My dog has really, really bad separation anxiety?

How to Cure A Dog Separation Anxiety Problem

• Answer:

  Dog Separation anxiety can be evidenced in many ways - your dog may turn in circles when he thinks you're leaving (or coming back), he may bark or whine incessantly, may lose his housebreaking abilities or may become destructive. Follow the ideas in this eHow to help understand your dog's behavior and get on the path to curing dog separation anxiety. Difficulty: Moderate Instructions Providing plenty of exercise is your first step toward curing separation anxiety in your dog. If you can't provide the time or duration of exercise your dog needs, consider hiring a dog walker or have someone take your dog on a long bike ride (after sufficient training, of course). Perhaps you have a neighbor with a dog and can set up a 30 minute play date for the dogs. Teach your dog to retrieve a Frisbee or a ball - great way to get him good hard exercise and save your energy at the same time! Get creative with ways to shed the excess energy. A tired dog is much more likely to accept separation - in fact, a tired dog may willingly want some time away to snooze. Dogs with separation anxiety generally have low self-confidence so your job is to help the dog gain some confidence. I have an eHow article on exactly this kind of thing (see resource section). Play games with your dog where your dog wins (such as fetch) and be liberal in praising and treating the dog. Hold 5 minute obedience lessons in your house and praise and treat for even beginning obedience items such as 'sit.' Attending an organized obedience training class is always beneficial to having more control over your dog - neither you nor your dog can ever have too much obedience training. Dogs like structure and like feeling protected so provide an area just for your dog. The logical place is a crate. If your dog is crate trained, after proper exercise, lead him to the crate with a tasty treat. Give him something special and, hopefully, long lasting like a Kong chew toy stuffed with delightful concoctions (see resource section). If your dog is not crate trained, I strongly suggest working on that but, you can also provide a different type of area just for your dog (the laundry room seems to be a popular site). To train your dog to be more comfortable in this area, provide him bedding and spend lots of quality time in the area with him - play with him there, even feed him there. Make the particular area very appealing to the dog. Once you think the dog is more comfortable, leave him there for no more than a few minutes at first. If the dog barks or exhibits other separation anxiety symptoms, do NOT return right then - you must wait until your dog is calm to return and treat. If your dog exhibited symptoms during your brief absence, decrease your time away. Gradually you will increase the duration of your absence. Eventually, your dog should understand that you will always return. Do NOT make a big deal out of either leaving or coming home. You can easily elevate a dog's anxiety level by becoming overly excited yourself. When coming home, just enter the house and do not even address the dog - it will be hard at first but ignore him! Let him out of the crate, continue to ignore him until he calms down. Make sure your visitors know the drill too. Finally, dogs who exhibit separation anxiety are frequently confused about your leadership abilities. Remember, dogs are pack animals - they want a clear alpha figure in their life. They do not want to be alpha - they want YOU to tell them what to do - think about it; it's much easier to follow (as long as you're confident you're being led correctly) than to lead - who really wants to worry about where the next meal is coming from? A dog with separation anxiety might just be anxious about your whereabouts if he feels like he's in charge - it's possible that he feels somewhat responsible for your safety (this is a bit anthropomorphic but it's the only way to try and figure out what's going on in that doggie brain). Quite obviously, this is also where obedience lessons come in. Listen closely to the instructor so that you learn how to become a strong leader. Lastly, practice patience. Separation anxiety can be cured but it may take a lot of time. I have a friend whose dog's separation anxiety was so deep that the dog was in danger (he chewed through a window once to escape the house). If the separation anxiety is to this level, take the dog to a veterinarian immediately. This is NOT normal separation anxiety, and it's quite possible that this type of dog will need a mild tranquilizer to get past the worst of the symptoms. Tips & Warnings Tip: You may want to set up a video camera to record the dog's behavior while you're gone. Watch to see if your dog is relaxed or continues to exhibit behavioral problems (anxious, whining, circling). Tip: You may try to leave a radio on when you're gone. My personal preference though is to get a second dog for company - most dogs do quite well when they have companion animals. Warning: Although it may be difficult, never lose your temper, yell or hit your dog. Your acting out will only set your dog back further in attempting to gain confidence and cure separation anxiety. If you find yourself angry, walk away and calm down.