Anxiety & Separation

Many forms of problem behavior are a result of a dog's fears. Some people assume shy dogs are more likely to be afraid and anxious. In fact, assertive dogs are more likely to worry about things over which they have no control but your dog's temperament may have little do do with anxiety. Anything that is new or unfamiliar to your dog could pose a threat to his life so it's normal for a dog to fear the unusual. A dog can become anxious if frequently exposed to something he fears. In the home environment, where your dog has you to protect him, this anxiety is unnecessary.

Your first instinct when your dog displays anxious behavior such as trembling or hiding, is to comfort him by petting, sooth him with your voice or pick him up. Reassurances DO make him feel better but comforting also rewards him for acting afraid and makes it more likely that he will use the same strategy next time he needs to feel better. With some dogs, this becomes a problem. These dogs begin trembling and whining any time they feel they are not getting attention or whenever something new is expected of them. This is not an "act" because the dog actually feels anxious and fearful. You can help your dog overcome fear and prevent anxiety by ignoring anxious behavior and rewarding appropriate attention seeking (such as play or obedience).

Phobias

If your dog is genuinely frightened of a specific person, object or event that can be avoided, its appropriate to simply avoid it. However, some dogs fear common events that can't be prevented, car rides, the groomer, or sunglasses. You can help your dog overcome fear and prevent anxiety by ignoring anxious behavior and rewarding behavior that you prefer.

Find something that your dog really likes; liver treats or a squeaky toy. Plan an activity that usually brings about anxious behavior. If your dog is anxious around strangers, have a friend come over, a stranger to your dog. Ignore any trembling, whining or hiding. Sit beside or perpendicular to your friend (face to face orientation signals confrontation to a dog). Bounce a ball or share food with your friend while you talk for half an hour or so. Act happy and acknowledge your dog calmly each time he moves to play or stops shivering. Don't INVITE the dog to approach you by calling him or offering food but ignore all fearful behavior and respond to all interactive behavior. At any sign of overwhelming the dog, go back to a previous level of exposure to the fearful situation, perhaps by moving away from your friend or going outside to talk. Work up to the new level gradually.

If your dog is afraid of storms, you can buy a recording of thunderstorms and adjust the volume over the course of a half hour while playing with a ball or feeding him. The dog will NOT think the recording is a real storm. Storms include changes in temperature and barometric pressure so the recording is just a good first step to reduce his fear of the sounds that accompany a storm. Again, act happy and reward all interactive behavior while ignoring all anxious behavior. During a regular storm, offer your dog the same rewards for calm behavior. If your dog is usually motivated by food but won't eat during a storm, wait until you see lightning and offer a delicious food treat that takes a moment to chew. Your dog will be gulping it down just as the thunder claps, perfectly timing the reward for NOT being afraid.

If your dog is afraid of riding in the car, reward him for jumping in and out of the car without taking a trip. The next day, start the car while rewarding him but do not take a trip. Then take several short trips so that you can stop the trip before he becomes overwhelmed. Be sure most trips end in happy events and not just the kennel or the vet's office. The point is to cheer your dog through becoming accustomed to the things he used to fear.

During this retraining period, be sure that all "new" experiences are good ones. Protect your dog by taking him out for a walk or into another room if you have repairmen or guests arriving when you have not prepared them in advance. You may ask your vet to prescribe a tranquilizer for impending storms or trips that will occur before you have had time to retrain your dog. Don't train when your dog is taking a sedative. Other medications, such as antidepressents may help a dog with chronic anxiety. Be sure to ask your vet about the effects of medication on learning and activity level. You cannot train a tranquilized dog but dogs on antidepressents can continue to learn.

Repetitive licking

There is a special manifestation of anxiety in which dogs lick a front paw at the "wrist" or flank so that a skin irritation develops. This is not usually related to allergies or flea dermatitis. A dog may spend hours licking the area. To stop the behavior you can apply an anti lick ointment such as YUK to your dog's fur. In addition to the ointment, reward your dog any time he is NOT licking by stopping to pat him or offering him a toy. Ignore all licking behavior. If you play with your dog to distract him from licking he will learn to lick to get you to play. Only invite him to play when he is NOT licking. If your dog has caused a skin lesion, you should talk to your vet about some of the medications used to treat anxiety. Some licking habits have a neurological or inherited basis that responds to medication.

Separation anxiety

If your dog's anxious behavior only occurs when you are not home, often referred to as separation anxiety, you can gradually accustom your dog to staying alone, just as you accustom him to other fear inducing situations. Click on the hyperlink for detailed training plan.

The most common problem with anxiety in dogs is destructive behavior by the dog when the dog is left alone. There are many reasons a dog may misbehave when left unsupervised and most of them are NOT from anxiety. If your dog ONLY chews destructively or eliminates inside when you are not home, and never makes a mistake any other time, anxiety could be the problem.

A reliable indication that destructive behavior is related to anxiety is that the dog, if offered a treat when the owner leaves (good idea), doesn't eat it until the owner comes home. Once the owner arrives, the dog immediately runs to get the treat and wolfs it down. This indicates the dog's level of anxiety when alone is high enough to preclude eating. This is a pretty high level of anxiety which could result in destructive behavior.

