Separation Anxiety in Dogs: Part 4Independence Training Program

Independence training is one of the more important aspects of the program to eliminate separation anxiety in dogs. It involves teaching your dog to "stand on her own four feet" when you are present, with the express intention that her new found confidence will spill over into times when you are away. You need to make your dog more independent by reducing the bond between both of you to a more healthy level of involvement.

Decreasing the bond is the hardest thing for most owners to accept. Most people acquire dogs because they want a strong relationship with them. However, you have to accept that the anxiety your dog experiences in your absence is destructive.

The essential components of the independence training program are as follows:

Your dog can be with you, but the amount of interaction time should be reduced, especially where attention-seeking behaviors are concerned. You should initiate all interactions so your dog, and it shouldn't be permitted to, demand attention. If every time you give your dog attention when she whines, you can foster the dog's dependence on you and increases its anxiety in your absence. You should ignore your dog completely when she engages in attention-seeking behavior, and avoid catering to her when she appears to feel anxious. This means no eye contact, no pushing away, and no emollient talk or body language, all of which will reward her attention-seeking mission.

Attention is encouraged only when your dog is sitting or lying calmly. The goal is not to ignore your dog, but to stop reinforcing attention-seeking behaviors so your dog develops a sense of independence.

Minimize the extent to which your dog follows you by teaching her to remain relaxed in one spot, such as her bed. To accomplish this, it is helpful if you train her to perform a sit-stay or down-stay while gradually increasing the time that she holds the command and remains at a distance from you.

If your dog will not remain in a sit or down-stay on command, and insists on following, you can make use of a tether. It is best to introduce your dog to tethering gradually. Tethering is never a substitute for training; it's simply a tool to use to reach the ultimate goal. Have your dog's bed and favorite toy available so she is comfortable and has something to do. This exercise should be enjoyable – it is not meant to be a punishment or a time out.

Once your dog has learned the basic obedience commands, you can train her to hold long down-stays while you move progressively farther away. First, your dog should be trained to perform a "down-stay" on a mat or dog bed using a specific command, such as "lie down." Your dog may have to be gently escorted to the designated spot the first few times. Initially, she should be rewarded every 10 seconds for remaining there, then every 20 seconds, 30 seconds, and so on. Once she has figured out what is wanted, you should switch to an intermittent schedule of reinforcement [reward] as this will strengthen the learned response. Each time your dog breaks her "stay," issue a verbal correction, indicating that there will be no reward, and then escort her back to her bed. She should soon learn that if she breaks the stay, she will be put back, but will be rewarded by staying put.

First, your dog can be made to "down-stay" while you are in the room but otherwise occupied. Next she can be asked to stay when you are outside of the room, but nearby. The distance and time you are away from your dog are increased progressively until your dog can remain in a down-stay for 20 to 30 minutes in your absence. Your dog should be warmly praised for compliance. Of course, she needs to accept the praise without breaking the stay.

Your dog should become accustomed to being separated from you when you are home for varying lengths of time and at different times of day. You can set up child gates to deny your dog access into the room in which you are doing something (i.e. reading, watching television, or cooking). Instruct your dog to lie down and stay on a dog bed outside the room. As previously mentioned, you can provide an extended-release food treat or toy to keep your dog calm and distracted. Once she is able to tolerate being separated from you by a child gate, you can graduate to shutting the door to the room so your dog cannot see you.

Your dog should not be allowed to sleep in bed with you as this only fosters dependence. In fact, it is best if your dog is not even allowed to sleep in your bedroom. First, you need to train your dog to sleep in her own bed on the floor in your bedroom. She may have to be taken to her bed several times before she gets the message that you really want her to sleep in her own bed. If your dog will not follow instructions, you may need to tie her to a fixture in the room with a short tether.

Alternatively, you can train your dog to enjoy sleeping in a crate to prevent unwanted excursions. Do not use a crate if it causes more anxiety and distress for your dog. Once she tolerates sleeping in her own bed in your bedroom, you can move her bed outside of the bedroom and use a child gate or barrier to keep her out. Always remember to reward your dog with praise or a food treat for remaining in her bed.

