Practial Dog Training Tips

Separation anxiety and how to deal with it.

What is it?

Separation anxiety is normally characterized by destructive behavior when the dog is left alone. The destructive behavior usually occurs within a short period of time after the owner leaves the house. Behavior may include destructive chewing, getting into the garbage, nuisance barking or howling, or even defecating on the owners bed. When the owner returns, the dog is over-exuberated to the point of being almost uncontrollable.

What causes it?

Separation anxiety may be caused by a number of things. If a dog has not had the opportunity to form a bond as a puppy, or has been denied bonding for an extended period of time, such as a period in a boarding kennels or animal shelter, separation anxiety may result. Sometimes separation anxiety may be caused by a trauma, i.e., some particularly unpleasant experience while the dog is home alone. A dog that is made over-dependent by his owner is more apt to develop severe symptoms of separation anxiety. Regardless of the cause, if your dog has separation anxiety, you can help him get over it if you work at it.

How to deal with it.

In severe cases your veterinarian may prescribe drugs to help keep the dog calm during your absence. Drugs are not a substitute for training, and are only used to help the dog during the period of behavior modification.

As with all problems, begin with obedience training. Make sure that it is proper obedience training. The kind that will make it clear to the dog that you are in control, and that his role in the pack is to be a follower. Obedience training, if properly done, is almost like waving a magic wand. Many problems, large and small, just seem to disappear as the obedience training progresses.

At the same time, begin work on the separation problem:

Desensitizing stress-causing associations

Your dog will have formed associations related to being left alone in the house. When you are preparing to leave the house you usually go through a little routine. You probably put on your coat and hat, pick up your car keys, etc.. This chain of events tells the dog that you are about to leave him alone. Some people may even make a big fuss over the dog when they leave home, trying to reassure him that they will come back, perhaps because they feel guilty about leaving him alone, or because they hope to con him out of shredding the sofa. This just makes matters worse.

Begin by changing the routine you normally go through when you're getting ready to leave.

Put on your coat and hat, say nothing to the dog, go to the door. Notice whether your dog is starting to show signs of stress. Do not go outside. Take your coat off and sit down. When you can go to the door with your coat and hat on, and the dog shows no sign of stress, open the door and step outside. Close the door, wait a minute or two, listening for any sign that your dog may be getting into trouble, open the door, go back inside, say nothing to the dog, take off your coat and hat and sit down. Act like everything is normal.

Gradually increase the time you are outside, until you are up to five or 10 minutes. Be careful not to make a fuss over the dog, either when you are leaving, or when you come back. Act as if your coming and going is no big deal, and the dog will begin to accept it as such. It may take many trials to get your dog to the point where he remains relaxed when you leave the house. Whatever it takes, stay with it until you can remain outdoors for at least 10 minutes without any problems. At this point, you need to convince the dog that you're really gone. Start your car and back it to the end of the driveway. Shut the car off, go back in the house, ignore the dog, find something to read and go back to the car. When you can read for five or 10 minutes in the car and then drive up to the house, and the dog is staying relaxed, try driving around the block.

Since most destructive behavior caused by separation anxiety occurs within 45 minutes or an hour after the dog is left alone, when you are able to stay away for that period of time, you pretty much have the battle won. Remember that the time the dog is left alone must be built up a few minutes at a time just as you would do with any obedience exercise.

In most cases it helps to associate a specific word or phrase with your departure. Saying something like " wait", or " watch the house" will soon become a cue that means you are leaving but you will be back soon. Always use the same word or phrase, and always in calm, nonchalant manner. Dogs that suffer from separation anxiety are over-dependent, so you should try to instill a little self-reliance in him.
Don't let him follow you from room to room as though he were tied to your apron strings.
Don't make a fuss over him just because you want him to feel good. If you feel the need to praise him or pet him, make him earn the attention, even if it's only by doing something simple such as obeying a "sit" command.
Make him sit and wait until you say "OK" when you feed him.
Make sure he doesn't run out the door ahead of you.
Begin to treat him as a normal, happy, self-reliant dog.
In many cases, what you expect from your dog is what you get.

Good luck with your training!

Neil

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