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, last friday we got a 9 month old cocker spaniel from a home. The owner said he had no time for him as they were travelling a lot. The dog also looked very weak and too quiet and timid. He is a lovely boy when we are with him, excellent with children and other dogs. We both work full time so our routine for the past two days (mon ans tues) has been, 5:30 am husband takes for wAlk, 6:15am food time, 6:45 to 7:30 am another walk.. Then i leave him home and go work. 11 to 12 the dog walker takes him out.. 3pm to when i return my lovely neighbour with a dog takes him to her place, the two dogs play and chill in the gArden.. He was fine on day 1 monday, he had scratched the door a bit and tried to open the cupboard with his food. In the evening, i come back at 6:30pm, feed him, walk him.. And ive been practicing ignoring him when i return. But tuesday was crazy! He ripped up the floor to floor carpet, broke a vase, dropped evrything from the window sill to the floor, pooped on the carpet.. I had thw dog walker take him for the wholw day then. What do u think is the best way to teach him that its ok to be alone, that ill come back. Will crate training help? If so how should i inteoduce him to it? Can i make him sleep in it overnight the very first time? What if he whines, i dont want him to associate the crate with punishment.. Please help me.. I dont want to give up without trying. I realise, this is how dogs get abandoned.. Thanks.
With my Shiba Inu, I start small and only *very slowly* build up his alone time. In this way, I make sure that he always has a positive experience and is successful. The more successes we have, the more confidence he gains, and the more comfortable he is with alone time. Unfortunately, the opposite is also true, so it was also very important to make sure that he does not have any bad experiences or panic attacks. These will undermine his confidence and significantly set back training.
As for crating, I think it really depends on the dog, and his past experiences with the crate. Some dogs may get even more anxious when confined in a crate, and some may even hurt themselves while trying to get out of the crate. More on what I do to crate train my dogs.
This ASPCA article has more useful information on separation anxiety-
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/separation-anxiety
When I was going through a difficult period with my Shiba, we also visited with several professional trainers. Dog behavior is very context dependent, therefore, it was helpful for us to have a good trainer come over, observe Sephy in his environment, and help us start on the right foot. It is not always easy to find a good trainer, so I also did a lot of reading on my own about dog behavior.
http://www.apdt.com/pet-owners/choosing-a-trainer/
http://shibashake.com/dog/where-to-get-dog-training-and-dog-behavior-information
How do I stop my puppy from eating his poo he is 19weeks old what do I do to stop this
http://shibashake.com/dog/how-to-stop-dog-eating-poop
Hi, I have a 3 yr old chihuahua who I have had since a pup, I have moved around a lot and I haven’t ever had a problem with leaving her with anyone, until the past two weeks when I left her at home with my housemate for 3 days, she started refusing to go outside to pee and poo and also hasn’t eaten or drank much, until today she would do all three at least once a day but having left her over 24hrs ago she still hasn’t peed pooed drank or eaten and I’m worried. When I am there she is always sitting with my house mate and cuddling up with her but as soon as Ieave she doesn’t go near her! She is also really bad anyway with growling and going for people when she is in her bed even if I tell her off, so my house mate can’t even pick her up and take her outside, any help?
So you were away for 3 days and she was with your housemate for those days? Did anything out of the ordinary happen during those 3 days? Did she eat or chew on anything she shouldn’t have during that time? Has she not wanted to eat before? Does she not want to eat anything – not even her favorite food? How is her energy level? Did you notice anything different with her pee and poop? Is she showing any other changes in behavior?
When my dogs stop eating and drinking, I usually take them to the vet as soon as possible. Usually they keep to a very fixed routine, and they love eating boiled chicken. If they won’t eat that, then I know something is wrong.
Hope she feels better soon. Let us know what the vet says.
I’ve got a 18month old jack russle and recently we had her spade and ever since then she has been pooing in the house when where not home. She did it last week when my dad went out and I was still in. Even the other day we where all out playing on the garden and my dog came in the house to poo. Any ideas to help my dog ?
Was she fully potty trained before the spay surgery? How long had she gone without mistakes before the surgery? How long ago was the surgery? Has she gone back to her regular pre-surgery routine?
I raised my boxer from 8 weeks to where we are today with him almost 6 years old now. I’ve lived with my family this whole time going to school and going to work. Recently I took a vacation for two weeks while my family and my dog stayed behind, and while I was away he began pooping and peeing in the house. This vacation I took has landed me a new job about 2500 miles away and unfortunately I cannot take my dog with me. Is there anything I can do to help him for when I move?
Congratulations on your new job.
What seems to work well for my dogs is to help them build a bond with other members of the family. For example, I get somebody else to start doing the feeding, training, walking, etc.
In the beginning, I make sure I am there for all of these activities, but I let the other family member take the lead. My presence helps to reassure my dog, but at the same time he starts to spend more time with others, and learns that they are also a source of food and fun.