Destructive behavior or house soiling when left alone is NOT spiteful behavior. Don't fall into the trap of thinking your dog KNOWS what she did is wrong because she avoids you when you come home. Slinking around is just canine appeasement behavior. You can prove this to yourself by putting one of your socks on the floor. Now, point to it, put your hands on your hips and start yelling. Appeasement behavior. You know she didn't do anything and so does she. Why is she acting "guilty"? She is appeasing you to avoid conflict. If you are her leader, appeasing you is her job.

When dogs are anxious they feel the urge to eliminate. The more anxious they get, the less likely they are to be able to wait. Additionally, some scent marking that occurs with elimination is reassuring to a dog. So elimination, temporarily, makes the dog feel better. Chewing also makes a dog feel better. It's distracting and helps relieve nervous energy. In fact dogs sometimes chew things that smell the most like you, a chair you sit in, a shoe or your clothing.

If your dog is suffering from separation anxiety he or she probably has experienced one or more of the following past experiences:

• Loss: If a puppy loses his or her mother before 8 weeks of age (if the puppy also lost her littermates anxiety is even more common), anaclitic depression can occur. This "depression" can cause an extreme fear of being alone that results in refusal to eat or relax when alone as well as generalized anxiety or neediness even when you are with her.
• Isolation: Lack of companionship between 8 and 16 weeks of age, such as being caged alone at a pet store or kept in a kennel that does not allow puppies to play together, can contribute to anxiety later in life. Puppies raised in unstimulating environments can be afraid of new things and generally insecure.
• Abandonment: If a dog is abandoned by her previous owner, she knows that sometimes people leave forever. Separation is more difficult for these animals.
• Life on the Streets: Stray dogs have to pay attention to everything. Over attention, called hyper-vigilance, is necessary to acquire food and avoid getting attacked or trapped. You may see this expressed as excessive energy or a barking at activities that are normal household events.
• Inherited predisposition: Some dogs are bred to watch and notice everything so their hyper-vigilance is instinctive and genetic. Sheepdogs, guard dogs and in some cases, sporting dogs inherit this type of obsessive attentiveness. This can make them nervous or easily bored. These breeds are designed to work with a human companion all day. They may not be prepared for hours alone in a working family.
• Schedule Changes: An owner previously at home becomes a full time worker and the dog has no time to adjust to staying alone. When you adopt a dog from the shelter or a rescue organization you can pretty much count on changing her schedule.

Treating separation anxiety

You can't undo the experiences your dog has already had. That's ok. Dogs are born to learn. If the damage done by your dog is severe enough that you need to confine her to protect her from harm and your house from damage, click the crate link here to read about introducing your dog to a cage properly. A crate will keep your dog from hurting herself or your belongings during a retraining period of two months. However, a crate cannot be used to confine a dog for 8 hours and can't be introduced suddenly. As an alternative, teach your dog to stay alone using a tie down while you are home, described below.

Make your coming and going rituals less emotional. No long goodbyes and no excited greetings. In fact ignore your dog for 5 minutes before you leave and 5 minutes after you arrive. Try not to jingle the keys and don't rush out of the house with coat and shoes flying. Keep it mellow. You can even help your dog by jingling your keys for no reason throughout the day so this noise is no longer a signal to panic. Don't serve dinner to your dog immediately after you arrive home. This just makes an association between your arrival and hunger ... you don't want to create a need for dinner as well as your company.

When you leave for the day add white noise to your dog's environment, especially for hyper-vigilant dogs or point of access destruction (windows and doorways). You might have success with TV or radio if they are likely to be on when you are home. Tune to the station you listen to or try talk radio.

Even if your dog will not eat when alone, offer her a Kong or Buster Ball stuffed with treats whenever you leave. Put the treat away as soon as you come home--during the ignoring. Your dog needs to learn this special treat is only available while she is alone.

Hire a dog walker to break up the day. You may also consider doggie day care. It's no joke. The dogs have a great day, make friends, and are tired from a hard day just like you. Great solution for those herding breeds.

The dog must have three exercise periods each week (more is better) in which the he becomes tired (health conditions accounted for). Joining a dog play group at a local park is a fitting activity. A structured activity, like fly ball or agility training is also good.

Teach your dog to accept confinement while you are home with a crate or tie down. A tie down is simply a leash that is too short to tangle, anchored to the floor or wall in your home. Attach your dog to the tie down with in reach of his comfortable bed. Sit just out of reach and read a book. Reward your dog for lying down, playing with toys or ignoring you by petting him or tossing treats in his direction the instant he is not whining or pulling against the tie down. Use a phrase that will become a command later, such as "Relax". Gradually move farther away until you are out of view. This will teach your dog the behavior you accept while you are out of view. Don't use a tie down to confine a dog when you are not home. It's a training aid for correcting behavior and useful when you are home and require the dog to rest quietly when he does not need to be on a commanded stay.

You may want to consult with your veterinarian about temporarily medicating your dog. Sedating her is NOT recommended. Tranquilizers keep her asleep but do nothing for her state of mind. Valium will make it difficult for her to remember anything so she will not learn that staying home is ok. These types of drugs won't help you in the retraining process. However, there are many medications that may help. Your vet can discuss all your options.