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.
My dog is wonderful when I am home. Sleeps most of the day, great with kids, decent at listening to basic commands. However, staying home alone is a different story. We tried crate training and that was an absolute disaster. He HATED the crate. He is a rescue so I am not sure what his history with crates is. We tried going slow, tried getting him to eat his meals in the crate, tried having him in the crate while we were home, hell I even got in the crate with him. He went through 4 crates. Destroyed the first three, the 4th one is indestructible, but he broke off 2 of his teeth on it. The second he would get in the crate, he would vibrate he was so panicked and he would bark the entire time we were gone without stopping to even catch his breath. Didn’t matter if it was 20 min or 4 hours. Because he would bark so much he was constantly losing his voice and dehydrating himself to the point that whenever he would get those first few sips of water when we would get home and let him out, he would puke it all back up. The couple times he was able to escape from his first few crates, he would destroy the wall next to the front door. Made it through the drywall to the exterior sheeting one time. Sooooo, I decided to ditch the crate and get a Furbo. Since then I have been training him to stay home alone without the crate. He no longer tries to chew the wall, however he continues to howl constantly after being alone for about 30min-1hr. He was doing good on his own for about 4 hours a few weeks back before starting to howl, but for some reason in the past two weeks he has started howling after as little as 20 min. I am at a loss of what to do. I am happy with the progress we have made so far, and am usually home most of the day as I am still in school, however graduation is quickly approaching and that mean working full time and he needs to be ready for that sooner rather than later. As it is right now, he can be home about 30min-1hr. He paces, waits by the door, and HOWLS. He sleeps ALL day when I am home, but the second I leave it’s game over. HELP!!
Have two male Shiba pups 7 weeks old and the momma who is approximately 5 years old. Should I be separating them in different crates throughout the day and night? They all have their own beds in a pen area we set up in our kitchen and for now they SOMETIMES respect each others space.
Are separate beds in the same area ok or should we be crating them separately in the same or different areas?
Hi. We have a 6 year old cocker spaniel poodle mix girl. Very sweet and gentle. Smart and well trained. No accidents in house unless sick. Even then she would poke me to take her out even if in middle of night
My daughter was home much of the day so she was rarely left for more than 3-4 hrs at a time.
However she has moved and only home on weekends (about 4 weeks now). We arrange to have someone come at lunch to take her out (my husband, mother, myself and just today with a dog walker). But she is alone for about 4 hrs in am and afternoon. This is quite a change for her to have this as her daily routine and not the exception.. we take her out first thing around 615, feed her by 645 and then another walk and home by 730 for the morning. She is out at lunch then I take her out for walk and play before supper then follow our regular pattern with another walk or 2 in evening. The problem is she has some accidents pooping in the house. I am not sure if anxiety or if change in her routine (as she could be taken out when needed).
Not sure what to else to do. Any suggestions?
Thx Lori.
Hello,
My family dog always has problems when I move away for school. When I leave she ends up going through the garbage no matter where we put it. But she will only do it when no one is home. We don’t know what to do.
Help……I have a 7 month old shiba. Always been great with being crated at night or when we go out for a couple hours. Recently neutered. Well since the cone has been taken off almost a week now when I crate him as soon as je gets in he throws up then done and that’s it. He’s acting fine going te bathroom fine. Nothing out if the ordinary. What could this mean????
My boyfriend and I adopted a four year old Weimerainer Australian cattle dog mix. We have been able to crate him successfully over the past three months up until a few days ago. He managed to break out of his crate and get into the trash. We bought him a bigger crate in hopes that would work but he immediately got out of that one too. He also hurt himself pretty good. About 600 dollars in vet bills and anxiety meds. We’re currently trying to leave him in our apartment unsupervised to see how that goes. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know!!
My dog is about 12 years old and has never played up about spending time on his own because we work full time but recently he has been acting up he scratches all the doors that are shut and gnaws at the door frames if he can’t get the door open can’t understand why And he just keeps wondering round when we are in the house with him just doesn’t seem to settle for long
There is definately a lot to find out about this subject.
I like all the points you made.
I have a 6 month old husky who is well party train and knows when to go outside however it seems like any time I leave the house or Room he defecates on purpose which in turn makes me angry at him. I understand now that he has separation anxiety issues, I am wondering if it’s too late to correct him on how to fix it?
