Separation Anxiety

You arrive home after a rather unpleasant day at work.
All you can think about is getting inside and sinking into a nice hot bath. As you turn the key in the lock, you imagine all the stress melting from your body, but then the door opens and you stare in horror at your once pristine living room.

There is garbage strewn all over the floor. Your new pair of shoes are all chewed up, and stuffing from a couch pillow has covered the floor in what looks like fake snow. In the middle of this chaos sits your three-month-old chocolate puppy, wagging his tail, signaling his pleasure of your arrival, bits of stuffing flying all around him.

You are so angry that you sternly yell at him. His tail stops, and he lowers his head. You catch a glimpse of his sad little eyes and soon you feel guilty about yelling at him.

Does the above scenario sound a bit too familiar? Many dog owners go through this same scenario on a daily basis. You may not understand what’s going on, especially if you’ve never owned a dog before, but your veterinarian will explain that your dog very normal, he’s just suffering from separation anxiety – a very common problem in dogs.

Dogs can become severely distressed whenever they are separated from their owner. Usually that means when you leave the house. When your dog is left behind it feels abandoned. The stress of the separation can cause problem behaviors such as destruction, howling, whining, depression and stress. A dog will become fearful that you have abandoned him, and he can’t understand that it’s not forever - you will be returning.

Over-attachment and anxiety of being left alone are one of the causes for separation anxiety in dogs. Your vet may offer ideas of what you can do to prevent your dog’s feelings of abandonment, and how you can lessen his stress when you have to be away from him. It might take weeks or even months to resolve this problem, depending on how severe his anxiety is.

Treatment includes disassociating your leaving cues (getting your coat or purse, jingling your keys) with the actual act of walking out the door, teaching him to sit or stay near the door and gradually increase the distance between you, your dog and your door, shutting the door without actually leaving. You can also give him a treat such as a dog bone to keep while you are away, and buy him stuffed animals to keep him company.
This works especially well with puppies because the fur of the stuffed animal reminds the puppy of its mother, giving him a feeling of warmth and comfort. It may take a few months of work on both of your part. You will need to let him know that his destructive behavior will not to be tolerated, while at the same time understanding why he is doing it.

Once again, the relationship between you and your dog can be a good one. With training and patience you will soon have a happy, confident dog that is completely devoted to you. .