SEPARATION ANXIETY (OWNER DEPENDENCY)
As social animals, it is normal for puppies to form attachments to their mother and littermates. Once a puppy is separated from its family group, it becomes attached to its owner.
Separation anxiety in dogs is the fear or dislike of isolation. Which often results in undesirable behaviour. Separation anxiety is one of the most common causes of canine behavioural problems.
Every dog afflicted with separation anxiety reacts somewhat differently.
Some dogs only engage in one problem behaviour, while others may engage, in several.
Some symptoms of separation anxiety are.
Hole Digging
Scratching at doors and windows
Breaking out of the backyard
Compulsive Barking
Destructive chewing
Urination and /or detecation in unacceptable places (often the owner’s bed)
NOTE: Separation anxiety is not necessarily the cause of the above behaviours, but it is one of the most common, especially when a “cluster”: of these behaviours occur when the owner is absent.
As with most behavioural problems, it is far better to treat the cause, not merely the symptoms. However obedience and crate training can be valuable tools in treating the symptoms until solving the cause can be achieved.
Prevention
When a puppy or new dog is brought into the home, it is important to avoid situations that may encourage an excessive attachment to develop.
Make sure your new dog/pup has periods of time alone regularly. If you take the
dog to the park or shops, make a point of tying the dog/pup up somewhere safe, and going out of sight- No goodbyes, No hello’s… ..just DO IT- Make sure that if your dog/pup decides to throw a tantrum at being left alone, you DO NOT return to the dog/pup until it is quiet. (Be assured, your dog/pup cannot continue to throw a tantrum indefinitely, sooner or later it is going to tire itself out and be quiet. )
Treatment
The first and most important point to realise is that, correcting a dog for showing anxiety or the behaviours associated with anxiety is counter productive and will only produce further problems. The treatment of most of the symptoms (behaviour) that are manifested by a dog showing separation anxiety are covered individually in our problem solving sheets.
Because the stress response occurs very shortly after the owners departure (within 30 minutes), the most accepted method for treating separation anxiety involves planned departures and returns. This method involves gradually adjusting the dog to being alone by exposure to many short departures.
Once the dog can be left alone for one and a half hours it can usually be left all day. Upon your return, ignore your dog for at least 15 to 30 minutes before any greeting or acknowledgement occurs, regardless of whether your dog is inside or outside the house.
Departure and return should be made as quiet and uneventful as possible to avoid over stimulating the dog. The dog should not be given attention prior to departures nor given attention and praise upon returns. Excessive attention prior to departure and upon return seems to increase anxiety during separation and it does NOT make it easier on the dog as most people think. ‘:”0′
Safety cues may also be used to associate with the short departures. The T. V. or radio can be left on or an acceptable chew toy may be provided for the dog. However, it is very important that the safety cue is not an item that the dog already associates with anxiety. These cues help the dog relate to a previous safe period of isolation.
Sometimes, weakening the dog’s dependency requires the owner to ignore the dog for a period of time, sometimes up to three weeks. This can be done by ignoring the dog at home (no pats or cuddles etc. no talking, just commands when necessary).
Or, if you find this too hard on yourself, put the dog into a kennel for 14 days to totally break the dependancy.