As my dog starts to gain more confidence, I very slowly reduce my time with him. For example, I may be there in the beginning of a training session, but then I may leave towards the end and so on. I want to slowly get him used to a routine where he starts to depend more on others, and less on me.
In this way, if I get sick or need to go away, he will still be fine spending time with other family members, because he has established some trust and a bond with them.
I have a almost year old pure bred English Lab. Recently I had to put down my older dog which they were used to each other. My other dog came everywhere with me because I am a shift worker at the hospital and he was used to being in the car with his bed and loved to travel. I started Apollo as soon as I got him and he would travel with the other dog. Now its become different the other dog is not in the car and I am finding him getting all excited in the car and barking. When I come out on my breaks and spend the time with him and take him for a walk and a pee and then he comes back to the car and sleeps. I have tried a few things calming chews, bring his toys from home.
I am thinking of trying him with one of those thundershirts to see if that helps. I am not sure what to do I can’t do the daycare as we live in remote area and when I go into work its too early or too late for daycare.
In terms of anxiety wraps, this WSJ article has some good information on them-
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703396604576088022525625918.html
I also write a bit more about them here-
http://shibashake.com/dog/dog-anxiety-problems#thundershirt
For separation anxiety, desensitization exercises have worked well with my dogs. During the retraining period, I got a pet sitter, friend, or relative to come be with them, if I cannot be there for long periods of time. This helps to prevent anxiety attacks, which would set back my retraining process.
Hi, recently, in the last 4 weeks, my 5 year old cross has started to stress about going to bed. Previously we would say ‘bed time’ and off she would trot into her bed. Now she won’t move to her bed and starts shivering, goes into the kitchen and will hide under a table and not go near her bed. We leave her and close the door. The next morning she will be tucked up in bed, no shivering as if nothing has happened. I have just come down at 4am, same routine as other nights, shivering before bed, to find her happy in bed. After a few minutes she is up again shivering and not wanting to go back to bed. In the day time she is fine sleeping there. I work from home and I am with her nearly all of the time. Any ideas?
When does she start shivering and going into the kitchen? Is it when you say “bed time”? If you skip saying “bed time” and just leave, does she get stressed? During the daytime, do you say “bed time”? If you do say “bed time” during the day, does she start getting stressed?
When my dog shows signs of stress, I first try to identify was exactly is triggering the behavior. Is it time of day? It is a particular sound or phrase? What am I doing when the stress signals start to appear? What was my dog doing just before? What is happening outside – is there a particular sound? Did anything unusual happen when this behavior started to show – thunderstorms, loud noises, change in routine?
Once I identify what the stress trigger is, then I can start to desensitize my dog toward it. Sometimes, there can be multiple stress triggers.
http://shibashake.com/dog/how-to-calm-a-fearful-reactive-dog
My 3 year old Labrador gets destructive or jumps on counters To eat food in the house during the day when we are at work. This does not happen every day but more often than not if anything is available to eat or destroy. She won’t do anything during the times we are in so corrective action is impossible. Do you think this is separation anxiety? Do you think having her in a cage for 6 hours on weekdays would be ok or make her worse? Thanks.
It is not possible to tell without looking at the dog, her environment, routine, and surrounding context. Does she get stressed when you leave the room? Does she whine or scratch at the door? What is her daily routine like? Some people set up video cameras to tape their dog while they are gone, to see if the dog shows any stress behaviors.
In terms of leaving yummy food unattended, I think most dogs will try to get at it. To prevent jumping on counters, I make sure I am around to supervise. If I am not around, I remove all temptation from open counters and store them in a safe area. Otherwise, my dog will learn that when I am not around, he can jump on counters and be rewarded with good stuff. The more good stuff he gets, the more likely he will repeat the behavior.
As for crating, it depends a lot on the dog, how comfortable she is with the crate, how strong her anxiety is, etc. Some dogs with strong separation anxiety will do *all* that they can to escape from the crate, and often end up hurting themselves. There was this lovely Chow we met at the SPCA who lost several teeth and cut himself pretty badly, while trying to escape from his kennel to find his owner who had recently passed away.
To help my dog with separation anxiety, I did desensitization exercises and made sure to exercise him well, both mentally and physically. I also try to socialize my dog to other people so that if I cannot be around, there are others who can step in and help take care of him, without him getting stressed-out.
Hi Shiba Shake!
Kogi is a 5 month old Shiba Inu now and experiencing some separation anxiety – due to an unpredictable change in living arrangements, I have to leave him at home when I work night shifts which is stressful for my neighbors because he keeps them up at night.
