Does your little friend start to whine or whimper while you are primping for work? Does he immediately start howling at the moon just as soon as the door closes behind you? If so, your little friend suffers from a bout with separation anxiety. Not to worry, it is completely natural; after all, you are their parent. As their master, you are all they know and, therefore, all that is right in the world. Much like a young child in their early developmental stages, they look to their guardian not only for nourishment and care, but also for guidance. Take yourself out of the picture and they feel lost.
Even with their limited intelligence, animals are quite attuned to perceiving various nonverbal cues, particularly canines. Pavlov’s dog reacted to the jingle of a bell. Your dog more than likely reacts to the jingling of your house keys. Whether you realize it or not, you have conditioned your dog to react as such. Depending on the circumstances from which you rescued your dog, there is a list of symptoms that point to your little friend experiencing separation anxiety:
NOTE: The below symptoms are usually carried out when you are not present.
- Pacing. Your dog wanders about aimlessly not knowing what to do with itself oftentimes in a pattern.
- Barking. This includes loud whining/whimpering, howling and or barking that isn’t particularly directed towards anything or anyone in particular. Your neighbors probably aren’t too fond of this.
- Escape. Or the old Houdini act minus the showmanship. This often entails gnawing at the wood of the door frame, digging at the fence or “jail-breaking” from your yard at all cost, all of which could result in serious bodily harm to your dog as well as collateral damage to your property.
- Urination/Defecation. Regardless of the motive, it is not uncommon for a dog to “relieve themselves” where they should not and normally don’t.
These are just a few of the most common symptoms of separation anxiety. They are not irreversible. Conditioning can be undone with more conditioning, but first it is important to take into consideration why it is your dog experiences separation anxiety to such a degree.
Here are but a few possible reasons why your dog may be experiencing separation anxiety:
- Abandonment Issues. Having been surrendered to a shelter is hard enough on a dog, but adjusting to a new owner is often too much change for a dog to handle.
- New Surroundings. Relocating can cause a dog to feel displaced, particularly if you move from a house with a yard to an apartment.
- Changing Faces. Once again, it’s all about conditioning. Dogs get comfortable with certain faces and people. When a familiar face gets taken out of the picture, dogs take notice and are affected.
- Face Time. If your dog is accustomed to seeing you a certain number hours a day and all of a sudden a change in your routine cuts down on those hours, your dog will notice.
It really is all about conditioning and dogs are most certainly creatures of routine. As mentioned earlier, there is something to be learned from Pavlov’s dog. Associating certain experiences with positive reinforcement will most always yield results. If your little friend shows symptoms of separation anxiety, here a few tactics you can use to alleviate your dog’s woes.
- Before you leave for work, take your dog out for some exercise. The more energy your little friend expends exercising, the less they’ll have to worry themselves ragged over your absence.
- Leave your little friend with something to occupy its time like a toy, or more specifically, a KONG filled with peanut butter, Kibbles n’ Bits, or Cheez Whiz. Ideally, these toys will provide ample distraction along with a reward of food at the end.
- If the jingling of keys sets your dog off, you are just going to have to desensitize him to that cue. Accustom your dog to seeing you pick up the keys without leaving him alone. Similarly, put on your coat as if you are going out, but then plop right back down on the couch. Do this enough times in front of your little friend and those cues lose their influence.
- Don’t make an ordeal out of ‘hellos’ and ‘good-byes’. A simple pat on the head will suffice. Again, you want to instill in your little friend a sense of calm.
- Lastly, it can’t be stressed enough. Alleviating separation anxiety is all about conditioning. Much like runner training for a marathon, you don’t run the full 26 miles in your first go. Rather, you build towards it. The same goes for how long you leave your dog alone. Gradually work your way up to your goals otherwise your little friend will never learn to feel at ease in situations that bring about their anxiety.
Regardless of whether they’re rescues or a dog you adopted as a pup, your little friend depends on you for most everything from food to approval. Obviously, you can’t reformat your life to revolve entirely around your dog so your only option is to condition your little friend to work around your schedule. Man’s best friend is all too accommodating. Some cases of separation anxiety are worse than others depending on the dog’s history. Seek the help of a certified animal behavior specialist if your little friend’s separation anxiety persists.
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