Soothe your dog’s separation anxiety by changing routine
My dad adopted a 15-month-old spaniel with separation anxiety. When alone, the dog whines and paces. He drools to the point of soaking his entire body. Initially the dog was on tranquilizers, but was weaned off them. My father is home most of the time. We tried leaving the dog alone for five minutes. Gradually this increased to three hours. Now, the dog becomes agitated as soon as my dad puts on shoes. We have tried herbal supplements, toys, treats, bones and distracting him. Sometimes he stays with family when my dad has to go out. How can we help him overcome this anxiety?
Dogs with separation anxiety panic when owners leave. It’s a problem rooted in anxiety. Working past this problem requires that the dog experiences feeling safe when alone.
Families struggle with this problem because working and shopping necessitates leaving the house. Our lives are in direct opposition to what the dog needs. Compensate for this by using any help you can get. Having family who can dog-sit is a tremendous asset.
Pharmaceuticals can also be valuable. Owners sometimes meet the suggestion for anti-anxiety medication with resistance. It is no different than giving pain medication for pain. Offering a dog that is distressed a reprieve can lessen stress. If we have the power to give a dog relief, we should consider that as an option until behaviour-based exercises have an impact. If departures are few, ask the veterinarian for options that can be given as required.
Gradually exposing the dog to longer periods is the correct idea. However, most of these dogs feel agitated at the first warning sign that an owner is leaving. Routine habits such as putting on shoes, brushing one’s teeth or picking up keys indicate to the pet that they will soon be alone. Anxiety begins in anticipation of the departure. For this reason, five minutes is well beyond what most dogs can initially handle.
Start by teaching the dog that these warnings are irrelevant. Brush your teeth, but do not leave. Put shoes on and wear them in the house. Teach the dog that these things predict nothing worrisome. Break the negative association they carry.
Once the dog can remain relaxed for these warning signs, families can then begin work on micro-departures. Walk to the door and open it. Give the dog a special treat such as a piece of meat. Immediately close the door.
The food starts to develop positive associations. Be careful that you reach for the food after opening the door and not any earlier. The departure should predict food, not the other way around.
Practice until the dog is happily anticipating the treats. It is not enough for the dog to be quiet. Aim for relaxed. At that point one can try stepping outside the door prior to coming right back in. Continue feeding treats as you leave. Progressively work toward longer absences. Use baby steps. Think seconds not minutes. Let the dog’s behaviour be the measure by which you decide when the dog is ready for more challenges.
As longer absences develop, switch to food-filled busy toys instead of individual treats. Give long breaks between these practice sessions. Dogs can learn to discriminate between real life and drills if our homework does not emulate real life.
Starting with exercises that are seconds long may seem overwhelming. Small steps breed success. It lays a strong foundation that supports future progress.
Once owners are leaving the house, longer departures quickly develop. With such repeated safe experiences, the dog relaxes, certain in their knowledge that their person will return. Yvette Van Veen is an animal behaviour consultant. Write her at advice@awesomedogs.ca