If your dog or puppy exhibits any of these behaviours when left alone there is a good chance they are suffering from a condition called Separation Anxiety:
- Barking, whining or howling
- Toileting indoors
- Chewing
- Heavy panting (when not hot)
- Pacing/restlessness
Separation Anxiety is when a dog exhibits signs of stress after being separated from something with which they have a strong emotional attachment i.e. you.
Separation Anxiety is most likely to occur shortly after the dog moves into their new environment, such as when your puppy or rescue dog comes home for the first time. Puppies and even some adult dogs are not familiar with many of the everyday sights, sounds and smells in our homes. Puppies have almost certainly never been completely alone without their mother or litter-mates to comfort them. Televisions, vacuum cleaners and hairdryers can be especially scary at first and the smells of cleaning products and air fresheners take some getting used to.
The owner’s calmness in this scary new world is comforting and your dog will likely feel reassured when you are around. However when you first begin to leave them on their own they have no idea how long you may be gone, or even if you will return at all. As far as your dog is concerned, they could have been left to deal with the fears and stresses of their new world alone forever. This could result in a number of the stress related behaviours mentioned above.
In addition to being undesirable behaviours for you and your neighbours to deal with, long term stress is extremely damaging to your dog's psychological and physical health. The physical effects of stress include chemical reactions in your dog's body which can take considerable time to reverse, sometimes hours but often days or even weeks. If the stress is a regular occurrence, their body may never fully recover (more about the effects of long term stress on the body coming up in my next blog post). It is therefore not advisable to simply leave them to "get over it" because they physically can't, instead we can use positive training methods to desensitise your dog to the separation.
Separation Anxiety is so common that it is advisable to be preemptive and work on the assumption your dog will not enjoy being left on their own from the offset. Before you bring your new dog home, ensure they have a “safe space” where they can rest undisturbed, both when you are at home and when you're out.
This should be a quiet corner away from windows and doors, with a wall behind to help them feel secure. They will still want to be able observe the main family room and it's occupants so ensure they are able to do so. Hallways are not ideal because there is a lot of passing traffic and noise from the outside, so the corner of your living room or kitchen is best. Place some comfortable bedding down along with any blankets or toys which the dog is already used to if you have them.
When your dog comes home encourage them to spend time in their safe space by offering treats as rewards when they settle there. This will ensure they associate the space with something positive. Never send your dog to their safe space as a punishment or force them to be there. There is an old adage "let sleeping dogs lie", heed this advice and do not allow family members to disturb the dog while they are in their safe space. Should anyone wish to interact with the dog, instruct them to call the dog over to them or better still, wait for the dog to seek interaction of their own accord.
After a few days the dog should begin to spend more time in their safe space, eventually choosing it as a place to sleep. Ensure they have free access to the space while you are at home, this way they will not associate the area only with you going out. Once they are comfortable with resting in their safe space, we may begin to practice leaving them.
Another old adage "a tired dog is a happy dog" is worth bearing in mind. Ensure your dog has been walked or exercised in the garden, eaten and been to the toilet. Boredom, hunger or frustration will only exaggerate any issues.
A Kong or snuffle mat filled with tasty treats will serve as an excellent, positive distraction while the dog is on their own, just be sure whatever you choose is safe enough for them to eat unsupervised e.g. small treats or pastes are fine, large chews or a rack of lamb ribs, not so much. You could even feed part of their breakfast or dinner this way, especially if you are concerned about weight gain.
Once they are happily working on their distraction, begin by leaving the dog alone for no more than a few moments. Calmly leave the room and immediately walk back in without interacting with the dog. Interaction includes touching, speaking or making eye contact. Making a fuss, even in an attempt to reassure the dog, will only lead them to believe you are anxious and therefore they should be anxious too. Once the initial excitement of your return has passed, stroke your dog calmly as a reward for their good behaviour. Don't be offended if they are not excited by your return, this is a great indication your training is working!
Gradually increase the amount of time you spend out of the room, crucially always returning before the dog begins to exhibit signs of stress. Be patient and don’t push things too far too quickly.
Most of us have a routine we follow before leaving the house such as picking up keys and putting on coats and shoes. Perform this routine randomly, even when you are not going out, so that the dog does not preemptively become stressed in anticipation of you leaving when they hear the sound of your car keys being picked up.
Eventually you should be able to leave the house momentarily, shutting the door behind you only to return straight away. It may be advisable to invest in a pet camera which you can monitor from your mobile phone to ensure you can return before signs of stress present. Repeat what you practised with leaving the room until you have built up to being able to go out for a few hours without the dog exhibiting signs of Separation Anxiety.
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