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Cullen's Archangel RescuE, Inc.
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Separation AnxietyDogs with separation anxiety have an unhealthy overdependence on their owner and cannot cope with being apart from him, even for a short time. It isn't so much being alone that makes them anxious but the actual separation from the specific human to whom they are attached. This is one of the most exasperating issues for both owners and their dogs. The dog with separation anxiety is often destructive and/or eliminates in the house. The owner comes home to find feces all over the floor and/or damage to his home. My dog chewed the moulding off the doorframe and gnawed the furniture like a beaver before we got her anxiety under control. My coworker's dog chewed a hole clear through a sheet rock wall! Separation anxiety can be an expensive and messy problem for dog owners. Many owners misinterpret the behavior as the dog enacting "revenge" on them for leaving her alone. This is not the case. Separation anxiety is no picnic for the dog, either. The dog is in a state of pure terror! Elimination in the house is the involuntary result of stomach upset and not a calculated act of revenge. The destruction is a result of uncontrollable panic. Some dogs will seriously injure themselves in their frenzied attempts to escape and somehow find you. Other dogs "zone out". Rather than hysterically attempting escape, they shut down completely. This dog may lie in one spot the entire time the owner is away and drool so much that they soak themselves and the floor beneath them. They may self-mutilate, repetitively licking themselves until the skin is exposed. In relatively milder cases, the dog may bark non-stop while the owner is away, making her very unpopular with the neighbors. This affliction is commonly seen is rescue dogs and may be related to fear of abandonment. They were abandoned once before; what's to keep it from happening again? However, this can also occur in dogs who have never been abandoned. It is often unwittingly caused by a doting owner who has only good intentions but who does more harm than good by making their dog completely dependent on them. In some cases, the cause may be unclear. Cases range from relatively mild to severe, though anxiety never "feels" mild to the one experiencing it. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cureSome dogs are born with more of a propensity towards separation anxiety than others. However, nurture plays a strong role. There are steps you can take to reduce the likelihood of your dog developing separation anxiety. Ideally, puppies should not be separated from their mother until at least 8 weeks of age. Even better if the father is also involved in raising them. This gives the puppy a strong Dog foundation. "Raise up a puppy in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it", so to speak. When you adopt a dog, whether she is an 8-week-old puppy or a 10-year-old senior, establish and enforce firm, consistent guidelines from the day you bring her home. Those big brown eyes can hypnotize us into giving in and pampering our pups. Dogs can be manipulative! Don't fall for it. It does her no favors to cater to her every whim. Knowing the rules and consequences helps your dog be confident and self-reliant. If the rules are always the same, she will know exactly what to do, even when you're not there to help. Get her used to being apart from you from the beginning. Even when you're at home, don't let her follow you everywhere you go. Close the door when you go to the bathroom! It doesn't mean that you can NEVER let your dog follow you; just that you don't ALWAYS let her. Don't make a big deal out of leaving. Whatever you do, don't try and soothe her when you leave by saying things like "It's ok, you'll be alright, etc.". That soothing voice just makes it sound like there really IS something to be stressed about, and you're trying to comfort her through this horrible situation! Instead, decide on a cue for when you leave. Use it each and every time you leave home in a normal tone of voice. For example, you could say "See you soon" or "Be good". I say "Bye, Mama loves!" This becomes their cue that you are leaving, but you will return because dogs thrive on routine.
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