What is Dog Separation Anxiety?
In some ways, dogs are like humans.
Like us, dogs like routine and often get stressed over large changes in their schedule. This is especially true for negative changes that they do not expect, and do not understand.
Dog separation anxiety usually occurs when our own schedule shifts, thereby disrupting the amount of time we are able to spend with our dogs. When faced with such disruptions, dogs may get stressed and become destructive.
A dog with separation anxiety may chew up household items, and urinate or defecate in the house.
Note that these are displacement behaviors, that occur as a result of stress. They are NOT the result of dominance, vengeance, or maliciousness.
To fix separation anxiety issues, we want to target and reduce our dog’s stress, and not punish him with physical corrections. Pain or dominance based punishment, will often increase stress, and thereby worsen our dog’s anxiety problems.
Dealing With Dog Separation Anxiety
Sadly, we will sometimes get busy, need to travel, or work long hours to meet a deadline. After all, we must go out in the wild world, so that we may put kibble on the table.
Therefore, how do we deal with separation anxiety, and make things better for our dogs?
Dog Separation Anxiety 1 – Daycare
One of the best ways to deal with schedule changes, is to put our dog in daycare. In this way, he gets the company of humans and dogs, while we are away. He also gets to brush up on his dog-to-dog, and dog-to-human socialization skills.
Before committing to a daycare center, it is important to drop by for a tour of the facilities. Ensure that the place is clean, well supervised, and suited to our dog’s temperament. However, even a well-run daycare center may sometimes fail to detect dogs that carry common ailments, such as kennel cough, puppy warts, demodectic mange, and fleas.
Therefore, make sure that our dog is up to date on his vaccinations, before putting him in daycare or boarding.
A dog who is up to date on shots, may still catch something from playing all day long with so many different dogs. This is especially true for puppies and younger dogs, who still have developing immune systems. Unfortunately, this is a risk we must accept, if we decide to put our dog in daycare.
Dog Separation Anxiety 2 – Pet sitter
If we are uncomfortable with sending our dog to a public daycare, we can also hire a pet sitter to keep his separation anxiety issues at bay. The sitter can walk him, and keep him company at home.
Make sure our pet sitter is insured, qualified, has good references, and most importantly, gets along well with our dog.
Although they may be more expensive, I try to find sitters who are also dog trainers. This means they have more experience with dog behavioral issues, and can better deal with a misbehaving, stressed, or fearful canine.
Make sure to give the pet sitter our cellphone number, the location of our vet, as well as special instructions for our dog, including allergies and important house rules.
Dog Separation Anxiety 3 – Try to keep to a schedule
Another way to alleviate separation anxiety issues, is to try and keep to a fixed schedule.
During holidays, go out and visit some friends, so that our dog has his usual alone time. If we have to be away unexpectedly, have a familiar friend come over to fill in for us.
If the change in routine is temporary, we can also have our dog stay over at a friend’s house. First, try bringing our dog over for several short visits. In this way, we are around to make introductions, and help him with the transition to a new environment.
If all goes well, do short stay-overs, then slowly lengthen the time.
Dog Separation Anxiety 4 – Exercise our dog
I take my dog out for a long walk before leaving. This will give him an opportunity to fully relieve himself outside, and also put him in a more restful state of mind.
I take my dog out for another walk, after I get home. Exercise helps to relieve stress, and gives our dog important mental and physical stimulation. Neighborhood walks also help to socialize our dog to a variety of people, objects, other dogs, and other animals.
If we had to stay cooped up in the house all day, we would get cabin fever as well.
Dog Separation Anxiety 5 – Desensitize our dog
Get our dog accustomed to us leaving the house.
First, I start with the ritual of getting my handbag and keys, as well as wearing my shoes. I walk to the door, then sit back down. I repeat this many times throughout the day, so that my dog gets comfortable with my “leaving the house” ritual.
Once this occurs, I walk to the door, leave, and come back to the room. I repeat this until he is relaxed again, then slowly lengthen the time that I am away.
When I achieve an away-time of about 15 minutes, I get in my car, circle the block, and come back.
Make leaving and coming home as low-key as possible.
When I return home, I ignore my dog until he is calm and resting. In this way, he does not spend all day anticipating my return. I also leave him with many interactive, chew-safe food toys, so that he has something interesting to do when home alone.
