Separation
Anxiety
How
do I know if my pet's
problem is due to separation
anxiety?
Separation
anxiety describes dogs that
usually are overly attached
or dependent on family members.
They become extremely anxious
and show distress behaviors
of vocalization, destruction,
house-soiling or inactivity
when separated from the owners.
Most dogs with separation anxiety
try to remain close to their
owners and become increasingly
anxious the greater the separation.
They may follow the owners from
room to room and begin to display
signs of anxiety as soon as
the owners prepare to leave.
Some of these dogs crave a great
deal of physical contact and
attention from their owners
and can be demanding. During
departures or separations they
may begin to salivate or pant
profusely, vocalize, eliminate,
refuse to eat, become destructive
or become quiet and withdrawn.
Most often these behaviors occur
within about 20 minutes of the
owner's departure. While
typically the behavior occurs
each and every time the owner
leaves, it can only happen on
selected departures, such as
work-day departures, or when
the owner leaves again after
coming home from work.
Are
there other reasons that my
dog may engage in these behaviors?
Many
dogs, especially puppies enjoy
chewing and engage in the behavior
when they have nothing better
to keep them occupied. House-soiling
may be due to medical problems,
leaving the dog alone for longer
than it can control its bladder,
or inadequate house-training.
Vocalization may be due to territorial
intrusion by strangers or other
animals, and can be a rewarded
behavior if the dog receives
any form of attention when it
vocalizes or rewarded by the
stimulus leaving. Some dogs
will attempt to escape or become
extremely anxious when confined,
so that destructiveness or house-soiling
when a dog is locked up in a
kennel, basement, or laundry
room, may be due to confinement
or barrier anxiety and associated
attempts at escape. In addition,
noise phobias such as a thunderstorm
that passes through during the
owner's absence, may lead
to marked destructiveness, house-soiling,
salivation and vocalization.
Old dogs with medical problems
such as loss of hearing or sight,
painful conditions and cognitive
dysfunction may become more
anxious in general, and seek
out the owner's attention
for security and relief. While
giving attention to help calm
your dog may seem to be the
best alternative, this may greatly
increase your dogs need to be
with you and around you at all
times.
What
can I do immediately to prevent
damage?
This
is an extremely difficult question.
The goal of treatment is to
reduce your pet's level
of anxiety by training it to
feel comfortable in your absence.
This can be a long intensive
process. Yet, most owners will
need to deal with the damage
or vocalization immediately.
During initial retraining its
usually best to hire a dog sitter,
take the dog to work, find a
friend to care for the dog for
the day, board the dog for the
day, or arrange to take some
time off from work to retrain
the dog. Kennel training or
dog proofing techniques may
work especially well for those
dogs that already have an area
where they are used to being
confined. Kennels should be
used with caution however, with
dogs that have separation anxiety
and/or also have barrier frustrations
because they can severely injure
themselves attempting to get
out of a kennel. It is important
to choose a room or area that
does not further increase the
dog's anxiety. The dog's
bedroom or feeding area may
therefore be most practical.
Booby-traps might also be used
to keep the dog away from potential
problem areas (see our handouts
on ‘Behavior management
products' and ‘Canine
punishment').
For
vocalization, anti-bark devices
may be useful (see our handout
on ‘Barking'), but
the dog will continue to remain
anxious, and the motivation
to vocalize may be too strong
for the products to be effective.
Tranquilizers and anti-anxiety
drugs may also be useful for
short-term use, until the owner
has effectively corrected the
problem.
Lastly,
punishment for destruction or
house-soiling when you return
is contra-indicated (see our
handout on ‘Canine punishment').
The destruction or house-soiling
is a result of the pet's
anxiety, not "spite"
or being "mad" that
you left. Punishment will only
serve to make the pet more anxious
at your return.
How
can the dog be retrained so
that it is less anxious during
departures?
Since
the underlying problem is anxiety,
try to reduce all forms of anxiety,
prior to departure, at the time
of departure, and at the time
of homecoming. In addition,
the pet must learn to accept
progressively longer periods
of inattention and separation
while the owners are at home.
What
should be done prior to departures?
Before
any lengthy departure, provide
a vigorous session of play and
exercise. This not only helps
to reduce some of the dog's
energy and tire it out, but
also provides a period of attention.
A brief training session can
also be a productive way to
further interact and "work"
with your dog. For the final
15-30 minutes prior to departure,
the dog should be ignored. It
would be best if your dog was
trained to go to its rest and
relaxation area with a radio,
TV, or video playing, as the
owner could then prepare for
departure while the pet is out
of sight and earshot of the
owner. The key is to avoid as
many of the departure signals
as possible, so that the dog's
anxiety doesn't heighten,
even before the owner leaves.
