6 Ways To Combat Your Dog's Separation Anxiety

Separation anxiety in dogs is one of the most challenging behaviors to change. Owner's can actually make things worse by indulging the dog with attention at the wrong time.

One of my dogs, Jaz, was a rescue dog, and had been in multiple homes. It was quite difficult to overcome her fear of being left alone. With patience, practice and persistence we overcame this problem, and I will show you how we did this.

Dogs are pack animals, and the dog owner(s) are part of their pack. So when you leave, dogs with separation anxiety don't understand that you are not abandoning them, and will try to go with you or even try to prevent you from leaving.

With dogs being the social animals they are, a good owner knows that they require a great deal of companionship and attention to keep them happy and well-adjusted.

Here are some reasons why dog's develop separation anxiety...

• Their breed is genetically predisposed to this behavior. At the top of the list are: Weimaraners, Springer Spaniels, German Shepherds, and Airedales.
• Dogs can develop this behavior if they were adopted from a shelter. Most rescued dogs have experienced serious trauma already, since they were abandoned by their previous owners. It will take some time to build trust with the dog, before they feel like you won't do the same thing to them.
• The dog was separated from their mother and siblings too early. This is very true with many pet store puppies, since most of the time they are taken from their mothers before 8 weeks, and then confined to a small enclosure with no exercise or attention. The combination of the early weening and their environment can be very traumatic to the puppy.
• Neglecting a dog is the top reason they develop separation anxiety. If an owner is away from the dog most the time, the dog most certainly will become anxious.

All of these points are vital to know if you are thinking about adopting a puppy or dog, since it will help you better understand your future pet. It is best to keep in mind that a lot of the time the dog we want isn't always the best suited dog for our lifestyle.

Separation Anxiety is one the most frequent and problematic issues you and your dog will have to deal with. If your dog has this tendency, then it is something that needs to be taken care of immediately. Solving this problem not only helps the dog's health, but will free the owner from the stress and frustration felt every time they leave home. Everyone wins, which enables you to have a stronger bond with your dog.

Acknowledge the signs dogs show when dealing with separation anxiety.

When your dog picks up that you will be leaving the house soon (keys jingling, putting on outdoor clothes, etc) they may begin to follow you around becoming very anxious (whining, trembling, etc). Some dogs become so upset that they can be aggressive toward the owner to try and prevent them from leaving.

Once you are out of the house, your dog's anxiousness amplifies and typically peaks within the first 30 minutes. Some common behaviors associated with separation anxiety include: incessant barking, scratching &/or digging at windows and doors, chewing on inappropriate items, and urination &/or defecation inside the house. In severe cases, the dog may self-mutilate by licking or chewing their skin until it's raw, pulling fur out, or engage in obsessive-compulsive behaviors such as spinning and tail-chasing.

When you return home, you can barely get inside the door before getting tackled and licked to death. Your dog's excited greeting will last for an extended period of time, and the dog may even tremble and whine because they are so overwhelmed by your return. A well balanced dog typically will only greet you for less than a minute.

Break the cycle. This will require what may seem like "tough love" to some owners.

Even though we dog owners like to think of our dogs as humans, they aren't and for both of our sakes we need to start treating them like dogs. They will be a lot happier if we stop making a huge fuss over them before we leave and when we return home. Lavishing your dog with attention right before you leave actually makes the separation even more difficult for your dog. One minute they are on top of the world, and the next they are at rock bottom.

To have a well balanced dog we need to stop encouraging this bi-polar behavior. One way to cope with this is to give your dog all the attention you want at least 30 minutes before you plan to leave or get ready to go out. When you do finally leave, don't make a big deal about it, and don't give hugs and kisses to your dog or say "bye" to them.

It is not good to fuel your dog's fire by encouraging them to get overly excited when you return home. The best way to deal with this is to enter your house, put down your keys, get a drink, etc, and then after a minute of "you" time, go and greet your dog. This way your dog's anxious behavior is not reinforced as soon as you walk through the door. However, we all know that dogs love praise, so it is best to acknowledge them after a minute or so and let them know they are a good dog.

Consistency is key!

It is so easy to slip back into bad habits, but if you want a happy dog and a happy you, then it is imperative to stay consistent. Dogs are creatures of habit, and they are much more content when they have a healthy routine.

1. Exercise your dog prior to your departure. It is important to take your dog on an energetic walk for at least 20 minutes. Really try to wear them out, especially if you plan to be gone for a long time. This is also a great opportunity to give them lots of attention and essentially say your "good-byes" without them knowing it.

2. Distract your dog to prevent their anxiousness. Since dog's love to chew, why not use this to your advantage? If you have a Kong, fill it with your dog's favorite treat before leaving. Or use any other chew treat that will last at least 15-20 minutes, allowing you to leave peaceably, and occupying your dog so that they won't realize your departure is eminent.

3. Calm your dog's nerves by turning on the radio to a soothing station when you do leave. Classical music works well, or any station that have talk shows. It is best to keep the volume at a low level, so it will be calming for your dog, and give them the feeling that they aren't all alone.

4. Allow your dog to see outside. If possible, give your dog a view of some kind. This way they don't feel trapped and can see what is going on outside. If you have mini-blinds it is best to raise them up a bit, otherwise your dog may lash out and tear them apart like my Jaz did. If at all possible, the best scenario is for your dog to be outside, so long as they have some shelter and water available.

5. Adapt your dog to your departure routine. Take things nice and slow...practice getting ready to leave. Jingle your keys, put on your coat, open the door go out and come back in. Then sit down and don't go anywhere. Repeat this until your dog doesn't react to your routine any more, and when there's no reaction, give them a treat and lots of praise. Gradually work up to the point where your dog doesn't show any signs of stress when you are about to leave.

6. Stay strong, and don't react to your dog if they start whining or crying. This is really tough to do, but if you give them attention while they are doing this, you are in effect reinforcing this behavior. And definitely avoid saying "It's OK, good girl/boy" when they are in this state.

The most important thing to remember when training your dog is to remain consistent. Dogs are creatures of habit and if you break your routine or give in to your dog it will be detrimental to the training process. This can make training much more difficult, since it is confusing to your dog, and will ultimately end up taking a lot longer to complete the process.