in his distress or destroy any of your belongings. This is essential for those times when you must leave before the de-sensitising process has been completed.
Crating a dog with separation anxiety quite often makes his panic worse and he risks injuring himself in his frantic attempts to escape. It is a good idea to train him to accept a crate in the long term but do not use one in the beginning. It is better to set up a space for him in a utility room or sparsely furnished spare room. A secure water bowl, no food and no toys that he could hurt or injure himself on if frantically chewed. A piece of carpet or blanket should be safest.
Get your dog checked over by the vet to make sure he has a clean bill of health. Your vet can and should also prescribe tranquillisers or similar for this interim period if your dog gets so distressed that he hurts himself when alone.
Lower your emotional effect when you leave and come home. This is probably the most important point in dealing with separation anxiety. It simply means that when you leave the house, either say nothing or a simple, unemotional "See ya" or "Bye". When you come home, ignore him for about 90 seconds or so to allow him time to let the adrenalin subside a little. Once he's slightly calmer and a bit more relaxed when you arrive home, then you can make a big fuss of him. Don't get him overly excited with the fuss though. This sounds harsh and will probably be really difficult to do at first but it really is an important stage in dealing with separation anxiety.
Change your routines. Dogs can predict what's about to happen by association. Leave by a different door. Put your keys somewhere different where they don't make a sound. Put your coat and shoes on then go back in and read the paper. Go out the door, immediately turn round and go and have breakfast. These are just some examples of how you can change your routine and scramble the cues that alert your dog to the fact that you're about to leave him.
Every day, several times a day, practice leaving the dog for very brief intervals. Weekends or days off are good for this because you can practice more often. Walk out the door, close it and immediately come back in. Walk out the door, close it, stand in the garden for a minute or two and then go back in. Ocassionally, get into the car, start it up, stop it and go back in. Get in the car, drive round the block and go back in. This will help break the association of your leaving with the sound of the car. You need to work out what his anxiety threshold is and stay below it - even if it's only 30 seconds. Progress is achieved in tiny little increments.
About 30 minutes before you leave, turn on the radio or TV. Put on a soothing station - classical or country and western music is ideal, but any station featuring lots of talk shows is also ideal. Keep the volume quite low, and it’ll calm him down a bit and him think he has a bit of company.
If at all possible, supply him with a view. If he can see the world going by, that’s the next best thing to being out and about in it.
Exercise the heck out of him! Make sure that he's had a really good walk and/or run about with you before you're going to be leaving. If he's tired, he'll be more apt to sleep while you're out.
Give him a treat-filled Kong to keep him busy and take his mind off you leaving. It's normally the first 30 minutes that are the worst when you leave, so if he's busy with his Kong, this can often help.
If you're going to be out for more than 4 hours, have a dog walker, friend or relative stop by.
Try using a DAP diffuser - dog appeasement pheromone can help relax some dogs. You plug it into a socket like a plug-in air freshener. It is supposed to diffuse a scent similar to a nursing bitch to help relax the dog. Experiment with it though because it doesn't work on all dogs.
You can also try some holistic remedies like Bach's Rescue Remedy, herbal aids (such as skullcap and valerian) or aromatherapy. Some of these have proven very effective with some dogs. You can also look into gem essences blended for a particular problem (http://www.noahsarkessences.com)
When you are committed to your dog, the above methods can work very well but they are not a quick fix or overnight cure. They will take time and patience - perhaps weeks or months before you start to see progress. However, dogs that suffer from separation anxiety might remain anxiety prone their entire lives and you may find when they are under stress they require a brief repetition of the de-sensitising process.
Once your dog has been somewhat de-sensitised to your absences and he is no longer incapable of learning due to anxiety, you can begin to teach him things to do while you're away.
Find tasks that he will find enjoyable, distracting and rewarding.
Treat filled Kongs are a favourite.
Hiding a favourite toy for him to search for may also work.
To work, it is necessary that the dog enjoy the activity and that you only offer the activity before leaving.