One of the biggest concerns that I hear from dog owners is how to relieve their dog's separation anxiety. I'm not talking about a few whines and whimpers when you leave, I'm talking about full blown anxiety that leads to destruction, serious noise complaints and physical exhaustion. I've heard of dogs' nails and teeth bleeding from trying to escape from their crates and houses. I've seen door knobs chewed, curtains ripped down, door frames eaten, glass laying everywhere and couches mauled. While getting ready for work in the morning or going out for a quick errand may seem like a boring old routine for you, it can be the most stressful chain of events for some dogs suffering from separation anxiety. Sadly, many dogs with severe separation anxiety are given up on and cast away to the shelters. Other dog owners become prisoners of their own homes and dogs, and will literally never leave their dogs alone. While there is no quick fix for curing your dog's anxiety, there are several ways to relieve your dog's stress in a positively reinforced way. If you have a puppy, take the time and energy to really work on these issues before the behaviors become even more engrained as an adult dog. Old dogs can learn new tricks, but it may take longer to recondition an older dog who has learned for years to panic whenever a car key jingles. It takes time, patience, commitment, love and a few angry notes from the neighbors, but it can be done. Don't give up and definitely don't get angry. Getting mad at your dog when you come home and find your house wrecked will only intensify your dog's anxiety. Keep calm and zen.
- When you bring home your puppy or dog for the first time, be sure to stick to your regular routine. We have a tendency to stay home and coddle our puppies all day with a 'fear' of leaving them alone by themselves. Your dog will pick up on this 'fear' and internalize it. Don't be afraid to leave for 15 minutes or a half hour. Gradually increase the time that you are away and try your best to stick to your normal routine. Remember... alone time is good time for your dog in the long run. Usually it's the human that has the most separation anxiety. Trust me, I know how hard it is to leave those sad puppy eyes!
- Whenever you leave your dog, try not to make a big fuss about it. Don't 'whine' to your dog in a baby voice expressing sympathy or sadness. Keep it light, cheery, but not a big deal. Or just don't say anything at all.
- When you leave try to associate your absence with wonderful things. It's great for dad to go to work because I get a yummy raw bone to gnaw on! Woohoo! You can also wait to put down your dog's food bowl when you are about to leave. Some dogs have such bad anxiety that they will hunger strike till you are back and then they'll wolf down their food. Work on getting your dog comfortable with eating without you being in the room. Make his food the most pleasant, irresistible food in the whole world and disappear around a corner when he's eating it, then pop back in the kitchen while he's still eating. Keep doing this until you're able to wait a few minutes before coming back. Associate you being out of sight as a really good thing.
- A lot of dogs will freak out the second you shut the door. Most puppies and dogs learn from an early age how to communicate with us through barking and whining. If you leave your puppy and they start howling, chances are you'll come running back and scoop the puppy up in your arms. Thus, howling means human comes back. When you leave your dog for the first time ever and he starts howling and you open the door back up to him, he's being positively reinforced for his behavior. You've created a pattern and your dog has learned to voice his needs to get a reaction. Essentially, your dog has trained you! Smart doggie! Keep this in mind when reacting to your dog's vocalizations.
- So if your dog has already trained you, how do you re-train him? The best thing to do is break it down into the tiniest little steps. If your dog is terrified of you disappearing around a corner without him, you may have to start inside your house. Working on the basic commands like sit, stay and leave it, will build your dog's confidence and help work on the disappearing act. You can start by playing hide and go seek in the house. Teach your dog to sit and stay until they are so good at it that you can step behind a corner, but then quickly reappear and come back to him before he thinks about whining or moving. You might have to use treats in a ring around your dog to help him focus on 'leave it' instead of you leaving. Just before you are about to step around the corner say 'ok have it!' and your dog will associate you leaving with the goodness of treats. You might have to do this three times or three hundred times before your dog is comfortable with being left alone.
- Once your dog is good at playing hide and go seek in the house, move it over to the door and repeat the same exercises. Tell your dog to sit and leave it, and then scatter a whole handful of treats between him and the door. Just before you are about to step out of the door say, "Ok, have it!" and close the door. Open the door after a few seconds while your dog is still vacuuming up the treats. It's pretty hard for Fido to bark while he's eating. And, oh my goodness, human has already returned and all that doggie had to do was be quiet. Do this a ton of times until you are able to gradually increase the time. You may only be able to be behind the door for 3 seconds or 10 seconds, but gradually you can add time that your dog is comfortable with. ONLY reappear when your dog has been quiet for at least five whole seconds. ONLY when your dog is quiet should you reappear. ONLY do what your dog can barely handle.
- If you have to leave your dog and can't be doing the yo-yo door training, try to leave him with a friend or another dog who is calm and confident. For dogs that have been raised in a crate it's also safer to put him in there than it is to let him destroy the house. Make sure to puppy/dog proof your house and be sure to lock all windows and doors.
- There are also some herbal remedies such as Rescue Remedy and Bach's essential flower oils that can calm your dog in a natural way. Put a few drops on a treat before you start getting ready to leave or put a few drops in your dog's water bowl.
- Try to vary the order of your routine and don't make your dog's schedule too rigid. Maybe leave your car keys hidden in the garage where your dog won't be able to ever see them. Have someone distract your dog in another room so that your dog doesn't see you leave. Also, block window doors so that your dog can't see you walk off into the distance.
- Also, remember to throughly exercise your dog before you leave. A tired dog is a good dog and a zen dog.
- Frozen raw marrow bones and frozen stuffed Kongs can provide hours of lasting entertainment. Get your dog's mind off of you leaving by leaving him with something really wonderful.
- When you return to your dog, try to come into the house when your dog is quiet. Even if you have to make a loud disrupter noise like clapping your hands or anything that will get your dog to be quiet for a second and listen. Then calmly enter the house and ignore your dog until his energy level has visibly dropped. Reward your dogs quiet calm energy by giving him quiet, calm attention. In a low, nice voice say your hello and then give your dog all of the love in the world.
These are just a few helpful hints and some things work with some dogs and not others. It's all about timing and comfort zones. Try your best to keep zen even though a barking frenetic dog can be the most stressful thing in the world. If you have any questions please feel free to comment or contact me. Good luck!
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