More behavior modifications for separation anxiety in dogs will follow in the next blog.

Separation Anxiety in Dogs: Part 5Behavior Modification for Departures

The intention of this blog is to give you some training ideas for a dog with separation anxiety.

Many owners erroneously feel that if separation is so stressful, then they should spend more time with their dog before leaving. Unfortunately this often exacerbates the condition. Everyone in the family should ignore the dog for 15 to 20 minutes before leaving the house and for at least 10 to 20 minutes after returning home. Alternatively, your leaving can be made a highlight of your dog's day by making it a "happy time" and the time at which she is fed. Departures should be quick and quiet. When departures (and returns) generate less anxiety (and excitement), your dog will begin to feel less tension in your absence. Remember to reward calm behavior.

You should attempt to randomize the cues indicating that you are preparing to leave. Changing the cues may take some trial and error. Some cues mean nothing to a dog, while others trigger anxiety.

Make a list of the things you normally do before leaving for the day (and anxiety occurs) and the things done before a short time out (and no anxiety occurs).Then mix up the cues. For example, if your dog is fine when you go downstairs to do the laundry, you can try taking the laundry basket with you when you leave for work. If your dog becomes anxious when you pick up your keys or put on a coat, you should practice these things when you are not really leaving. You can, for example, stand up, put on a coat or pick up your car keys during television commercials, and then sit down again. You can also open and shut doors while you are home when you do not intend to leave. Entering and exiting through various doors you leave and return can also mix up cues for your dog.

When you are actually leaving, you should try not to give any cues to this effect. Leave your coat in the car and put your keys in the ignition well before leaving. It is important to randomize all the cues indicating departure (clothing, physical and vocal signals, interactions with family members, other pets, and so on).

Another technique:

The planned departure technique can be very effective for some dogs. This program is recommended only under special circumstances because it requires that you never leave your dog alone during the entire retraining period, which can be weeks or months.

Timing is everything when implementing this program. If your dog shows signs of anxiety (pacing, panting, barking excessively) the instant you walk out of the door, you should stand outside the door and wait until your dog is quiet for three seconds. Then go back inside quickly and reward your dog for being calm. If you return WHEN your dog is anxious, this reinforces your dog's tendency to display the behavior because it has the desired effect of reuniting the "pack" members. The goal is for your dog to connect being calm and relaxed with your return. Gradually work up to slightly longer departures 5 to 10 minutes as long as your dog remains quiet, and continue in this fashion. Eventually, you should be able to leave for the day without your dog becoming anxious when you depart. When performed correctly, this program can be very helpful in resolving separation anxiety.

Separation Anxiety in Dogs: Part 3Behavior Modifications

This blog will focus on some behavior modifications for separation anxiety in dogs. Previous blogs described the disorder, possible causes, and how separation anxiety presents itself in dogs.

Behavior modification for separation anxiety:


It is recommended that owners should give their dog an acceptable item to chew, such as a long lasting food treat only when they go out. The goal is to have the dog associate this special treat with the owner's departure. Treats might include hollow bones stuffed with peanut butter or soft cheese, drilled out nylon bones or hollow rubber chew toys such as Kong toys similarly enhanced (place in the freezer before giving it to the dog to make it last longer). Give the bone to the dog about 15 minutes before preparing to depart. The chew toy should be used only as a reward to offset the anxiety triggered by the owner's departure.

Hiding a variety of these delectable food treats throughout the house may occupy the dog so that the owner's departure is less stressful.

In an effort to prevent destructive behavior, many owners confine their dog in a crate or behind a gate. For dogs that display "barrier frustration," the use of a crate in this way is counterproductive. Many dogs will physically injure themselves while attempting to escape such confinement. Careful efforts to desensitize and counter condition the dog to crate confinement before leaving her alone may be helpful in some cases. However, some dogs rebel against any form of restraint, including restricting barriers and, for them, crate training may never be a positive experience.

"Doggie Daycare" or hiring a pet sitter often is a better alternative for dogs that initially are resistant to treatment.

