Separation Anxiety

Did you know that separation anxiety is the 2nd most common reason why dogs are euthanized or given up by their owners?

Separation anxiety can occur in any breed and at any age.

Dogs can react to the stress of being separated from their "pack member/s" by becoming destructive, barking continuously, or eliminating in the house. You may see personality changes in your pet as well. He may become aggressive, or shy. He may become depressed and can even make himself sick. They may begin to chew on parts of their own body. There are dogs which chewed on their tail so much that it had to be amputated. It is a sign that the dog has recently lost his favorite "pack member" and is obviously depressed most of the time.

Although all this odd behavior is very disturbing for both you and your dog, there are several steps you can take to correct or at least minimize the behavior:

• If you have more than one dog, you need to play private investigator. Peeking through a window or setting up a camcorder or 2 will help you find out who the perpetrator/s are.
• You may need a new attitude - from now on you are not going back in the house when little FiFi cries. You are going to ignore the bad behavior and reward the good. When you go back and hold her or pet her and console her, you are rewarding the behavior that you don't want and it is confusing to your dog because she thinks, "Well, I must be doing the right thing if she comes back and praises me."
• If your dog is destructive, buy a crate and USE IT. Be strong! Ignore those Goo Goo eyes. In the long run you and your pet will be happier. When you leave, tell her, "crate." Put her in there. Pat her on the head; leave her with some chewy things, and leave. Don't look back. Don't say it will be ok, or even, "Mommy won't be gone long."
• Do practice departures on the weekend. Leave for 2 minutes; come back in; praise her, and give her a treat. Increase the time to 5 minutes, 8 minutes and so on. Do not reward bad behavior. For barking, I am a firm believer in bark collars. Just be sure when the behavior is corrected you remove the collar and put on her old collar.
• Leave a TV on for your pet. If you only have one pet and you are gone for long periods of time, your pet is probably lonely. You need to consider getting her a pet.
• Is your dog getting enough exercise? Are you spending enough time with her? Have there been major changes lately? These and other questions should be asked and addressed. Sometimes it is just a small thing that makes the difference with controlling this problem.
• Contact the breeder you purchased her from. Nature comes into play as well. Improve chances of avoiding a lot of these problems through careful breeding practices.
• Finally, if your dog is not responding to your desensitization training, you should consider medicinal options. There are a few drugs on the market that may help your pet. Talk to your vet. There are also herbal remedies that have been successful in the past. You owe it to your friend to get him the emotional balance that he needs to cope with the stress in his life. We do not want him to be another statistic. Good luck.