Dealing With Separation Anxiety In Dogs

Is your dog destroying your home every time you leave him alone? Are the neighbors complaining about his incessant barking? This may be a common case of dog separation anxiety. Ultimately your dog has become far too attached to and dependent on you. This is usually associated more with adopted dogs or second-home pets, but any dog can succumb to this anxious feeling when left on his own. The good news is that as this is a learned behavior it can become unlearned just as well.

Let us start by examining some of the telltale signs of separation anxiety in dogs.:

• following you around the home and watching your every move
• crying, barking, or howling for the first 20 minutes or so after you leave the home
• overly excited upon your return home
• vomiting, urinating, and having diarrhea (even though potty trained) when left home alone
• scratching at the doors or floors when left alone
• finding things to chew and destroy during his solitude
• self-mutilation such as chewing or licking paws and limbs excessively

This anxiety is very upsetting to your dog's health. It has a psychological as well as physical effect on him and on you. When separation anxiety in dogs occurs both pet and owner suffer. Here are a few ways to handle the situation.:

• Try not to encourage your dog to follow you around and worship you. Rather, encourage him to have a life of his own. It is good for him to spend time alone playing or exploring while you are home too.
• Along the same lines, do not become overly affectionate with your dog, constantly calling him to you for attention and fawning all over him. Although our dogs are cute and it is tempting to shower them with love at all times this only makes them more dependent on us and more upset when we leave.
• Allowing, or worse, rewarding bad behavior is never good. If your dog shows any signs of separation anxiety when you are merely in another room ( i.e. whining or whimpering) do not let this continue. Let your dog know it is unacceptable, but try not to give him too much attention in the process because this is truly what he desires. It may be better in this case to ignore a whiny dog. 
• If you come home and find a mess in the house, whether it be that half of the couch is eaten or your dog has left his fecal droppings all over the house for you, resist the temptation to fly into a rage. Scolding your dog for these acts after the fact is not only confusing to him, but stressful as well. And causing added stress will only contribute to your dog's anxiety. Although we find it hard to believe, dogs are not actually trying to teach us a lesson for leaving them home alone. They are not acting out of spite or revenge. Dogs are not capable of these emotions. They are just scared and nervous and acting on these fears. So, it is really pointless to try to reprimand the bad behavior unless you can actually catch your dog in the act of committing wrongdoings. 
• Get your dog used to your departures. You may even want to get him used to the motions of your going out without actually leaving. You can close the windows, turn off lights, put your jacket on; whatever your normal routine is before going out. Then, do not actually leave. Repeat this a few times a day until your dog does not seem too nervous anymore. Then you can try just going out the door and coming back in. Eventually you should be able to leave for longer periods of time. Always praise your dog when he behaved in your absence. 
• You want your departures and arrivals to be as low key as possible. Neither event should be a big deal in your dog's life. Definitely downplay as much as possible. It is a good idea to even ignore your dog for a few minutes before leaving and for a few minutes upon your return. If you make a production of telling your dog how much you're going to miss him when you leave and give him lots of attention you are only adding to his worry. The same applies when you return. If you immediately run to your dog and act extremely excited to see him he will feel his fears were valid. 
• Sometimes leaving a television or radio on for your dog can ease his tension. You may even want to leave a video camera recording what he is doing so you know exactly when he is most stressed and how you can battle this.
• You can also try giving your dog less space to roam around in. He may feel more secure in one room of the house rather than wandering about looking for you. I do not recommend locking a dog in too small a space however. I find that to be cruel. You should also try this when you are at home. Leave your dog in the bedroom while you are in the living room and reward him when he is calm and quiet. 
• Have a special treat or toy ready to give your dog. He should only have this item when you leave. That way he will associate good things with your departures. 
• Exercise is important in all aspects of a dog's life, but extremely vital in cases of dog separation anxiety. If your dog is tired he will be less likely to care as much that your are gone and he will be more inclined to sleep. 

If only it were as simple as leaving a part of ourselves at home with our dog. 

Your dog may be the most obedient dog in the world and still be a victim of separation anxiety. It is crucial to reinforce basic training commands with your dog at all times. Right now, though, your main focus should be on getting your dog to be less clingy. As with everything, separation anxiety in dogs can be overcome with the proper training and time.