Independence training is one of the more important aspects of the program to eliminate separation anxiety in dogs. It involves teaching your dog to "stand on her own four feet" when you are present, with the express intention that her new found confidence will spill over into times when you are away. You need to make your dog more independent by reducing the bond between both of you to a more healthy level of involvement.

Decreasing the bond is the hardest thing for most owners to accept. Most people acquire dogs because they want a strong relationship with them. However, you have to accept that the anxiety your dog experiences in your absence is destructive.

The next blog will focus on the essential components of the independence training program for treatment of separation anxiety in dogs.

Separation Anxiety in Dogs: Part 2

The previous blog gave an overview of separation anxiety in dogs and its possible cause. This blog will focus on how dogs display separation anxiety.

Presentation

Unwanted behavioral signs of separation anxiety are only seen when the owner is absent, or when the dog is prevented from being close to the owner (at night, for instance). Under such circumstances, a needy dog is in a high state of anxiety because she wants to be with her owner and is prevented from doing so. Dogs, like people, cannot stay in a high state of anxiety for long, and must do something to relieve the tension.

To reduce the tension, dogs may engage in destructive behavior, house soiling, and distress vocalization. Other signs may include a reduced activity level, depression, loss of appetite, ritualized pacing, aggression when the owner leaves (mouthing, growling, nipping, or body blocking), excessive grooming, diarrhea, vomiting, panting and salivation. Signs of over-attachment when the owner is home include excessive following behavior, anxious behaviors associated with signals that the owner is preparing to depart, and exuberant greetings.

Excessive chewing, digging and scratching tends to occur in areas near doors and windows ("barrier frustration"). Damage in such areas is virtually diagnostic of separation anxiety. These areas represent exit routes for the dog as it attempts to reunite herself with the owner or, at least, to escape the loneliness. If the dog is confined to a crate, or its movements are restricted by a gate, destruction is usually centered around the crate door or the gate itself. The dog may seriously injure itself during these escape attempts. Attempts to free itself from barriers may result in broken nails or teeth, a bloody mouth, or more extensive injuries from tearing through glass and wood. Dogs may also destroy property that carries the owner's scent, such as bedding, furniture, clothing, or shoes.

Barking, howling and whining are other common signs of separation anxiety. Distress vocalization and active seeking behavior occur when many social animals are separated from their companions. Such distress vocalizations represent the dog's attempt to reunite the social unit. Excessive vocalization may occur primarily at the time of the owner's departure or may continue throughout the duration of the owner's absence. Owners are often unaware that their dog is distressed by the departure and it is only when neighbors complain about the excessive barking or howling that they become aware that their dog has a separation problem.

Dogs with separation anxiety may become so distressed in their owners' absence that they urinate or defecate in the house. When this occurs only in the owner's absence, such "inappropriate" elimination is not indicative of a loss of house training but rather is a physiological response to the extreme distress the dog is experiencing from being alone. House soiling typically occurs within 30 minutes of the owner's departure as the dog becomes more anxious.

The first step in treating separation anxiety is to break the cycle of anxiety. Every time a dog with separation anxiety becomes anxious when its owner leaves, the distress it feels is reinforced until it becomes absolutely frantic every time the dog is left alone.

The next blog will focus on treatment and behavior modification for separation anxiety in dogs.

Separation Anxiety in Dogs: Part 1

Dogs are social animals that form strong bonds with people, so it is not surprising that they may feel somewhat anxious when separated from their social group. Most dogs adapt well to the typical daily separation from their owners. Unfortunately, problems can arise when an overly dependent dog develops a dysfunctionally strong attachment to its owners. The dog with separation anxiety is distinguished by signs of distress when left alone and over-attachment when the owner is present.

Separation anxiety may be manifested as destruction of the owner's property and other behaviors that may be harmful for the dog or annoying for people sharing the dog's immediate environment.

It is important to realize that dogs with separation anxiety are not doing these things to get even with the owner for leaving, out of boredom, or due to lack of obedience training. These dogs are not being destructive out of "spite" or "anger". They are truly distressed when left behind.