I have an almost 4 year old german shepherd, I have had him since he was a pupp. Here in the last couple months he has been tearing up my trash, I triedI to put him in my bedroom when I leave but he put scratch marks and tore the pain from my trim and door, and ripped almost all the way through the door, this hasn’t just happened in 1 day… Its been in the last 3 weeks and well my door and trim are totaled. Me and my girlfriend of 2 years had our daughter 3 months ago but this started almost 4-5 months ago.. She has lived with me for over a year and a half.. Why is he randomly starting and doing this??!! Please help.. He has never been in a cage or kennel, he has never been put on or used medications and I dont want to have to do that stuff either?? What can I do??
Help!!! Right now my husband and I are living in our car with our 1 1/2 year old Pit Bull we take him walking often and he gets pleanty of exercise. He loves being in the car and going for rides except when we go to get out of the car. As soon as we pull into a parking spot he violently starts barking and jumping around the car. Its very embarassing not to mention loud. When he starts to bark I tell him NO in a stern voice but he barks louder sometimes I wonder if he would bite if I tried to pull him back. I have even tried not getting out of the car for a while after stopping and removing the keys from the ignition and he still barks. No if one of us gets out and not the other he whines like crazy esp if my husband gets out of the car.
He only barks for a cpl mins when we first get out when we come back to get into the car he is usually sitting in the drivers seat looking at the door we went in.
Another thing he does in the car is anytime he sees another animal outside wether it be another dog, cat, squirrel he will lunge at the window and bark and whine.
His behavior is not only embarassing but being our car is currently also our home it’s very nerve racking. Any suggestions please
I’m having problems with 16 month old Staff. She’s fine and doesn’t eat or chew any furniture or anything else apart from her own toys. She also doesn’t pee or poo in the house- the problem I’m having is each time my boyfriend comes over and we leave her in the lounge to go in the bedroom she is peeing on the carpet. I don’t really want to have her in the bedroom whilst we are doing it. How can deal with this or help her please.
I have a 4 year German Shepherd, he has horrible separation, aniexty ,if I leave him inside in crate he will chew out of it if I leave him in dog run outside he barks and sometimes escapes .He goes with me alot so it’s not like he’s left alone that much and I play outside with him. Yes, he is inside most of the time and he’s fine if I crate him at night. It’s just when I leave. I adopted him about a month ago he was neglected, his owner died and he was inside when owner was found. Help.it’s has cost me alot to get him where he is now ,usally he is fine as long as he is with me or can see me. If I let him out not on leash he runs off. Please Help he’s driving me nuts cuz I know when I come home he’s either chewed out of crate or dog run.
German Shepherds are extremely sensitive with regards to their family. Playing outside with a Shepherd is not enough. These dogs need about three miles of walking each day. As an mum to seven GSH they grieve and this can go on for a long time if not addressed. Why do you create him at night? If the create is in your bedroom, where it should be, you tell bedtime. Throw in a cookie and after a while your dog will most likely go to his “home.” I would start with your vet and have him put on a mild anti anxiety pill. Music, walking, playing, talking to him on walks will start the bond. People who have never had a GSH need to be trained. Your dog will be a loyal companion with unconditional love. It sound as if he still feels neglected. Speak with your vet first, then read a good book on the personality of German Shepherds. As for his create, put him in it for five mins drive around the block and let hime out and praise him. Never make a big deal about leaving, his last dad died with him there. I always say:”Let’s go to our house before I leave, but I worked up to the day that the gate stayed open while I went to work. Good luck and please don’t give up on him, he needs you. If you don’t have the time call the German Shepherd Rescue Society. They will find a home for him where people who have a lot of time and have had Shepherd’s in the past can work with him. Good luck.
Hi! I have an 8 month old Shiba. He’s wonderful and I love him to bits but I think he has separation anxiety. Unfortuantely, I don’t have a job that let’s me stay home and I’m gone for long hours during the day. I also can’t leave him out in the house because he likes to chew. He has lots of toys to play with and his own room. I tried to do the ignoring technique but he pees because of how long I’m gone. I feel bad for this but there’s nothing I can really do about it and I live in a very small town, meaning no daycare… Does anyone have any suggestions? I love my dog very much and I don’t want to get rid of him but I just want the best for him and his health.
Try either a dog potty patch or wee wee pads takes time but will work this breed you can’t confine. My is 7 awesome dog.