Dog Separation Anxiety 6 – Dog Medication
There are a variety of medications available, to help treat dog separation anxiety symptoms. However, to be effective, these medications must be used together with a behavior modification program, which includes a rigorous exercise and desensitization routine.
The medication alone will not solve our dog’s anxiety issues. However, it can help mute the symptoms, so that our dog can benefit from the accompanying retraining process.
Dog medication should only be used under the direction of a vet, and only for the short-term.
Dog Separation Anxiety
Dealing with dog separation anxiety will take time, and a lot of patience.
In general, prevention is better than cure. Therefore, we want to start desensitization exercises as early as possible, before any anxiety problems develop.
If we have a very busy lifestyle, consider volunteering at our local shelter or SPCA instead of buying a puppy.
Only get a dog when our schedule becomes more regular, so that there is less danger of separation anxiety, and other behavioral issues.
Hi,
My8 year old Chiuhuia does not eat for days after she comes back home from a few days at the sitter.
Why is that?
Thank You
Helen
What does she eat at the sitter’s place? Does she go with her regular food or does she get something different? What is her reaction to the sitter? Does she like going there? Are there other dogs there? What type of training does the sitter use? How does she act when she comes back (other than loss of appetite)? Does she seem more anxious/fearful? What is the environment like at the sitter’s place? Is it very different from her home environment? What is her routine like?
Loss of appetite could also be from a physical issue.
http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/dog-not-eating-possible-causes-and-appetite-solutions
My dog has picked up on my ritual so well that I’m not even sure what makes her go lay in her crate at a certain point. I used to have to crate my dog every day that I left for work, but really establishing a ritual helped. Thanks for your tips!
Hi, we have a 4 year old bull terrier. We moved about a month ago to a new place, our old apartment had wood floors and the Dog used to shiver and walk really slow when we open the door to take him for a walk on the morning before work and after work in the afternoon. We tought it was the floor that was really slipery so we bought some carpets and the problem kind of went away but still happend when he walk around the house wille we were there.
Now on the new house he stop doing it for the first 2 or 3 weeks no he is doing it again. Is like he is sacare of going out or walking in the house. But once he is outisede he is fine.
He tried giving him treats at the door but this still dosnt work.
Does he only shiver like that while walking in certain locations? For example, close to the door? Or does he do it everywhere?
When did the shivering behavior start in the old apartment? Did anything unusual happen when you first noticed this behavior? Has he ever stepped on a scat mat/shock mat before?
What is his routine like? What type of training is he used to? What training collars has he used?
Sounds like he is fearful of something, likely caused by some past experience. However, it is difficult to tell what that “something” is without getting greater context of his background and surroundings. It may be useful to consult with a professional trainer, who can observe him in real-time, read his body language, as well as view his environment and routine.
http://www.apdt.com/pet-owners/choosing-a-trainer/
When my dog is anxious, the first thing that I do is try to identify the source of his anxiety/fear. To do this, I carefully consider my dog’s temperament, environment, routine, past experiences, and more. Once I know the source, I can come up with a plan to reduce stress triggers, and to help him better cope with his fear and stress.
My Beagle started pooping in her kennel recently after I was forced to put down one of my other dogs. I know she loved her and misses her. I don’t know what to do… It has become an everyday thing. Her bed has been washed almost everyday since last Friday. Anyone have an idea about what I can do to help her stop?
Sorry to hear about your other dog.
Does your Bealgle only poop in her kennel when she is alone? What is her routine like? Has her routine changed significantly? Is she the only dog now?
With my dog, I first try to identify the underlying issue. For example, is the behavior a result of stress from being alone? stress from changes in routine and environment? some physical issue? or something else?
Once I identify the underlying issue and source of stress, I can come up with a plan to reduce that stress and help her better cope with it. But first, I need to understand where the behavior is coming from.
Getting a good professional trainer to visit can also be helpful in identifying the source of the problem, and in coming up with a plan for helping our dog.
http://www.apdt.com/pet-owners/choosing-a-trainer/
Hi, new reader here with an interesting situation. My dog (we think he’s a German Shepherd Terrier mix – shelter dog) has always had a bit of separation anxiety (we crate him when we leave the house, he has grown to calm a short while after he’s in it).