His behavior: He whines and whistles, occasionally barks and howls, off and on throughout the night (this is all according to my neighbors), I have witnessed him pacing a little bit and I’ve noticed that he chews the baby gate a little bit, but there’s no evidence that he does any other destructive behavior (escaping or destroying molding or doors)
My behavior: I have been trying to desensitize him with short periods of time alone, however, my neighbors have been becoming less patient with his whining at night. I try to make exits and entrances not a big deal, and reward him only when he is calm and quiet. He’s enrolled in obedience classes to build his confidence, too.
Have you ever tried D.A.P (dog appeasing pheromone) products? It was recommended to me by a friend but I wasn’t sure if it would be worth investing in. Also, how much of this is puppy behavior and at what point should I be worried that this will continue into his adulthood?
Would appreciate your input!
What I noticed with desensitization and counter conditioning is that during the *entire retraining period*, we want to try to keep our dog below threshold. If I leave my dog alone and he starts to get really anxious, that undoes my desensitization work because during that period he will associate alone time with stress and anxiety.
For separation anxiety, I got a walker or pet sitter for my dog when I had to leave. In this way, he does not get stressed when I am gone, and in the meantime, I can slowly get him used to more and more alone time at a pace that he is comfortable with.
I have not tried DAP. I think scent can be useful as an add-on (e.g. using it while doing desensitization may help) but I am not sure that it is a strong enough counter-stimulus when used by itself.
Sephy had some separation anxiety when he was young. I mostly did desensitization exercises with him and he got over it after some time. I am a big believer of retraining problem behaviors early-on so that it does not escalate into something more as he matures. With Sephy, doing positive socialization exercises was also beneficial because it helped him to build confidence. The more confident he became, the less anxious he was during alone time.
I also give him many outlets for his Shiba energy during the day. When he is more tired, he is more calm.
I talk about a few more things that I did in the article above.
We have a 2 yr old Australian Shepherd. We have had her for a year, adopted from a rescue. She has come a long way and does well in the crate, entering easily on her own as we prepare the kong at night. She can be left alone for at least 5 hours well during the day and only needs simple reminders in the crate to sit and wait calmly until I unlock it. She is excited but controlled as she drops to the floor for her petting.
The advice I am seeing online does not address public options for dealing with separation distress. Her separation distress occurs when we are in public and I need to walk away from her, even for a minute or two. No one else is adequate for her. She whines, jumps, pulls and basically loses her mind, even while she can still see me…..worse if I enter a building or am out of site. I am not sure how to help her in these situations (or the person left holding the leash). I cannot always carry a filled kong to produce when I need to use a restroom, etc. At a dog park, I needed to walk 15 feet away to dispose of her doggie bag. She came unglued and worked her way through the wide slots in the gate (they now have meshed it over because of this and I just drop her bag outside the gate until we leave and get it then). She could see me the entire time. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!!
Two things that help with my dog –
1. Socialize him well to other people
Both my Huskies are good with other people, but my Shiba does not trust as easily. Therefore, I make sure to socialize him well to other people and make sure that his interactions with other people are always positive.
How does your Aussie react to other people?
With my Shiba, I start small and go slowly so that he builds confidence and learns to trust other people at his own pace. I do people desensitization exercises if necessary. In this way, I have people who can take care of him if I need to be away.
2. Desensitization in public places
I also did desensitization exercises with my Shiba in public places. We first start with a more quiet environment, and I get someone else to engage him in training while I am standing close by. I don’t give him any attention, eye-contact, or anything else during this time. If everything goes well, I move one step away, and we repeat.
Once he is ok with me being farther away in a quiet area, then I can slowly increase the environmental challenge.
More on desensitization and counter-conditioning-
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/desensitization-and-counterconditioning
She is very friendly toward others and wants to meet everyone. She does have a squat submissive walk as she gets close, but she is pulling to get to them, wagging her stub tail the whole time. She knows she should sit or lie down and does so without command, but the excited wiggle is still brewing. Depends on the situation if she can maintain the down position during petting or if she pops up in excitement. More often she pops up. She has made tremendous progress with her submissive urination….that happens mostly only with unknown men now, and other dogs she is excited to play with.
We take her as many places as we can. She does Dog 4H with my kids every week. In our home, she trains with my daughter well. It is outside walking with our kids or in 4H session she prefers to turn to me. She is highly excitable just heading in to 4H. During 4H it takes a while for her to settle in with my daughter working her. She wants to come to me so I have to avoid eye contact with her during this time. Part way through the session, she is more willing to comply with my daughter and then does well in her exercises, without keeping an eye on me until she returns to our seat. Leaving the room for training is no better. When walking with my daughter and I, with daughter holding the leash, dog still watches me for instruction, even if I have been silent. If I drop back to let daughter walk her and take command, dog turns to watch me instead. She does let my daughter take her out for a short walk ok.
I will have my daughter train her outside with me present, and increase the distance from me. We will also try to do some of the people desensitization exercises to help her calm her excitability when seeing someone near.