My shiba just turned a year in August. If leaving him out is not option because of chewing try giving him a pig ear treat to help with the chewing. My shiba had that same problem but now doesn’t chew when she has a pig ear or a plastic bone to chew on. Also, I am able to leave my shiba out running around for up to 10 hours during the day. If you have a yard maybe have a dog door and train him to use it when he needs to go out.
I have a 5 year old pug i can’t even go shopping i have no friends to leave her at it’s that bad I’m thinking of re homing her
I have a five year old pit bull mix, but only recently has he started whining a lot more, and the past few days barking when I put him in the crate. He used to be fine being crated while I was at work and at night, but now he gets loud, seconds after I shut his crate door. I am still standing not even two feet away, and he is whining and barking. This is happening especially at night, he will bark every hour wanting to be out. If I do open the crate, he rushes out and is quiet. I cannot leave him out of the crate because he will get into things, destroying them, and chasing my cats around the apartment. I just had to take him to the vet for getting into something, while in his crate, that tore a hole in his esophagus. I can’t afford for him to be barking all night and probably during the day when I am at work. My neighbors are starting to complain. I have no idea what to do about this.
I took my puppy from a dog foster home about a year ago. I love him to bits; he has a great personality, and I feel that he loves our family so much. BUT, whenever I leave him at home he pees in the house: on the carpet, on the bed, on flowers..
My husband and I were thinking about taking him to ‘doggy school’, but then again, it’s extremely expensive, and the nearest ‘doggy school’ is far away from us. Maybe you have some advice? THANK YOU!!!!
Don’t punish mistakes, reward successes immediately and if needed crate train and then be consistent to let him/her out after drinking and eating. They will learn he behavior and be happy making you happy. Worked for me at least and no mistakes in the house!
Long walks before you go out and rewards when you get back.
I have a nearly two year old blank lab/bull mastiff mix dog… He is neutered and has no health issues.
Buck is very attached to me and sleeps in room with me at night on a dog bed on the floor with our other dog. Both dogs get along well, our older dog is older and had hip stiffness, so they don’t play together, but no issues between them.
Buck will get on my bed and sleep there while I’m at work. If I keep the door to my room open during the day, Buck will sleep on a couch in front part of house. However if I shut my door and leave only him or both dogs outside my room, Buck poops in the entry way or on a throw rug in living room.
We didn’t know which dog it was, as our other dog is 16 and the thought he was having issues with bowel control. So it was determined that it was Buck pooping. Even if he was taken out just before leaving him out of my room and he pees and poops outside, we find poop in front part of house.
Tried small increments, but only solution is not to leave him out of my room. Most of the time that is OK, but sometimes I am working and need it quiet, so I close my door with him outside in main part of house.
Suggestions welcomed.
I wish that I could have suggestions for you all but I am suffering with a very strange thing in my household, surrounding our three year old rescued toy poodle.
Briefly this is our story:
I live and work in a fifty plus Independent senior living community. When I first started working here, I was living elsewhere and I befriended the former owner of this poodle who was about 9 months of age. The lady had a standard poodle who was about 4 years old and an older cat.
When I would bring packages or mail to the former owner, the toy poodle would slip out of the apartment and run down the hall so I would have to catch her. It became a game.
In October of 2013, the owner of the animals passed away in the apartment and they were alone with her corpse for at least two days.
When the adult children of this sweet lady came over they made it plain they did not want the dogs or the cat and that anyone could have them.
I am allowed only one pet so I chose Angel. The toy poodle. People warned me about taking in a heartbroken pet. The dogs had rarely been walked due to their owners illness. It was always dark in her apartment and puppy pads covered almost every square inch of every room.
Angel whimpered and whined all the time after I got her and I assumed that she was simply missing her owner and the other pets.
But as time went by, she developed this attachment to me that was uncanny.
We moved to this apartment building into the very apartment where she used to live. Everything is new…all new paint and appliances and I can visit with her during the day but nothing is ever enough. No amount of attention or closeness is ever enough. I cannot leave the room in the evening to take a shower or anything that she will not begin to whimper, then I come to the living room and find a pile of poop.