However, my daily schedule has changed, I now work from home and as a result I’m here all the time. The crating is not as frequent. Something he started doing in the past week or so….is pooping in the house. Never had this before, mind you. I think it’s a lack of structure, high anxiety and I’m not sure how to rectify. Previously, he was fine in the crate, no accidents. I’m not sure how to help him.
When there are large changes in my dog’s routine –
1. I reintroduce consistency back into the equation by setting up a fixed routine and a consistent set of rules.
2. I increase the amount of daily exercise so that he has an outlet for his stress.
For pooping in the house, I go back to potty training basics. I supervise at all times that my dog is roaming free and put him in an enclosure at other times. In this way, I can catch all potty mistakes, interrupt, and show him the right behavior. I always go outside with him so that I can reward him *very well* for doing his potty outside. I make a big deal out of it, play his favorite game, and reward him with attention and treats.
In this way, he learns that –
Potty outside = A bonanza of games, attention, food, and other rewards.
Potty inside = Get interrupted and taken outside.
http://shibashake.com/dog/puppy-potty-training-facts-and-myths
Hello,
I have a 4 month old Cocker Spaniel. He is just fine with sleeping in his crate at night, as it’s next to our bed. However, when we put him in his crate to leave for work he starts barking and whining. I am worried! He doesn’t fear his crate, he hops right in but this has to be separation anxiety.
I think he might have an unhealtht attachment to me also. He wimpers and whines when he isn’t sure where I am.
I’m not sure what to do. I have read on many site to let your dog out of the crate when he calms down… I don’t think I can do that because he needs to go out to do his business. Any thoughts?
Thanks!
Yeah, potty training makes things a bit more complex.
This is what I did with Sibe Lara –
1. I make sure she goes potty before going into her enclosure for nap time. If she fusses right after she gets in, I know that she doesn’t really need to go.
2. I set up a fixed and consistent schedule for her. She sleeps for a couple of hours, then I let her out and she goes out for another potty break.
3. If she whines in the middle, then I take her out on-leash. We go to our potty spot and I give her the go potty command. If she goes, then I reward her well with attention and a fun game. If she doesn’t go, I wait a few minutes, then she goes back into her enclosure. In this way, she gets a chance to potty, but she learns that a “fake potty trip” is not very interesting. She only gets rewarded for a real potty trip.
Here is more of my potty training experiences with my Husky pups.
Big hugs to your new puppy.
My 11 month old Labradane starts shaking and panting really bad when we take her to the vet and doggie daycare. Could this be separation anxiety or something I should be concerned with? She seems to be ok once we get there and seems to really enjoy it. I don’t think it is any type of medical condition since it only happens when we take her there.
Does she only do this when she is in the car? Many dogs get anxious in the car because it is a confined space that moves. Desensitization exercises can be used to help a dog get more comfortable with being in a car.
Hi! I love your site and all the information and advice you offer.
I have a 4 year old female husky that we just got 3 months ago (she was a friend of ours who couldn’t keep her anymore, she went through 2 other homes before she came to us). When we first got her she had a few accidents in the house, but then she was fine. We take her on lots of walks when we are home and she has no problem telling us when she needs to go outside. My bf plays with her all the time and we give her so much attention.
Recently she has been peeing in the house sometimes when we come home and then leave again for a few hours (to go to the gym, food store, etc.) and other times she is fine. We always make sure she has toys or bones to keep her busy. With her prior owner she used to chew and eat everything she could get her paws on, but never had accidents (they didn’t walk her or have the time for her). She has not ate/chewed anything with us, but is randomly peeing in the house. I assume it is some sort of anxiety or she is mad that we are “leaving her”, but I don’t understand why she does it sometimes and not everytime. I know she is trying to get used to us and it is a new environment, so I want to give her time to adjust, but I also want to make sure I’m doing the right things now. Any advice or thoughts would be appreciated! Thank you.
Hmmm, based on what you describe, it does sound like anxiety to me.
Does she ever pee in the house when you are home?
When you take her on walks, what is her confidence level? Is she afraid of noises, people, new objects, other dogs?
Some things that help with my dogs when they are anxious because of changes in the environment-
1. I set up a very fixed routine for them. In this way, they know exactly when I leave, and when I will return. They also know exactly when walk time, play time, grooming time, and mostly importantly eating time is.
2. I establish very fixed rules. In this way they know exactly what to expect from me, and what I expect of them in return.
