Controlling Separation Anxiety In Dogs

Actually, separation anxiety in dogs is a common problem and affects most breeds. Almost any active, alert dog can suffer from it.

There tends to be some percentage of dog separation anxiety resulting from from stays in shelters. Many shelter dogs have undergone significant trauma in their lives. They�ve been abandoned by their previous owners and so have little trust that their new owner (you) won�t do the same thing.

In other words, some shelter dogs can carry baggage.

Remember too, puppies up to about one year old may LOOK grown up, but actually are still puppies and are not ready to be left alone. This is when you need the CRATE to confine the puppy. Don�t give your puppy a chance to destroy the house. Separation anxiety in dogs knows no age limits. See �Crate Training� elsewhere in this website.

Also, dogs that were separated from their mothers and siblings too soon have been identified as being especially prone to dog separation anxiety.

Puppies from pet stores are a perfect example of this: they are usually taken from their mothers way too soon and confined to small glass cages or boxes in the pet store for two months or more. This early confinement is psychologically traumatic to the puppies resulting in strong separation anxiety in the dog.

Your dog has that �pack� instinct and wants her �family� of littermates (or humans) around so she knows where everybody is. She is a highly social animal. When you leave the house, you are gone and she does not know where you are so she feels alone and stressed. Abandoned. She is suddenly put into a state of nervous anxiety when everyone leaves and she is left alone.

This all seems so unnatural to her.

So, she finds something inappropriate to chew on, barks at nothing, whines, and tears the house apart out of frustration. She literally gets a little �crazy.� These are symptoms of separation anxiety in dogs.

After you�ve been gone a half hour or so, the dog�s anxiety will worsen. She will bark and scratch and dig at windows, trying to escape. She may urinate and/or defecate in the house, no matter how well house-trained she is. In extreme cases she might lick and chew her skin until it�s raw, or pull out fur or even engage in spinning and tail chasing. Separation anxiety in dogs is a powerful emotion.

This is real separation anxiety in it�s advanced form. She needs to learn to feel that being left alone is an every-day occurrence and it is nothing to get excited about. There are two things you can do.

Some breeds handle this better than others and some are predisposed toward anxiety and insecurity. This is something to consider when deciding on a dog. If you work all day and no one is home for long periods, tell the breeder or SPCA member who is helping you decide on a dog.

A few dogs suited to being alone: Italian Greyhound, American Greyhound, Bulldog, Pug, Keeshond, Chihuahua, Boston Terrier, Basenji, the Saint Bernard, and Miniature Schnauzer.

A few dogs that do NOT do well alone are: Weimaraners, Springer Spaniels, German Sheppard’s and Airedales. That�s only a few, there are many! They�ll be listed in our Dog Breeds section when it is finished.

Walk out of the house and say nothing to the dog. Just leave. Come right back in in a minute or two.

Remember, when you return from a long day away, she will be excessively excited and will be in a frenzy. This extended greeting signifies the source of a psychological disorder and it must NOT be encouraged by paying attention to the dog. Separation anxiety in dogs builds the longer you’re away. If you do give your dog the nod, she will get all the more excited and worked up, thereby adding to the problem!

I know it is hard to ignore your dog and pretend she is not there, but there are times you must do it to get a point across to her.

Exercise the dickens out of your dog before leaving. The longer you�re going to be gone, the harder the exercise.

Soothe and comfort your dogs when they are crying and whining. Don�t EVER say �it�s OK,� or �good girl� when she�s upset. Do not be sympathetic in your voice. That�s the worst thing you can do in cases of separation anxiety in dogs.