Brushing teeth, changing into
work clothes, or collecting
keys, purse, briefcase or schoolbooks,
are all routines that might
be able to be performed out
of sight of the dog. Owners
might also consider changing
clothes at work, preparing and
packing a lunch the night before,
or might even consider leaving
their car at a neighbor's so
the dog wouldn't hear
the car pulling out of the driveway.
The other alternative is to
expose your puppy to as many
of these cues as possible while
you remain at home so that they
no longer are predictive of
departure (see blow). A few
minutes prior to departure the
dog should be given some fresh
toys and objects to keep it
occupied so that the owner can
leave while the dog is distracted.
Saying goodbye will only serve
to bring attention to the departure.
What
can be done to reduce anxiety
at the time of departure?
As
you depart, the dog should be
kept busy and occupied, and
preferably out of sight, so
that there is little or no anxiety.
Giving special food treats that
have been saved for departure
(and training) times can help
keep the dog distracted and
perhaps "enjoying itself"
while you leave. Dogs that are
highly aroused and stimulated
by food may become so intensively
occupied in a peanut butter
coated dog toy, a fresh piece
of rawhide, a dog toy stuffed
with liver and dog food, or
some frozen dog treats, that
they may not even notice you
leave. Be certain that the distraction
devices last as long as possible
so that the dog continues to
occupy its time until you are
"long gone". Frozen
treats placed in the dog's
food bowl, toys that are tightly
stuffed with goodies, toys that
are designed to require manipulation
and work to obtain the food
reward, toys that can maintain
lengthy chewing, and timed feeders
that open throughout the day
are a few suggestions. Determine
what best motivates your dog.
For example, if a particular
toy is highly successful provide
two or three of the same type
rather than toys that do not
maintain your dog's interest.
It may also be helpful to provide
some or all of the dog's
food during departures with
a few special surprises in the
bottom of the bowl. On rare
occasions a second pet can help
to keep the dog occupied and
distracted during departures.
Food will not be of interest
to dogs that are too anxious.
.
What
should I do when I come home?
At
homecomings, ignore your dog
until it calms and settles down
(this may take 10-15 minutes).
Your dog should soon learn that
the faster it settles the sooner
it will get your attention.
Exuberant greetings or any type
of punishment for misbehavior
will only serve to heighten
the dog's anxiety surrounding
homecomings.
My
dog starts to get anxious even
before I leave. What can I do?
There
are a number of activities that
we do consistently prior to
each departure. The dog soon
learns to identify these cues
or signals with imminent departure.
On the other hand, some dogs
learn that certain other signals
mean that the owners are staying
home or nearby and therefore
the dog stays relaxed. If we
can prevent the dog from observing
any of these pre-departure cues
(discussed above), or if we
train the dog that these cues
are no longer predictive of
departure, then the anxiety
is greatly reduced. Even with
the best of efforts some dogs
will still pick up on "cues"
that the owner is about to depart.
Train your pet to associate
these cues with enjoyable, relaxing
situations (rather than the
anxiety of impending departure).
By exposing the dog to these
cues while you remain at home
and when the dog is relaxed
or otherwise occupied, they
are no longer predictive of
departure. This entails some
retraining while you are home.
You get the items (keys, shoes,
briefcase, jacket etc.) that
normally signal your departure,
and walk to the door. However,
you do not leave, just put everything
away. The dog will be watching
and possibly get up, but once
you put every thing away, the
dog should lie down. Then, once
the dog is calm, this is repeated.
However, only 3-4 repetitions
should be done in a single training
session. Eventually, the dog
will not attend to these cues
(habituate) because they are
no longer predictive of you
leaving and will not react,
get up or look anxious as you
go about your pre-departure
tasks. Then, the dog will be
less anxious when you do leave.
This often allows the next step
in re-training, planned departures.
What
can be done to retrain the dog
to reduce the dependence and
following?
The
most important aspect of retraining
is to teach the dog to be independent
and relaxed in your presence.
Only when you have taught the
dog to stay in place in its
bed or relaxation area, rather
than constantly following you
around, will it be possible
to train the dog to begin to
accept actual (or mock) departures.
First
and foremost the dog must learn
that attention-getting behaviors
do not pay off. Any attempts
at attention must be ignored.
On the other hand, lying quietly
away from you should be rewarded.
Teach your dog that it is the
quiet behavior that will receive
attention, and not following
you around, or demanding attention.
Your dog should get use to this
routine when you depart. Teach
your dog to relax in its quiet
area and to accept lengthy periods
of inattention when you are
home. You may have to begin
with very short periods of inattention
and gradually shape this to
30 minute periods or longer.
For some dogs this may mean
a formal program of ‘down'/'stays'
(see below). Be sure to schedule
attention, interaction and play
that you initiate.
How
can I teach my dog to accept
my departures?
