Do Dogs Have Separation Anxiety

What Are Ways You Can Help With Separation Anxiety

If you want to help your pup with their separation anxiety, here are some suggestions:

• Exercise your dog about 30 minutes before leaving the house
• Leave the television on or play music
• Only leave your dog alone for four hours at a time
• Train your dog to be alone when you are in the house
• Do not make you leaving the house too dramatic for them
• Toys! Puzzles! Games! Fun!
• Talk to your vet regarding the best way to handle separation anxiety in your dog

You can try any of the above tips to make it easier on your pet when you are gone. Your dog will begin to feel less anxious and afraid.

Is Drug Therapy Useful

Drug therapy can be useful especially during initial departure training. Tranquilizers alone do not reduce a dog’s anxiety and may only be helpful to sedate your dog so that he is less likely to investigate and destroy. Most dogs do best with either fluoxetine or clomipramine over several months, perhaps combined with other antianxiety drugs where necessary.

“Retraining program that is needed to help your dog gain some independence and accept some time away from you.”

Although drugs may be important in reducing underlying anxiety and helping your dog cope, it is the retraining program that is needed to help your dog gain some independence and accept some time away from you. Pheromone therapy can also be useful for diminishing anxiety both while you are home and when you are away. Recently new medications have been approved for the treatment of separation anxiety in dogs. Contact your veterinarian to discuss if medication is appropriate for your pet.

Talk To A Dog Trainer

The root cause of separation anxiety is a behavior that needs to be changed. You might need to seek the advice of a dog trainer to figure out how to teach your dog to cope with being alone. Separation anxiety is mostly a behavioral issue that can be corrected with proper training, and a professional can help you to get this process off on the right foot.

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Are Certain Breeds More Prone To Separation Anxiety

All breeds of dogs can suffer from separation anxiety. There are a few that might be more susceptible to anxiety issues, however. They include:

Australian Shepherds

Dogs belonging to this breed are loyal to their owners and come from a herding background. As a result, theyre used to having a job. So, when theyre home alone, not only can they become anxious, they can also very easily get bored. Thats a perfect recipe for separation anxiety in dogs.5

Bichon Frises

Bichon Frises are usually lapdogs who are almost always with their owners. When theyre separated, that could lead to major issues.6

German Shepherds

These beautiful, loyal companions are popular in the United States. German Shepherds are known for the love they show their owners. Unfortunately, theyre also very energetic and tend to use that energy negatively when left alone.7

German Shorthaired Pointers

This is another dog bred for working and activity. As one of the more popular hunting breeds, German Shorthairs are usually with their owners throughout the day they hate being alone.8

Labrador Retriever

One of the most popular breeds in the U.S., Labrador Retrievers form strong bonds with their families. Theyre affectionate and love to be around people. When left alone, they can go through severe bouts of separation anxiety.9

Vizsla

Make Your Routine Less Predictable

Think of your morning ritual. If brushing your teeth is the last thing you do before leaving the house, your dog is conditioned to know that brushing your teeth means you’re leaving and he’s going to be alone. Maybe he hides. Maybe he has an accident. You need to replace that response with a different, more positive one. This is called counterconditioning. Start by changing the way you leave the house for example, brush your teeth as soon as you get out of the shower. “This change won’t cure your dog’s separation anxiety,” Horwitz says. “But it may alleviate his build-up of anxiety.”

Then help your dog learn to look forward to your leaving. Give him his favorite high-value treatcheese, lean deli meat, or a Kong toy filled with peanut butterbefore you walk out the door. Your dog will be so busy chewing and swallowing that he may not mind that you have disappeared.

“Do this every time, and he’ll learn that your pending departure predicts he’ll get something good to eat,” Horwitz says.

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My Pet Was Fine When I Left For Work But When I Came Back She Did Not Want To Be Away From Me Should I Discourage This Behavior

What pet owners do when they are home is key. That is the time we can teach our pets to be more independent, advises Dr. Agapis You do not want to feed into your pets problem. Ignore demanding, attention-seeking behavior and reward calm, independent behavior. Provide plenty of exercise and off-leash time for dogs. An additional step is to get your pet off your bed at night and, instead, have them sleep in a bed next to yours.