I am afraid to have people over because Angel must have ALL the attention and will not obey anything I say if the other person says, “Aww…its okay” even if they are tired of her constant jumping on them and I am so nervous to leave a room that she is in and stay even five minutes or go out into the hallway and talk to someone because she immediately poops somewhere near I was just standing or walking. Like at the door I am standing outside of. I feel like a prisoner, which is leading to some unexpected resentment on my part. I love Angel, but I do not know what to do at this point. Praise…special toys…special time just with her…is never enough! Please help with any suggestions! Thanks!
My problem is a bit different as Iv had my dog for three years and every night no matter where I’m staying he comes to bed with me and o shut us both in the room for the night to stop him escaping or chewing anything (he doesn’t baby way but just incase)
Any way a year ago I moved back in with my mum as things change and all was well but my mum doesn’t work so she looks after him in the day when I’m not there but recently at night when we come to go to bed where he used to run and curl up Befor me he now spends hours at the door whimpering and panting and he so often poos on the floor which he didn’t do not even if he’s desperate. I’m scaired he doesn’t love me any more as he’s never bothered if I’m around …. What can I do as I’m planning on buying a house next year and obviously he will be coming with me and my other dog. I’m worries he will always fret over my mum 🙁
Hi! Three days ago I adopted a ten month old lab mix. She is the sweetest thing, and I don’t know much about her, just that she is very quiet and scared of a lot of things. She was neglected at her previous home (she was found with her collar embedded in her neck). I know it’s only been three days, but I’ve begun to notice that when I am in the bathroom or in a room she can’t come into for a few minutes, she will pace around and eventually pee on the carpet. This has happened three times. I know we are still getting to know each other (they couldn’t even really tell me if she was housebroken at the shelter), but I’m wondering if this is a sort of separation anxiety. I have never heard her bark. She honestly just wants to be near you and loved. She hates getting in the crate, but I got her in there while I was at work a few hours today and she did not make a mess or anything when I got back. Thoughts? We are still figuring out the routine, but we go out every morning before breakfast. I tried to take her for a short walk (she was spayed right before i got her. That might have something to do with it. I literally picked her up right after they woke her up) today, but she got so afraid of the cars turning the corner that she laid down in a neighbor’s lawn so we came home. Any suggestions would be great. Thanks!
Get a thunder shirt at Petco or Amazon. My dog is afraid of thunder where she would shake not any more after short time she now barks at thunder.
Hello,
I have a 22 week old Siberian Husky, she is a very well behaved dog when i am around, however, when she does not literally see me, she whines and barks. if i am in the kitchen and she’s in my room with the door closed, she barks and cries,She has a lot of separation anxiety. i have talked to the vet about medication, but she does not want to give her some because she is so young, and i completely agree. She suggested a trainer! But training could be very expensive. i will try everything i can before i consider a trainer. i have the calming spray i use on her kennel, i also leave a stuffed kong toy when i leave the house, which lasts no more than 3 hours the most. Most of the time is just 1-2 hours. When i first got her, i used the kennel on her and she use to bark, howl, bite the rails, pee, for hours when i was standing right next to her! It got better and now she can sleep at night in there without crying, only if she knows I’m in the bed next to her. This only worked for “sleeping time”. During the day when i left her in the kennel each day for 1 hour, when i had class, i would come home and she would be covered in feces, pee, and her own drool. on top of that, she would bark like if it was the end of the world literally! I started using a routine everyday to see if she would stop. i would get up, walk her to go to the bathroom (pee and poop) and after i would skate her around my neighborhood for 20 min.i sprayed the kennel with the anxiety spray, as well. i made sure she really got tired. i then would give her food and water and put her back in the kennel and i would leave. The peeing and pooped stopped 90% of the time, but the excessive drooling did not, or the barking! i had roommates at the time and they would complain all the time. They complained so much that they called animal control from so much barking. i then decided to leave her roaming around alone in the house, to avoid the complains. As i did this, she destroyed blinds, bit the door handles and the door frame, really bad that i had to replace when i left that house. To this day, i just moved into a bigger house. the roommate i have now can take care of her when i am not home, but when we both are not home, i can’t afford to leave her loose. I have to incorporate the kennel again. its been over a month since she’s been in the kennel alone, and i would like some advice on how to really make her not so anxious. i have the spray i used, and I’ve put music before but it doesn’t work with her. Also, when i put treats in there and come back, they are still there. Also, i use to punish her when she made messes in the kennel, which now i know is bad! so i won’t do that anymore. i want to come home and not find a dog dog with a huge mess, what is the best advice? please help. Thank you!
