To the casual observer, separation anxiety is just an overreaction to an everyday event – the separation of a dog from its owner.
To dogs with separation anxiety, isolation from family members is quite traumatic.
Dogs are pack animals and, as such, have a genetic imperative to live within a group that they define as family or pack. Some dogs, when separated from their pack, act out in distress by vocalizing, becoming destructive, eliminating inappropriately or some combination of those behaviors.
You may be able to relate to your dog’s anxiety by comparing it to the panic a child feels when becoming separated from his/her parents in a grocery store.
Separation anxiety is most common in abused, abandoned or adopted dogs but can manifest in any dog. It’s easy to imagine a dog with an unstable background becoming anxious when his “pack” disappears, but also dogs with owners that are with them the majority of every day can find that absences cause anxiety.
By practicing a few basic routines when you welcome a new dog into your home, you can help prevent separation anxiety symptoms from developing.
Change your routine regularly. For example, most of us have a very definite routine when getting ready to leave for the day. You may get dressed, make a cup of coffee, organize your briefcase, grab your coat and keys, and then leave the house. Whatever the routine, you can bet your dog knows it by heart. Changing this routine can help minimize stress reactions because your dog is never quite sure your behavior means an absence is coming up.
Ignore your dog for a bit before absences. Minimal interaction with your dog for 10 minutes before you depart can ease the disparity of the sights, smells and excitement when you are home and the quiet and calm of your absences. This can help by giving your dog an easier transition.
Defuse departures and arrivals. Make your departures noneventful. Acting stressed about leaving the house only adds to the unease your dog might feel. Arrivals also should be calm. Wait out your dog’s frenetic activity when you get home (by ignoring him) and interact with him only when he is calm.
Practice short absences. Make it a point to walk down to the mailbox or run short errands without your dog. Trial absences help teach your dog that a quiet home without the rest of the pack is part of the normal rhythm of your household. Refrain from disciplining your dog if he displays signs of separation anxiety. Reprimands will only increase your dog’s level of anxiety.
Environmental enrichments can give your dog something to think about beyond the fact that you are gone. Try filling a “Kong” or sterilized bone with dog biscuits, peanut butter, pretzels or cheese. Freezing the Kong or bone can lengthen the time it takes your dog to lick out the goodies. You can even freeze a carrot or apple slice for your dog to chew on. These tips have two distinct benefits: They occupy your dog’s mind for a bit, and they give him a reward to look forward to when you leave.
Last but not least, exercise is a great stress-management tool for both dogs and their people. A good cardiovascular workout before you leave home can take the edge off your stress-causing absence and help ensure a trauma-free household.
Julie Winkelman is a certified pet dog trainer and a certified dog trainer. Reach her at www.retinc@frontier.net.
