Separation Issues

Separation Issues

By Laura Gendron, Miss Behavior

A dog that jumps all over you when you come home?

A dog who tries to get out the door with you when you leave?

Chewed up pillows, floor, door frame?

Neighbors who tell you your dog has been barking all day?

Drool all over the crate?

The gift of pee or poop somewhere in the house when you get home?

A dog who follows you around like a shadow when you are home?

How many of the above questions can you answer yes to?

Separation issues are very common and can be very frustrating to work with. There are many levels of separation issues in dogs, ranging anywhere from separatING issues to clinical separation anxiety.

SeparatING issues usually consist of behaviors such as trying to get out the door with you, barking or even nipping at you as you leave, jumping up on the couch to see you go, but then sleeping the day away or lounging around while you're gone. Then when you get home, you have an excitable dog but he/she calms down within 5 minutes or so. That is a dog who has an issue with you leaving without him but is okay while you're gone - followed by excitement when you come home because you are pretty awesome! Sure he wants to go with you, but he can also handle being home alone. One easy solution: Offer him a stuffed Kong or some sort of treat dispensing toy a couple of minutes before you leave. Before you know it, he will be eager to get you out the door! Of course, there are further methods for this but that's a good starting point

In a second scenario, you have all of the above, but your dog chews things up while you're gone or gets into the trash... Well, that's fair game. Your dog is probably bored, has energy to spare, and if the trash is handy and you're not home... well, that's fair game. Why not? PLEASE keep in mind here that if this is something you come home to but you did not literally catch your dog IN the act, there is nothing you can do. Your dog does not remember that HE was the one who caused the mess, even if he does look like the most "guilty" dog in the world. dogs do not feel guilt the way we do. Dogs create associations. Trash on the floor, mom walks in the door... uh-oh.. last time things looked like this, mom yelled at me (for some reason). Dogs learn by experience that this scenario is bad so they can "look guilty". However, they don't actually know WHY you are mad. Ok, that's me spiel on behalf of dogs there... Exercise your dog more and leave him with something to do, or crate train him (properly) and leave him with an interactive toy or two in the crate. And if he doesn't eat the food until you come home, see the next scenario as that can be indicative of actual anxiety.

Then there is separation anxiety. Simplified, anxiety is "the fear of" and separation = "being alone" so separation anxiety can be defined as the "fear of being alone". That being side, there are many degrees of separation anxiety, ranging from very mild to very severe. Dogs with separation anxiety tend to be generally insecure, follow you around like a shadow (often even into the bathroom) and are hyper-aware of your leaving cues (anything from kids eating their morning cereal before school to shoes going on, keys picked up, coat put on,  etc). They also are extremely worked up when you come home and have a hard time settling quickly on their own. You might come home to pee or poop near a doorway or chewing of the door, door frame, or crate. Barking, howling, or whining all day is also very common, along with many other signs.

Each dog is different so unfortunately, there is no cookie-cutter training method for this behavior. What I can tell you without knowing your dog is that you need to increase his confidence, give him a routine, leave him with a yummy stuffed Kong (even if you come home to it not being eaten, keep offering it. It will be a huge breakthrough day when you finally come home to an empty Kong as overly stressed dogs will often not eat), leave some soothing background noise on (Through a Dog's Ear is great), and most importantly teach him to cope with being alone even when you are home. Don't let him follow you into the bathroom, or go to the mailbox with you every time. Gate him into a separate room or shut a door behind you. Every time you are going to do this, leave him with something yummy to chew on.

Now, all these methods may not work easily with all dogs and because there is a LOT more to separation anxiety, I do highly recommend that you consult a qualified professional, and be ready to make some lifestyle changes. Keep an open mind to learning your dog's perspective and you will be much more successful. If you get stuck in the idea that your dog "needs to deal with it" or "will get over it", you won't get anywhere. Remember that anxiety is a fear response so it is not a behavior he is choosing. He can't help it, but you can help him to slowly learn to cope. It's can be a long process but if you get to it early, results should be quite a bit faster. Good luck! Visit APDT.com to find a Certified Behavior Consutant near you

Recommended Book: I'll Be Home Soon