What Should Be Done Before Departures

Before any lengthy departure, provide a vigorous session of play and exercise. This not only helps to reduce some of your dogâs energy and tire her out, but also provides a period of attention. A training session can also be a productive way to further interact and âworkâ with your dog. For the final 15 to 30 minutes before departure, your dog should be ignored. It would be best if your dog were taken to her rest and relaxation area with a radio, TV, or video playing . You can then prepare for departure while your dog is out of sight and earshot. At this point, provide your dog with some new motivating toys to keep her occupied and distracted before and during your departure. The key is to avoid as many of the departure cues as possible, so that your dogâs anxiety doesnât heighten before you leave. Brushing teeth, changing into work clothes, or collecting keys, purse, briefcase or school books, are all routines that might be able to be performed out of sight of the dog. You might also consider changing clothes at work, preparing and packing a lunch the night before, or even leaving the car at a neighbor’s so your dog wouldn’t hear the car pulling out of the driveway.

“Avoid saying goodbye since this will only serve to bring attention to the departure.”

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Give Your Dog A Safe Comfortable Space Of Their Own

Make sure you leave your dog in a safe area of the house so if they do try to chew or destroy anything they cant be injured. Make sure its the right temperature and they have a safe comfortable bed to relax in.

Some dogs will happily use a dog flap to get out into a secure garden if they need the toilet. If a dog flap isnt suitable for your home, someone will need to come and let them out regularly so they can have a toilet break.

Treatments For Canine Separation Anxiety

It has been suggested that adding another animal, such as another dog, to the household may help dogs with separation-related behavior problems to cope with absences from their owner.38,39 However, evidence suggests that the presence of another dog in the household does not prevent another dog from developing separation-related problems.9,11,14

Owners may respond to the separation-related problem behaviors of their dogs by confining the dog to a crate. Some authors have recommended this approach because once the dog is accustomed to the crate they rarely engage in the stress-related behaviors exhibited by dogs that have free access during periods of separation from their owner.40 However, others have found that dogs left in crates or cages while at home alone are no less likely to display separation-related problem behaviors than dogs that have free access to the home.14 In fact, confining a dog with separation anxiety to a crate can increase lip licking,11 a response consistent with stress,41 and dogs can injure themselves in attempts to escape from the crate.39

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Ignore The Door Part 2

If you can get to your door without your puppy showing signs of stress or anxiety, well done! If so then you can work on this part straight away. Make sure to split it up and take breaks so that its not all done on the same day.

PRO TIP: Desensitisation takes time and cant be rushed. You may need to work well below your puppys threshold so theyre not feeling stressed about you being around the door. Patience is key for this one too! Were sure youve got it.

Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3:

Step 5

Step 6:

Open the front door and step outside. This time, close the door behind you and count 1 second before opening then you can go step back inside.

PRO TIP: Go over this exercise for a couple of weeks to ensure theyre able to ignore the door before you start increasing the time you step outside for.

Keep Comings And Goings Uneventful

Many owners lavish their dogs with affection and attention right before you leave home and immediately when you walk in the door. Unfortunately, this can contribute to your dog’s anxiety. To prevent this, the best thing you can do is to ignore your dog before you leave and for several minutes after your return. This is your way of demonstrating to your dog that your comings and goings are really no big deal.

Teach your dog that calm and patient behavior is rewarded. This means attention comes when they are settled and relaxed. If a dog engages in quiet behavior on its own it should be rewarded with attention or a treat.

For mild to moderate cases of separation anxiety, these small changes may be enough to reduce your dog’s anxiety. In more severe cases, you will need to do some extra work.

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What Causes Separation Anxiety In Puppies And Dogs

Its unclear why some puppies are more prone to separation anxiety than others. McConnell theorizes there may be several reasons, including never previously being left alone and traumatic separation, such as would be seen in some abandoned shelter dogs. Even a single traumatic event in the owners absence, like the house being robbed, can lead to SA. Finally, she suggests that personality can play a role, with clingy dogs perhaps being more at risk than independent ones.

Other triggers to watch for involve life changes like a sudden switch in schedule, a move to a new house, or the sudden absence of a family member, whether its a divorce, a death in the family, or a child leaving for college. Recent research has even pointed to a lack of daily exercise as a possible cause. Because there are so many potential triggers for SA, its essential to work on prevention and start treatment at the first sign.

