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Defining separation anxiety
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Separation Anxiety is a term used to describe the behavior of a dog who becomes extremely distressed when left alone. Dogs who suffer from this condition show their distress in a variety of ways – howling, whining, barking, drooling, panting, chewing objects, chewing or scatching at doors and windows, and urinating, defecating or vomiting. Some dogs show all of these behaviors when left alone, some only a couple. Some dogs show several of these behaviors when left alone, and yet do not suffer from separation anxiety – they just aren’t housetrained and enjoy chewing!
Because dogs are pack animals who would always prefer being with their friends to being alone, almost all dogs suffer from separation anxiety to some extent – they are always sad to see you leave, delighted to see you return, and would rather come along than be left behind. However, most dogs adjust well to our daily absences and do not develop aberrant behaviors as a result. Determining whether or not your dog actually has clinical Separation Anxiety can be difficult, and solving it is even harder, so if you suspect your dog has it I recommend you call a behavior expert to help with the diagnosis and treatment.
I have classified Separation Anxiety into three different categories:
Type A is an overwhelming attachment to a particular person or another animal – most often another dog. For a Type A dog, it makes no difference who else may be present to keep him company; if his special friend leaves he suffers terribly.
Type B is a dog who suffers when separated from his entire family, regardless of who else is present. In other words, he is fine so long as at least one family member is with him, but if he is left with strangers he takes no comfort from their presence.
Type C dogs are fine so long as they have company – friend or stranger, but cannot tolerate being entirely alone.
There are several possible causes for Separation Anxiety (SA) The first is a genetic prediliction for it – all dogs are born with a specific, individual personality which accounts for about 60-70 % of their adult behavior and temperament. (The other 30-40% is determined by Imprinting, experience and training.) If a dog is born with a very high pack drive – meaning a strong desire to be with others – and is also emotionally sensitive and/or very dominant, then there is a strong possibility that she may develop SA.
The second cause is trauma, especially if the episode occurs during Imprinting. Imprinting is a stage puppies go through between 8 and 16 weeks of age during which anything the puppy learns becomes part of her permanent knowledge and personality. Imprinted knowledge – good or bad – can never be unlearned. If a puppy spends too long alone during imprinting, especially in a place which is frightening to her, it can do permanent damage. This is often seen in pups who are shipped from puppy mills to brokers and then pet stores - being put into a crate alone for many hours in an airplane can imprint SA – not to mention fear of crates, motion and loud noises!
If the trauma occurs later in life it is not necessarily permanent, but depending on the severity of the episode can still be very hard to reverse. If a dog changes homes several times, or goes from a good home to a bad home, this can lead to SA. Dogs adopted from Animal Shelters often have SA, and it frequently leads to the new owner giving up on the dog and returning it to the Shelter instead of trying to solve the problem. Of course, with each return and rehome the problem gets worse until finally the Shelter decides the dog is unadoptable and euthanizes him. Although there are things Shelters can do to minimize the occurrence of SA and to provide the new owners with strategies to help prevent it and solve it, there is not much that can be done to solve the problem in the Shelter environment. Luckily, most dogs who develop SA as a result of abandonment and rehoming can overcome it within a few weeks or months – tragically, few are given the opportunity to do so.
If the trauma is the result of some terrifying episode, it can be harder to reverse. If the dog has a fear of thunder storms this can evolve into SA Being in the house during a burglary, or spending several days alone in the house with an owner who has died can also lead to severe SA.
Another factor involved in SA is that the owner often accidentally creates or increases it! Giving your dog big, emotional hellos and goodbyes, letting your dog out of the crate while he is crying or scratching at the door or punishing your dog when you come home to a mess can all contribute to SA.
Sometimes Separation Anxiety is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain – the same as anxiety in humans. If this is a factor for your dog, then medication is necessary. In a few cases the medication alone is enough to solve the problem, and the dog may even be able to go off the meds in a few months after his brain chemistry has adjusted. More commonly, though, the meds are only part of the solution, and a complete training program is also needed.
SA can become much worse as a result of the wrong diet (food allergies are often a contributing factor), boredom, excessive dominance and lack of exercise. Therefore a change of diet, food seeking games to entertain the dog when alone, a dominance reduction program and plenty of exercise are frequently part of an SA program.
For many dogs, a simple solution to the problem is to get a second dog! Now she never needs to be alone – she always has her dog friend with her. In some cases, the addition of a second dog – or sometimes even a cat – can solve the problem within days, without any other intervention needed. Be aware, however, that if that second dog should die the problem will probably return with great intensity.
Training programs for dogs with SA are available, and very successful. However, they are likely to take weeks or more likely months to complete, and are often sabotaged by the fact that most owners do need to leave the dog alone every day when they go to work. Bringing the dog to Dog Day Care during the training program, or involving a Petsitter in the program can help tremendously to improve the success rate.
If you suspect your dog may have Separation Anxiety, call a dog behavior expert for a consultation and to establish an individualized training program. Above all, don’t assume that giving the dog to someone else will solve the problem – it is far more likely to make it worse, and you may be your dog’s only hope!
For more information, visit Alexandra's website, www.alexandramorgan.com
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