The dog who loves too much…
Separation Anxiety:
The Explanation
As I discussed in the article on Tasha, dogs
have strong instinctive behaviors. The
intensity of the instinct varies between dogs as individuals. Breeding can select for certain instinctive
behaviors, which can help a dog do its job.
In the case of separation anxiety, the
instinctive behavior is the desire to be with the group. Because safety comes from living in the
group, as it does for people, sheep, and horses, we all have a desire to be
with our group. For some individuals,
the desire is overwhelming. If the dog
can not be with the group, and especially its pack leader, then the dog is
incapacitated with anxiety. Anxiety can
exhibit itself as:
·
Destruction
·
Uncontrolled
urination or defecation
·
Howling
·
Inability to
eat when the owner is away
Remember: do not take it personally
We owners often feel than our dog is being
vindictive and is deliberately trying to get us back for not being there for
them. We are wrong. At that moment the dog is operating only on
instinct, and is not capable of conscious thoughts like that. We need to learn to not take the behaviors
personally.
My partner exhibits anxiety by fleeing. When he gets in the truck and speeds off, I
have learned I do not need to take it personally. He grew up in a house where fleeing kept him safe. Any time he is overwhelmed and starts to
operate on instinct, he flees. If I get
upset about his behavior, I will only increase his anxiety, and he will flee
more.
Why are some dogs affected?
·
In certain
breeds, like the spaniels, a thousand years of breeding has gone into selecting
for dogs that will stick to their masters like glue. The advantage is that the dog will not stray. In the past, people had lifestyles where their
dog could always be with them. My
Springer Spaniel, “Sugar”, was like that.
She would not leave the porch to pee without me. She screamed when I left. She did not eat until I returned. She was only occasionally destructive or
soiled, but my goodness, could she scream when she was alone.
·
Dogs that are
taken from their mothers at too young an age have not had a chance to learn
that they can be safe when they are alone.
Remember: Federal Law requires
puppies stay with their mothers until they are eight weeks old.
·
Dogs that
have gone to shelters seem disproportionately affected. It is hard to tell if they got to the
shelters because they had the problem, maybe from leaving their mother dogs too
young.
Prevention:
We need to teach our puppies how to be
alone, just as we teach them other skills.
I use a crate from the beginning.
My dog is fed in the crate while I have my meals. The most favorite toy is available only in
the crate when the puppy does not have my attention, and is in the crate.
Treatment:
If the dog is too affected to retrain, an
anti-anxiety drug sold as the prescription Clomicalm® can reduce the anxiety to
a level where retraining is possible.
It takes at least 3 weeks to take effect. During that time you can learn to change your behaviors which
accidentally trigger the anxiety response.
The correct things for you to do include:
·
Slip in and
out of the house without big greeting and parting rituals. Your dog does not need to know if you are
home or not. If the dog is happy
believing you are in the other room, and it is safe, your dog will be happy and
the signs will go away.
·
Do not
empathize with your dog’s anxious feelings.
If you seem anxious, you dog will be convinced there was a reason to be
fearful. If you are a confident leader
who does the thinking, your dog will relax.
·
Since the
fear response is most overwhelming when we first leave the house, try treats
inside toys, such as Kongs® filled with peanut butter.
·
Very
gradually increase the time your dog is on its own while the drug calms it.
Be patient…
Just as being housebroken is a skill, and tracking is a skill, being comfortable alone is a skill. Drugs make your dog receptive to learning. Teaching takes time.
Additional reference:
THE DOG WHO LOVED TOO MUCH: Tales, Treatments, and the Psychology of Dogs, Dr. Nicholas Dodman (Tufts University College of Veterinary Medicine), Bantman Books, New York, 1996.
Do not face this problem alone…
I can guide you through.