I have a very similar situation. My 2 yr old dog we just adopted will use the crate fine at night but if I have he in it for even 30 minutes while I go out during the day, I come home to a chewed crate, excessive drooling, and even cut nose from trying to escape. She has just started walking in the crate to eat as she didn’t want any parts of it 3 weeks ago and can’t find anything to motivate her to want to get in…even food. I have 4 weeks until I’m back to work and am fearful of having her hurt herself while crated or having a house destroyed in the 7 hours I will be gone. Any suggestions please. Thank you!!!!!!
I helped my dog with his separation anxiety by doing desensitization and counter-conditioning exercises. I start small, with very very short periods of alone time (seconds) and very slowly build up from there. The more calm and successful alone experiences my dog has, the more confidence he builds, and the more relaxed he becomes in his own company. Similarly, panic and anxiety attacks, or negative events, will undermine his confidence, significantly set back retraining, and worsen his anxiety symptoms.
Therefore, I manage things with my Shiba very carefully and always set him up for success. If I need to leave for longer periods than he is able to handle (at the current moment), I get someone that he trusts to be with him.
This ASPCA article has more on separation anxiety and how to do desensitization exercises-
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/separation-anxiety
However, each dog and situation are different. A dog may suffer from different degrees of anxiety depending on temperament, past experiences, environment, and more. In addition, desensitization training can be counter-intuitive, especially in the beginning. It was useful for me to consult with a good professional trainer, at least at the start, to make sure that I am managing Sephy properly and conducting the desensitization exercises in an effective manner.
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/finding-professional-help
https://apdt.com/pet-owners/choosing-a-trainer/
Hi,
We’re having problems with our pup biting and nipping. We recently moved to our new place, and moving again within 3 weeks, is this a factor?
We’ve tried the “ouch” and “no” but it hasn’t worked so far.
Big changes to a dog’s environment and routine can cause stress, anxiety, and changes in behavior. How long have you had your puppy? How old? What breed?
With my puppy, I set up a fixed routine and a consistent set of rules as soon as possible. Routine and consistency help to create certainty and certainty helps to reduce stress and anxiety.
How I deal with puppy biting.
How I set up structure and teach my puppy self-control.
How I train my puppy.
How dogs learn.
However, dog behavior is very context dependent so temperament, past experiences, routine, environment, and more will all play a big role. Therefore, when in doubt, I get help from a good professional trainer.
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/finding-professional-help
Hi, we’ve just added a new siberian (7 months old) to our family – we’ve had him for 10 very long days, he came from a reputable breeder, his testicle didn’t drop and he was placed into a pet home, us. We have a 13 year old female and a 3 year old male Siberian. We both work, some travel, but our dogs are walked 2.5 miles almost daily, have 4 acres to run in, and get lots of skijoring time in the winter. This little guy has some issues that we are really, really struggling with to the point we are ready to take him back. To be brief, he eats his own poop, he is quite willing to soil in his crate (and eat it), he seems to have some pretty good separation anxiety (destroys objects/toys/stuff/clothing). He howls and soils his crate (and ignores tasty interactive toys) – a sheet over the airline crate instead of wire has helped with noise some. He is crated at night and does very well, sleeps and no accidents but his sleep crate is in our room. We are using S.E.P. powder in his kibble, leash walks in the yard, praise/treats for pooing outside, structure/rules inside, feeding in his crate, plenty of walks. Umbilical training indoors, even 1 minute away seems to create a mess. In fact, we are spending ALL of our time with him, or cleaning up after him. It upsets our 3 year old male that he cries all day and poops in the house (and eats it). For example, today I walked them before and after feeding this morning, he went poop outside, praised him, he turned to eat it, I said eh-eh, and when he looked at me, I praised him verbally and treat, we walked away . Husband had him resting quietly in living room just a few hours later, got up to go to the bathroom, pup was lying quietly, and within a minute the pup had pooped on the living room floor and eaten most of it. We could reduce his food/change the feeding schedule as the breeder suggested but it seems kind of moot when the dog eats his own poop the moment it comes out. I’ve read tips and tips and tips….feeling pretty fed up here and at a loss. Everything we try seems to go two steps backward, especially with the added poop eating. I will be out of town next week on business, my husband will be home but working a few evenings. We adopted our older dogs at 2 and 5 yrs of age, I know this guy is young, but if I wanted to work this hard, I should’ve just gotten a 10 week old pup, not a 7 month old. Any help is appreciated. And even though I can afford to feed/care for my dogs well (the pup eats Orijen puppy), I don’t make enough money to cover day care at $20/day. Thanks.