Formal
retraining should be directed
at teaching your dog to remain
on its mat, in its bed, or in
its kennel or den area, for
progressively
longer periods of time (30 minutes
or more). Start by using a favored
treat as a prompt. Hold it in
front of your dog, give the
‘sit' or ‘lie
down' commands and then
give the treat, praise and petting.
At the next few commands, hold
your hand out, but hide the
food so that the dog is not
certain whether it is there
or not. Progress from a 1 second
sit, to 2 seconds then 3 seconds,
etc., until the dog will sit
for at least 60 seconds.
Next
practice the ‘stay'
command, holding up the hand
prompt saying ‘sit',
then ‘stay' and
walk 2 or 3 steps away. Have
the dog stay for 60 seconds
and then walk back and give
the reward with the dog staying
in position. Once your dog will
stay in place for 1 minute while
you go across the room, sit
and return, switch to intermittent
rewards. Patting and praise
is given every time, but food
is only given every 2nd, 3rd
or 4th time. However for each
new step in training, use the
food reward the first time or
two. If you have trouble proceeding
to this step, change to a leash
and head halter to ensure success.
Increase gradually to 30 minutes
or more. The goal is to teach
the dog to stay in its bed or
confinement area for progressively
longer periods of time before
you return and give the reward
and never to give attention
or rewards unless the dog is
leaving you alone or lying in
its resting area. Next, you
begin to leave the room. Hold
up your hand as prompt, give
the ‘down-stay'
command, walk across the room,
and go out of sight for a short
time before returning to give
the reward. Gradually make departures
longer until the dog will tolerate
leaving for up to 30 minutes.
From this point on, your dog
should be encouraged to stay
in its bed or kennel for extended
periods of time rather than
sitting at your feet or on your
lap. If your dog can also be
taught to sleep in this relaxation
area at night rather than on
your bed or in your bedroom,
this may help to break the over-attachment
and dependence more quickly.
During
these training exercises use
as many cues as possible to
help relax the dog. Mimic the
secure environment that the
dog feels when the owner is
at home. Leave the TV on. Play
a favorite video or CD. Leave
a favorite blanket or chew toy
in the area. These all help
to calm the dog.
How do I progress to leaving
the house?
Finally,
practice short "mock"
departures. During "mock"
or graduated departure training,
the dog should be exercised,
given a short formal training
session, and taken to its bed
or mat to relax. Give the ‘down-stay'
command, a few toys and treats
and leave. The first few "mock"
departures should be identical
to the training exercises above,
but instead of leaving the room
for a few minutes while the
dog is calm and distracted,
you will begin to leave the
home. The first few departures
should be just long enough to
leave and return without any
signs of anxiety or destructiveness.
This might last from a few seconds
to a couple of minutes. Gradually
but randomly increase the time
(e.g. 30 seconds, 1 minute,
2 minutes, 1, 2, 3, 2, 5, 7,
4, 7, 10, etc.). As the time
of departure approaches 10 or
15 minutes, begin to include
other activities associated
with departure such as opening
and closing the car door and
returning, turning on and off
the car engine and returning
or pulling the car out of the
driveway and returning.
How
come my dog gets so anxious
when I leave home, but is just
fine when I leave the car?
Many
dogs that destroy the home when
left alone will stay in a car
or van without becoming anxious
or destructive. This is because
the dog has learned to relax
and enjoy the car rides, without
the need for constant physical
attention and contact. And,
when the owner does leave this
relaxed dog in the car, the
departures are generally quite
short. The owner may occasionally
leave the dog in the car during
longer absences. The owner has
trained the dog using inattention,
relaxation and a graduated departure
technique. The dog has learned
that when he is in the car,
the owner returns quickly and
he can be good and not be anxious.
What is very important is to
progress slowly through the
series of departures. If when
you return, the dog is anxious
or extremely excited, then the
departure was too long and the
next one should be shorter.
This is an effective technique,
but very slow in the beginning.
The goal is to teach the dog
"my owner is only going
to be gone for a short time;
they are coming right back;
I can be good."
Is
drug therapy useful?
Drug
therapy can be useful especially
during initial departure training.
Tranquilizers alone do not reduce
the pet's anxiety and
may only be helpful to sedate
your dog so that it is less
likely to investigate and destroy.
Often the most suitable drugs
for long term use are anti-depressants,
anti-anxiety drugs or a combination.
Drugs alone will do little or
nothing to improve separation
anxiety. It is the retraining
program that is needed to help
your dog gain some independence
and accept some time away from
you.
This
client information sheet is
based on material written by
Debra Horwitz, DVM, DACVB and
Gary Landsberg, DVM, DACVB.
© Copyright 2002 Lifelearn
Inc. Used with permission under
license. March 11, 2004.