Consider instead that the dog's dependence on the owner is so great that it becomes anxious when the owner leaves. The dog must find an outlet for this anxiety, and its methods of doing so may cause considerable damage. Also consider that, no matter how flattering a dog's constant attention to its owners may seem, it is not fair to the dog to allow it to be so stressed by the owner's absence that it must resort to one of these unwanted behaviors to alleviate inner tension.

For some dogs, the anxiety associated with being left alone becomes evident to their owners soon after they join the household. In some cases, dogs may be genetically predisposed to anxiety but inappropriate or insufficient socialization experiences during the puppyhood is the most likely cause. For some dogs, no initiating trigger can be identified. Symptoms of separation anxiety may develop gradually over time or may appear in full-blown form the first time they are left alone.

The onset of separation anxiety sometimes occurs after the dog is exposed to an experience that disrupts its social bond. This can occur when owners board the dog for vacation or change their work schedule. It may also occur when a household member leaves or dies, or when the dog is relocated to a new house or household.

Overly indulgent owners may promote separation distress in predisposed dogs. Owners of dogs that show separation distress are often nurturing, empathetic people who indulge their dog. They allow the dog to follow them around the house and encourage the exuberant welcome the dog gives them when they return home. Somewhat less-nurturing (but by no means neglectful) owners may help instill independence in the dog thus circumventing the worst throes of the problem and permitting its gradual resolution.

Separation anxiety may be confused with other separation-related behavior problems that occur in the owner's absence. A lack of stimulation leads some dogs to engage in excessive and destructive "exploring," barking and other nuisance behavior. This type of problem does not necessarily indicate a dysfunctional bond with the owner.

Cause

It is widely held that dogs with a dysfunctional background (adopted from shelters, puppy mills, pet stores, dogs that have had multiple owners or traumatic handling early in life) are more prone to separation anxiety. Whether this is because these dogs were relinquished or abused, or whether the condition emerged after their abandonment, is not known for certain. Certainly, inadequate early socialization is a concern with puppy mill and pet store dogs, but not all dogs acquired from these facilities develop separation anxiety.

It also has been reported that mixed breed dogs appear to suffer from separation anxiety more commonly than purebred dogs. Since more mixed breed dogs are obtained from shelters than purebred dogs, this raises a question: Does exposure to a shelter environment predispose some dogs to develop separation anxiety or are more mixed breed dogs relinquished to a shelter as a result of preexisting separation related issues?

It is possible that some dogs are genetically predisposed to develop stronger than normal attachment to members of their social group. Logically, we would predict that these dogs would be more submissive in temperament. Such dogs may belong to breeds that have been genetically selected to form overly tight bonds with owners in order to perform a "job," such as hunting or herding.

Dogs that develop separation anxiety are often young dogs. However, geriatric dogs may develop separation anxiety in response to physical discomfort accompanying old age. These dogs become less independent and more emotionally attached to the owners as a consequence of their infirmity.

How do you know if your dog has separation anxiety?

Next blog will talk more about this.

Dog Park Etiquette

Whether you go to a park that warmly invites dogs or to one that merely tolerates their presence, there are a few points of etiquette that you and your dog should follow.

A Park of Their Own?

The first point of etiquette is: are dogs allowed? As you approach that beautiful sea of green grass, you may confront a harsh reality: the ugly sign prohibiting dogs in the park.

Law-abiding person that you are, you turn away. To do otherwise could earn you a fine. But now what? With more than 700 dog parks scattered throughout the United States, this may mean a bit of a drive. But as more communities enact leash laws, dog parks are increasing in number.

For the uninitiated, a dog park is generally defined as a park where dogs and owners are encouraged to visit and has amenities designed to make the visit more pleasant. Some parks are enclosed and some are not.

Your dog should be fully vaccinated before taking him to any park. Preferably the dog should be spayed or neutered.