I got my dog used to alone time by starting small and very slowly building up his tolerance. I start with a couple of seconds and build up from there. For desensitization to work well, I need to start at a point where the scary stimulus is weak enough that my dog is able to tolerate it without going into panic mode. Then I just keep repeating this many many times throughout the day, making sure that each time is positive and within his tolerance threshold.
The more positive and successful experiences my dog has, the more confidence he builds, and the more he can handle. Similarly, anxiety attacks or panic episodes will undermine that confidence, significantly set back training, and worsen his anxiety symptoms. Therefore, during the entire rehabilitation process, I need to keep my dog below his anxiety threshold by not exposing him to more alone time than he can handle.
If necessary, I bring him to the bathroom with me. If the room is too small, he stays outside and I leave the door open. If I need to be away, I get a trusted friend or neighbor to help dog-sit.
This ASPCA article has a lot more information on separation anxiety and desensitization exercises-
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/separation-anxiety
I recently had to give my dog to a neighbor due to an unforeseen move & my landlord wanting her house back. My chocolate lab was fine the first 2 weeks with our neighbor, now she has pee’d on their bed twice. She got out of the house & ran over to our old house. I know she’s def having some sort of anxiety since she us 4 & we’ve had her since she was 6 weeks old! We will be getting her back on April 3rd. Should I go see her so she knows I still love her! I’m afraid if I do she will mess in their house more than she already has. I don’t want to harm her anymore mentally than she already has been. Is it a good idea to go see her & leave knowing we can’t take her for another month?
Dog behavior is very context dependent, so it will depend on the temperament of the dog, past experiences, environment, routine, and more. Moving to a new place, with new people, is going to be very stressful for a dog. If possible, get the neighbor to try and keep to the same routine, use the same food, etc.
When we moved, I set up a fixed routine right away, that is similar to my dog’s previous routine. In general, I try to create as much certainty as possible. Certainty helps to reduce my dog’s stress and anxiety.
If I had to be separated from my dog, I would probably try to visit and see how it goes. If it goes well, I would want to see him as often as possible, but also keep to a fixed routine (e.g. see him at around the same time every day).
We have brought a rescue dachshund into our home and he is house trained. He does, however, have major separation anxiety. I, for the most part, take him to work with me but when my husband is on days off (he is a shift worker) Gaston is at home. Our problem is whenever my husband leaves the house the dog leave him a big mess to clean up. He has also peed in his truck twice even right after going before getting into the truck. He has never peed in my vehicle nor has he pooped in the house when I’ve left him alone. Is there a reason you are aware of as to why he only does this to my husband. We both love him equally and play with him equally when home.
thanks
Lynn
I also have a dachshund rescue dog , he is gentle and loves me but he also peed in our bed , on the mat so now I keep the door shut , but he also has separation anxiety and is destroying things by chewing when we go out. Today he wrecked the screen door.I walk him every morning .I have only had him 3weeks.
My shy Husky is usually more careful around men. Men are usually larger and have deeper voices, so they may seem more threatening, especially to a shy dog. We have this great neighbor who is super nice and funny, but he is tall and has a deep booming voice. Therefore, Shania may sometimes stay back, or if she goes to meet him, she lies down on her back. This is an appeasement gesture, and her way of saying that she is not a threat.
A dog’s behavior is also dependent on past experiences, so if past experiences with men have not been wholly positive, that could be another contributing factor.
The “leaving the house” ritual is also important, so differences in that may also cause differences in behavior.
What helped with my dog’s separation is to do careful desensitization exercises, which I talk more about above. This article from the ASPCA has more on separation anxiety and how to help a dog with this issue-
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/separation-anxiety
As you have observed, dog behavior is very context dependent. Therefore, a dog’s behavior may be quite different between different people, even though it seems to us that everything is the same. Things that seem small to us like eye-contact, tone of voice, and more, may mean a lot more to a dog, especially a shy and sensitive dog. Surrounding context and details are very important in dog behavior, which is why in many cases, consulting with a professional trainer can be quite helpful.