Results Of The Pca Analysis Of The Questionnaire

Out of 59 questions, the analysis resulted in 7 main components and based on Cronbachs alpha values each turned out to be reliable. The components together explained 56.3% of the total variance. For further reference and for easier discussion we labelled the components with fitting names based on the consisting components . The first factor contained variables mostly associated with stress-tolerance in new environments or situations. The second factor consisted of twelve items, all related to obedience and tractability. The six items of the third trait were associated with fearful behaviors in the presence of unfamiliar dogs. The fourth component with its six items was mostly related to fearfulness with unfamiliar humans. The fifth component consisted of variables associated to various demanding behaviors of the dog, either food-related ones, or getting involved in some joint activity with the owner. The sixth factor was associated with stubborn behaviors of the dog. While the last, seventh component consisted of items related to phobic behaviors, including noise and thunderstorm phobias.

Table 1 The results of the principal component analysis of the questionnaire . In case of each principal component, we highlighted the loading of those items with bold that significantly contributed to that component.

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Set Your Dog Up For Success

There are a few different approaches to separation anxiety. But for that critical period when you are out of the house, the experts interviewed all emphasized the importance of creating a safe environment where your dog will feel relaxed and comfortable.

What exactly this environment looks like is highly situational, but Dodman recommends a confined space with an open crate they can go into if they want. When creating this environment, he also says to think of the five senses.

For taste, use food puzzles or toys stuffed with high value treats, like peanut butter, liver, or frozen wet food so that it becomes a dog lollipop. Smell has some overlap with taste, and Dodman and Loyer both suggest hiding treats for them to discover like a scavenger hunt. Another idea from Dodman is to enrich a toy with an engaging smell like anise, vanilla, or deer urine “if you can stomach it.”

For vision, turn on the TV and give them access to a window, perhaps adorned with a bird feeder. Sound could be from the TV, or talk radio, as well as music designed specifically for dogs. Lastly, make sure your dog has a cozy bed and soft comforts. The idea, said Dodman, is to try and make it fun for them. “When you leave it’s party time.” There’s also a ton of YouTube videos specifically made for relaxing dogs.

Above all, remember the adage, “a tired dog is a good dog.” Try and make sure your dog gets some exercise before you leave so they’re mentally and physically calmer.

Can I Prevent Dog Separation Anxiety

There is no universal, one-way-fits-all to prevent separation anxiety in dogs. Every anxious dog is different, meaning it needs an individually tailored anti-anxiety prevention approach.

If you are unsure how to prevent separation anxiety in dogs, talk to your veterinarian. Keep in mind that drug therapy, although helpful, is a temporary solution and must be used in conjunction with other approaches.

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What To Do If Your Dog Has A Severe Problem

If your dog is having extreme separation anxiety, the first thing you should do is ask your vet to recommend a behaviorist or trainer with an extensive background in helping dogs get over their problem. An expert can help you map out an effective plan that will defeat this problem once and for all.

An approach that often works is to change your routine before you leave your house.

If you tend to do the same things over and over before you walk out the door, your dog picks up on those cues. They know when youre about to leave, and might start acting in an agitated manner as a result. Your dog might start whining or pacing when you get dressed, or put on your makeup. And theyll definitely know somethings up when you grab the car keys.20

You can also show your dog that because you do these things, that doesnt always mean youre about to leave them alone. Show your dog some pre-departure cues a few times a day, and see if that helps to calm them down. For example, grab your keys and then sit down to watch some TV or read.21

Try Stimulating Pet Puzzles & Games

Puzzle feedersare a great way to reduce anxiety and keep your pet mentally stimulated. Pour half of their recommended daily amount of food into the puzzle feeder each morning and then refill each evening. Your pet will spend the day busy and engaged, which can ease feelings of anxiety.

Other options are to hide small portions of dry cat ordog foodand leave them in bowls around the house.

Measure out the amount you want to feed every day and then divide it into smaller portions hidden around the house, says Purina feeding behavior scientist Dr. Annie Valuska, PhD. This hide-and-seek game isparticularly beneficial for cats, as it spurs their hunting instincts and keeps them busy and active throughout the day.

Many pet owners understand the importance of physical exercise for their pets, but mental exercise is just as important. The more we can do to keep our pets minds active, the better, explains Dr. McGowan.

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