Separation Anxiety: What Role do you Play?

Separation Anxiety (SA) seems to be one of the most difficult behavioral issues for owners and dogs. Working through some SA cases can take a great deal of time and effort. Suprisingly, SA is also one of the easiest behavioral problems to avoid if dog lovers all over are knowledgeable about the subject. These dog lovers include dog owners, dog trainers, dog breeders, veterinarians, shelter staff, rescue groups, foster families, dog boarding/daycare facilities and soon-to-be dog owners. This may seem like a broad group of people to mention in an article about SA but my job as a trainer is to educate ALL of the humans involved in a dogs behavioral development and these humans can surely help make an impact. Some cases of moderate to severe separation anxiety are out of my scope of practice and I refer these clients to a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB) who can also prescribe medication, if necessary. Medication is sometimes used concurrently with behavioral modification. My role is to educate in more detail, more than just the basics of SA, but how to avoid it altogether, if you can. Everyone I mentioned above has a role in a dogs caretaking process and we can all pass on some basic knowledge to one another in the efforts to do what we can to help even if it isn’t in our scope of practice. This could really help spread the word to the key participant: the dog owner, as they care for the animals we all love, long-term. I will give an overview of SA: the causes, signs and symptoms and most common methods of treatment as well as what your role is in the issue.

There are many reasons why dogs develop separation anxiety. The causes of SA are not always understood and can be for a multitude of reasons. It is likely that these causes are a combination of nature and nurture. Although any dog can develop SA suddenly, even from one cause or traumatic event.

Some common causes include:

Changes in ownership

A change in the dogs schedule

Dog abandonment (including relinquishment to a shelter, rescue group, another families, or the street)

Poor relationship quality with owners

A dog lacking independence

A dog lacking confidence

A change in the family residence

A death in the family

Medical issues, including those underlying

One or both members of a breeding pair (sire and dam) are the anxious “type”. There is greater potential that they may have more anxious puppies.

Dogs with a genetic predisposition for anxiety.

If you play a role in any dog's life, that means you can help combat separation no anxiety whether you see the dog every day or every now and then. Caretakers interactions matter. Making sure that dogs have what they need from good teachers, can be everyone's role. Dog owners play the biggest role of all. SA affects the dog owner most because they are responsible for the dog long-term. Dogs can develop SA at ANY age, not just in puppyhood. If your dog begins showing signs of SA, where there weren’t any before, there is a good chance it has something to do with their regular everyday interaction with their humans. The truth is, dogs without an owner would just be labeled as anxious. Owners are the key component in Separation Anxiety: the person they are anxiously separated from. A dog who is bonded to another animal, (commonly another dog, but sometimes includes other animals) is not the same as SA. In fact, many people get a second dog in an attempt to combat SA and end up with two anxiously unsettled dogs. Your dog having SA will surely affect your life the most. If a puppy has a predisposition for anxiety, it takes a great deal of good practices that they receive through nurture to help balance this. This also falls on the laps of the owners who need to be doing the correct thing from the day they bring the puppy home. Breeders, shelter employees and those in foster care can do their part to identify the traits within dogs like these early on.

What does Separation Anxiety look like?

Separation anxiety is a common issue that many owners and other caretakers don’t consider as an increasing problem right away. There are different types and severity if SA, which makes it hard for the untrained dog lover to identify. This is just an example of what you might see with dogs who experience SA from minor to more severe levels of anxiety.
Dogs with minor anxiety may begin showing signs by crying or barking a few times when they leave. It doesn’t seem like a big deal. Owners may downplay the dogs anxiety by thinking to themselves, “That’s just what dogs do.” or “He’ll grow out of it eventually.” After owners are gone, dogs with anxiety hover near the door. They pace near the entry-way and windows and might jump on top of furniture to try to get a view of where their beloved owners went and if they are coming back. They may even resort to moving things around the house, such as their toys, shoes or other random articles. When there is a mild presence of anxiety and it is not recognized or addressed, behaviors can get worse. Dogs with moderate cases of SA will have similar behaviors but they can continue for extended periods of time. Dogs may pace through the house and howl, sometimes this will go on the entire time the owner is away. Dogs with this level of SA are often discovered through noise complaints by neighbors. In more severe cases, dogs who are perfectly house-trained may urinate and defecate indoors or chew things up, from their dog beds to their own paws. Some will completely destroy your living quarters and it will look like they called their dog friends over to help. It is not exactly the kind of warm welcome owners hope to come home to. Dogs left outside will try to escape the yard and many will succeed. These dogs end up wandering the streets where they could easily get hit by a car in their panic. If they are lucky, they’ll get called in or picked up by a humane officer and brought to a no-kill shelter. Dogs left in crates will escape them or seriously injure themselves trying.

When I describe these behaviors, it’s important to understand that every dog is different. Even more importantly, you should understand that your dog isn’t doing it to frustrate you. If you have ever had a panic attack, or a high level of anxiety over something you care about very much, this is comparable to what your dog is experiencing. Brand new puppies, adults and even senior dogs can have or develop anxiety over separation. It can begin with one event, such as moving to a new home or it can be a gradual onset that worsens or lightens up at times.

If you are unsure of whether your dog has SA or is at risk of developing it, here are some common signs to look for that might indicate your dog may be anxious about separation: (These signs may be shown with one person or multiple family members)

Your dog follows you around the house or when they suspect you are getting ready to leave.
Your dog cries, barks or howls when you leave.
Your dog cries or barks when they cannot see you, sometimes just on the other side of a door.
Your dog follows you around everywhere.

When you are around, your dog often prefers to be touching you or be next to you.

Your dog prefers to sleep in your bed with you or a specific family member.

You get complaints from your neighbors that your dog was crying or barking when you were not home.

You find things moved around, chewed up or destroyed when you get home.

You find scratches on the inside of the doors/windows or the articles in their crate are destroyed.

Your dog began inside of his crate and he/she got out while you were away.

Your dog does not eat the food or treats you left for him/her when you departed the house.

Your dog appears very excited when you arrive home and it takes some time for them to calm down.

Your dog urinated or defecated in the house while you were gone.

Your dog is drooling or panting before you leave or when you arrive home.

Your dog cries when they are left in the yard alone.

Your dog escapes the yard or outdoor enclosure when you leave them outdoors alone.

Treatment for Separation Anxiety

Training

The most common and effective forms of training are behavioral techniques known as Counter Conditioning and Desensitization. These stem from two concepts of behavioral psychology called Classical Conditioning and Operant Conditioning. Treatment is based on your dogs level and type. Consult a trainer to help you identify whether it’s distress or true separation anxiety that your dog is experiencing so that you know which route to take for treatment.

Medication

I do not recommend prescription medication as a go-to in dealing with issues that can be dealt with through training. Although some cases may need it, in addition to training. There are also holistic remedies available from your local pet store or online that may help if medication isn’t the best choice for your dog.

How long the process will take to work through with a dog is unknown. Every dog, human and situation is different. One thing is for sure: working though SA requires healthy human-dog interactions and understanding your dog well. If you suspect your dog or another dog has SA or is well on their way to developing it, it is time to make a change. For guidance with this, seek help from a professional immediately.

I hope this will help dog lovers all over identify whether or not they should be concerned and understand why they should seek help right away. Anyone can educate themselves and others who have the same love for dogs. Let us all do our part. Including those who share a common goal in the effort to set every dog up for their best chance in their long-term home.

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