When I was having issues with my Shiba Inu, I consulted with several trainers. It can be a challenge to find a good trainer, because the field is not well regulated and anybody can build a website and call themselves a trainer/behaviorist/whatever. However, we found some good ones, and it was helpful to have someone there to guide me in timing, technique, reading my dog’s body language, and more.
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/finding-professional-help
I have a 13 week old Jackadoodle, after having her for just three days she was taken poorly, and was in isolation at the vets for 10 days and her first week back also had to be caged. We now have a real issue every time I leave the room she constantly follows me around the house and when left crys and howls until I return.i have tried the exercise first and I’m then trying to creep out while she is asleep. I’ve now after talking to the vet tried just leaving her to cry by sitting in the other room to moneter how long she crys for as I hate the fact she gets so stressed. I also make sure not to make a big fuss when I go back into the room. I really need to sort this as I have to be able to leave the house for a couple of hours a couple of times a week to visit my elderly mum.
I helped my Shiba Inu with his separation anxiety by *very slowly* getting him used to alone time. I would start with very short sessions (a couple of seconds) and then build up from there. I talk more about what I did in the section on desensitization, in the article above.
With desensitization exercises, I try to help my Shiba build confidence by maximizing calm and positive experiences. The more calm experiences he has, the more confidence he builds, and the more his tolerance for alone time increases. Similarly, reactive episodes and panic attacks will undermine that confidence, significantly set back training, and worsen his anxiety. Therefore, I make sure not to expose my dog to more than he can handle.
If I need to leave the house before Sephy is ready for it, I get a trusted friend or neighbor to house-sit for the duration.
This article from the ASPCA has more on separation anxiety and the desensitization process-
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/separation-anxiety
Hi,
I have a 2 year old maso mastiff,
She is house trained and very good but my problem is, since we got her she has slept in the same room as me.
We finally bought a big crate for her and she was fine with it, went in it and slept in it no problem. We leave the door open during the day so she has free roam and lock it at night or when we leave the house.
We recently moved her crate to a different room and now she will poop in it.. but it’s like diarrhea. She will only do it at night time, and she will cry and dig at her cage.
Could this be a separation anxiety too?
Please help me break her habit of this if you know a way to stop this with out having to put her crate back in my room.
Thank you.
Sudden changes to my dog’s routine can cause him significant stress, especially with my Shiba Inu, who really needs consistency and routine. In general, I try to manage my dog’s environment and routine so that there are no sudden big changes, and so that I can always set him up for success.
If there is something I need to change, then I introduce the change slowly and over a period of time, so that my dog can slowly get used to it and slowly build up confidence. For example, if I absolutely need to move my dog’s crate, then I move it a little bit at a time, towards the door. I let him get comfortable with the new position for a few nights, and if all goes well, I move it a little bit more and so on.
In this way, I give him time to get used to each little change so it is not overly disruptive and stressful.When I move it enough outside the room, I leave the room door open so that my dog can still see and smell me. Then if necessary, I slowly close the door a little bit, then a little bit more, and so on.
Both my Huskies prefer to sleep downstairs because it is a bigger space and they get more freedom. My Shiba Inu still prefers to sleep in the bedroom with his people. I observe each dog carefully, and I try to give them what they are most happy with, as long as it is safe.
My dog is on clomipramine for his separation anxiety and it helped at first but now it’s back and he’s still on the meds. I did not get him behavioral training because I can not afford that. Just wondering if there is any medication that I can give to him just in the morning when I have to go to work or any time I have to leave him alone. He never had separation anxiety before. There was a change in the house, family living with me for 1 month and he developed it then. He’s 8 years old and never had a problem with being alone. The family has been gone now for 3 weeks and he seemed to get better but now it’s back again and is worse. I don’t know what to do anymore or how to help him. It’s really taking a toll on him and me as well. I hate that he has to suffer and I can’t lead a normal life. Even if he just thinks I’m going out he shakes, whimpers, paces and pants. He has also caused damage by the window. Broke the blinds and there are scratch marks on the window pane. I need to know if there is any better meds that can help this without having to get a behaviorist to work with him.
I helped my dog cope with his separation anxiety by doing desensitization and counter-conditioning exercises. I start with very short periods of alone time (seconds) and *very slowly* build up there. I talk more about what I did in the article above.