3. I exercise them well every day. Exercise helps them to relieve stress.
4. When we are home, I try to give them their space. I think it helps them to have some alone time to get used to the changes in their environment. In the beginning, I let them approach me when they want to interact.
Actually last night when I was home alone and in the shower after I just took her for a long walk she peed in the house! She has only gone in the house a few times when we have been home and that was when we first got her and last week 2-3 mornings I was waking up to her having gone in the middle of the night. I started taking her water away at night and she has been fine until last night.
She is good on walks. She loves everyone and wants everyone’s attention! And she is pretty good with most dogs. Once in a while she will jump from a loud noise, but she usually isn’t scared.
Thank you for your tips. I am trying to get her on a fixed routine and I need to get better at that. She has set times for meals and walks (sometimes more walks on the weekends when we are home from work). She gets good exercise daily. It is a little hard to keep her on a strict schedule because mine is always slightly changing, but I know I will have to try to get better at it. Thank you for your help! I really appreciate it!
Hello Christina,
If she is peeing in the house at night and when you are home, it could just be that she does not know she is not supposed to. Dogs do not usually generalize rules across different locations. For example, my dogs are all potty trained for our current house, but when we go to daycare, they may sometimes pee indoors, especially if there are strong smells around.
They know not to do it in our house, but they may not generalize that to other indoor areas.
It could be that a quick potty training refresher course would do the trick.
Big hugs to your girl!
Hi!
We have two dogs in the house, one is about 10-11 years old and the other is about 4 years. They coexist reasonably well together, aside form the occational challenge of the alpha title.
However when my mother fell ill and died he became very anxious. As long as my father is around he’s calm but always keeps close.
However when he needs for exsample to go out and get groceries and/or visit some friends, he becomes very scared. He starts to rattle teeth, shiver, often when we get home theres chewing and scratching marks on the door.
Now we’re well aware that its separation anxiety and he’s most likely scared that we too will “disappear” Question is, would it help to show him the grave?
We’re very unsure how to proceed as he’s an older gentleman after all.
Also whenever we’ve attempted to bring him with us to shop, he starts to half way howl and make high picthed noises. In other words, not a fan of car rides.
Hope you can give us some helpful advice, Thanks in advance.
This is not a situation that I have firsthand experience with, so I am not sure how much help I can be.
– What has helped most with my dogs when they are anxious, is to keep them as close as possible to a regular routine.
– My dogs also pick up on the energy of the people around them, so if they sense that I am stressed, they will get stressed as well. I try as much as possible to control my own energy and remain calm.
– Exercise or just doing some activity to distract their mind also helps. Sometimes I just take them outside and let them sit, watch people, and smell the wind. I make sure to pick a more quiet area.
This article may also be of some interest-
http://www.petside.com/article/dog-mourns-loss-owner-too-how-help-grieving-pet
Hi,
I have a 4 yr old Pomerania/chihuahua mix with sever seperation anxiety. I just recently moved in with my boyfriend and it has gotten increasingly worse. We work different schedules and she barks for a while after I leave and typically wakes him up. She won’t let him take her out or if she does becomes very aggressive when he tries to take her leash off. Once he leaves the barking starts again and we are now getting complaints from the neighbors. I have tried to desenseitize her to my leaving and she is also on anti-depressants and tranquilizers. She is aggressive towards people and dogs she doesn’t know, just yesterday she tried to go after a husky in our building, the owner didn’t appercaite that very much. She is crate trained so she gets crated when we’re not home and when we’re sleeping with toys and chews but it only helps a little. I don’t know what to do with her anymore. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
It sounds like a difficult situation with many different factors involved. For example, it is unclear if the aggressive behavior is from fear, anxiety, effects of the medication, or something else.
In addition, dogs, like us, get anxious when there are big changes to their routine and environment. When I moved, my Shiba (Sephy) also got anxious and a bit stressed. I quickly re-established a fixed routine for him, as well as a fixed structure and rules in the new place. Exercise is also a good stress outlet for Sephy, so I would take him on longer walks in very quiet, low-stress hiking trails.
Given the complexity of the situation, it may be best to get help from a good dog trainer/behaviorist. A professional trainer can observe the dog in his environment, read body language, and identify what are the key sources of stress. Then, we can teach our dog alternate ways for dealing with his stress, as well as carefully manage his environment and we reduce the number of stressors.
Dog anxiety problems.
Dealing with a fearful dog.