Separation Anxiety in Dogs ~ Pawprints and Purrs

Pawprints and Purrs, Inc.
Dog Health Care
Information by Condition or Disease

A Non-Profit 501(c)(3) Organization
All donations are tax deductible
Copyright © 1997 - 2008

Any health care links located here are NOT to replace a veterinarian visit; please take your dog to a vet immediately at any sign of odd behavior or any symptoms of illness or injury. Call your vet and describe your dog's symptoms with any of your concerns about the dog's well-being. Your veterinarian may discover changes in your dog's health that you have overlooked. It is always better to err on the side of caution.

Separation Anxiety in Dogs

Written by: Susie S. Bachman
October 16, 2002
All Rights Reserved

What is Separation Anxiety?

Separation Anxiety is a common behavior problem in dogs. Dogs are pack animals, so the stress of being left alone even for short periods can be overwhelming for some. These dogs chew up furnishings and urinate and/or defecate on floorings. They may also bark excessively, salivate, and tear down blinds and other window treatments. If your dog is truly suffering from Separation Anxiety, most of his adverse behavior will occur within 15-20 minutes of your departure. Medical problems can cause such aberrant behavior; those must be ruled out before you can safely assume that you are dealing with a case of Separation Anxiety.

Treating Separation Anxiety

When treating Separation Anxiety, remember that it's an instinctive behavior. It's not due to disobedience and/or lack of training. Overt punishment for the act tends to be unrewarding. The key to treating this problem lies in planning short-term departures, then gradually lengthening them until the dog gets used to your absence. You must practice leaving home for progressively more minutes each day so the dog learns that his family will come back.

Don't make a fuss over the dog within 5-10 minutes of your arrival. This keeps down the amount of excitement and anxiety levels in your dog to a minimum.

Eliminate any of your own behavior that might trigger the dog such as rattling your keys, saying goodbye, and so on. Instead, immediately but casually walk over to his food dish and place a couple of treats in it. The idea is distract your dog's attention away from the excitement of your departure and create a more comfortable, pleasing situation for him. Once you arrive back home and have been there for a while, then you should offer him more attention.

Leaving a music channel/station on the television or radio when leaving the house is another good tip - providing white noise to block out street sounds that become intimidating when the owner is gone.

Before leaving the house, rubbing your scent on his favorite toys may give him the idea that you are close by. Visit a pet supply store and purchase a hollow bone or treat toy (such as the Kong or Hide-a-Treat). Stuff the toy with cheese or peanut butter, place the toy in his environment so that he will need to look for it while you're gone. This will help him from becoming bored while you are gone.

Some dogs will bark so much while the owner is gone that they will become hoarse. When attempting to break your dog of barking excessively, DO NOT yell at him or physically punish him. This will only make the problem worse. Dogs who are isolated from their guardians for most of the day don't care what kind of attention they get - positive or negative - as long as they get it.

No matter how tired or sleepy you are when you do return home, make sure that your dog gets plenty of exercise in the evening. Feeding his daily ration later in the evening can also help promote contentment.

Teaching the dog that his crate is his own safe haven will help calm him down, as well.

Drug Therapy

The FDA has approved an antidepressant called Clomicalm (clomipramine) to treat anxiety in dogs. It is given daily. When used along with behavior therapy, the drug has shown success. Mild side effects may include vomiting and diarrhea.

Also see Separation Anxiety in Dogs

Page URL: http://www.sniksnak.com/doghealth/sep-anx.html

Click on tiny printer image to print text content only.

Your donation goes to the expenses for our feral cat colony and foster cats and dogs' food, upkeep, and medical care. 100% of all donations go to the animals because there are no salaries or administrative fees. Thank you for your support!