This article from the ASPCA has more on how to conduct desensitization and counter-conditioning-
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/separation-anxiety
Management of my dog’s environment is very important during the rehabilitation process. I need to control his environment so that I can not only maximize successes, but also prevent further panic attacks from occurring. Success helps my dog to build confidence, and the more confidence he builds, the more comfortable he is with being alone. Similarly, panic or reactive episodes will undermine that confidence, significantly set back training, and cause his anxiety to worsen.
Therefore, during rehabilitation, I get someone to dog-sit if I cannot be home. I only leave my dog alone during controlled desensitization sessions – where I have full control of time-alone and can adjust it for success according to his current level of confidence and tolerance.
Based on what I have read, medication can be used to mute the symptoms of anxiety. However, it does *not* address the source of the anxiety itself, nor does it help a dog build confidence or tolerance. Medication can *sometimes* help with desensitization work if properly used and under professional direction, but as you have observed, it cannot replace behavior modification exercises.
Desensitization was a crucial and necessary part of helping my dog become more calm and relaxed when by himself.
my dog is “off the charts” anxious when I park the car. She is fine for the ride itself, but as soon as we pull into any parking lot, even our own driveway the anxiety starts. High pitch barking, tugging, in general a major panic. Also once she gets out of the car she is zig zagging on leash before I can even close the back door. I have never left her in the car for more than a couple of minutes and of course I leave a/c on if it’s hot etc. She is almost 2 & she is an English Cocker Spaniel. In general she is very clingy….follows from room to room etc. But surprisingly, she is fine when left home alone. Its parking the car that triggers her & I need ideas please!
Does she get anxious when she first goes into the car? Does she get anxious as soon as the car stops, or only after you leave the car? Has she always shown this behavior, or did it start suddenly, or did it develop over time?
What if you get in the car and don’t drive, what is her behavior then? What if you just drive a few feet and stop, does she show anxious behavior?
When trying to help my dog with anxiety issues, I first try to identify the source of the anxiety. I try to be as detailed as possible, so I know exactly what triggers the behavior. For example, is it being in the car alone, is it being in the car after a trip, is it excitement or fear, is it the noise the car makes when being parked, is it a combination of multiple things, or is it something else. Once I identify exactly what the triggers are, I can slowly desensitize my dog to it.
This ASPCA article has more on desensitizing a dog to being comfortable in a car-
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/fear-riding-cars
Hi – I recently adopted a Siberian Husky who is 4 years old and supposedly house broken. He has developed submissive / skittish behavior at the shelter before coming to me, and will now pee and poo when I leave the house not when i take him out. is this separation anxiety? i exercise him pretty well, and take him out after he eats. – thanks.
It *could* be. Does he only pee and poop in the house when he is alone? Has he ever done his business in the house when you are there? How long have you had him?
This ASPCA article has more information on separation anxiety.
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/separation-anxiety
Hi,
Me and my family have a huskamute called Jack that we adopted about three years ago now. My boyfriend lives with me and my family (mum & dad). Jack is pretty much mine and my boyfriends dog, he usually sleeps in our room at night and we do give him alot of attention. When we go out in the day he is fine but recently we’ve been away during the night time and my parents have told me that he keeps them up pretty much all night howling and pacing up and down. Me and my boyfriend are moving out soon as we are going to university, is there anything my parents can do to calm my dog down during the night.
Yeah, my dog Lara also gets anxious when there are changes in her regular routine.
One thing that helps with Lara is to get everyone in the family to participate in training, feeding, playing, and walking her. This helps to build trust and establish a bond between my dog and others in the family. It is helpful when I need to go on a trip, because there are others who can take over her care, with as little disruption as possible. It becomes even more important if I am planning to be away for a long time.
Initially, I help my dog build a bond with other family members by taking a step back, and letting others slowly take on more and more of her daily care and exercise. At the start, I am still there to lend familiarity and support, so that the transition is smoother and less stressful. As Lara becomes more accustomed to the other person, I can very slowly take a smaller and smaller role in her daily routine.
I want to start small, with only very small changes, and slowly build up from there. In this way, I minimize stress, help my dog build confidence, and help her slowly adjust to the upcoming changes.
During this time, I also set up a fixed routine and consistent rules. Routine and consistency helps to create certainty, which in turn helps to reduce stress.