Doggie Etiquette

On leash or off? Believe it or not, many dog parks request dogs to be off leash, unless dog and owner are specifically traveling from one end of the park to the other. According to officials, leashed dogs are intimidated by off-leash dogs; leashed, a dog knows he does not have the same freedom of movement and tends to react defensively or fearfully. You may want to let him run around with the leash still attached, so you can grab him at a greater distance, if need be.

At a general park, however, keep your dog on a leash. Not everyone is dog-friendly, but everyone does have the right to enjoy the park unmolested.

Dog fights. Because they are on "neutral territory" in a park, dogs have less to fight about. Even territorial dogs become friendlier when off their home turf. However, fights do occur occasionally. Dogs that have the most fun at parks are those that have been well socialized at an early age.

Health issues. It is extremely important for your dog to have all of his vaccinations up to date (rabies, parvo and distemper, for instance). Likewise, do not bring your dog if he's not feeling well. He may get even more sick or make another dog ill.

Human Etiquette

Overly friendly dogs. Think of your dog's behavior as a reflection on your own manners. Is it polite to let a child run up to strangers and kiss them repeatedly? Well, it is not polite to let your dog run up to other people uninvited and plant sloppy kisses on them either. This is a major complaint at dog parks. Your puppy may be just the cutest bundle of love on the planet, but he is best reserved for people who can appreciate him, i.e. you and your family.

Scoop the poop. The biggest complaints arise when nature calls. The park is NOT a convenient place to let your dog do his business. Scooping the poop is always the responsibility of the owner. Dog parks almost always make this necessary task easier by supplying bag stations and trashcans.

Sometimes people are honestly unaware of where their dogs go when they are unleashed. You should keep an eye on your dog at all times.

In parks that permit rather than invite dogs, baggies may not be available. It is even more crucial that you bring your own; if you do not you may find that a once dog-friendly park has been declared off-limits to canines.

Watch out for your children. Some dog parks will not allow children under 10. This is because young children may become frightened by a friendly dog, or could get knocked down and hurt accidentally. Check on the age requirements at the park near you. If you deem your children too small, or they are fearful of dogs, you may not want to bring them.

If you do not have a dog park within reasonable driving distance, you may want to think about starting one. You can start by getting a committed group of dog owners together and contacting your city or county representative. Stress the benefits to people as well as to dogs, and explain how the park can educate the public on responsible dog ownership. With some help and perseverance, you may establish a dog park of their own.

Good idea: I learned not to bring dog treats to a dog park as you will find that most dogs will sniff out the treats and follow you everywhere.

Brushing Your Dog's Teeth

Have you tried brushing your dog's teeth?

Many dogs hate having their teeth brushed - and it can be a real challenge. But good dental care is important to your dog's good health.

How do you to teach your dog to like it, or even tolerate it?

The first thing you can do is to be patient. When brushing your dog's teeth, give tons of positive reinforcement when your dog is tolerant and well behaved. BUT, some dogs are NOT tolerant and will bite. Please be careful so you do not get hurt.

Tooth brushing tips for dogs:

Get your dog used to touching around his mouth (assuming your dog has an even temperament). Pet your dog around the face. Look at his teeth. Gradually progress from first just touching the area to massaging the gum area.

Introduce a toothpaste that he likes. Some are meat, chicken, or fish flavored. You can allow your dog to lick it off your finger to start. Remember - give TONS of praise when he does well.

Introduce the toothbrush. You can gradually introduce the toothpaste by first allowing him to sniff it. Then you can even massage his face with it. Make sure he is not afraid of it before placing it in his mouth.

Eventually - combine the toothbrush and toothpaste together and brush your dog's teeth.

It can take days to weeks to get a dog to accept brushing. And some dogs will never allow you to do it.

But some dogs just never tolerate brushing.

If your dog will not let you brush, what can you do?
Try Dentastix® by Pedigree.


It is an X-shaped bone type treat with a special texture that helps clean between your dog's teeth as he chews, all the way down to the gum line. You can choose the size that best fits your dog's mouth. These tartar-control treats are very effective when used as part of a daily oral care routine - and they taste good, so your dog will look forward to eating them every day.