WHAT IS SEPARATION ANXIETY?

Separation anxiety in canines is a quite common issue. Separation anxiety displays itself as our dog being under distress when we leave them on their own. Most of us, after all, would jump at the chance to have our pets by our sides, all of the time… so why shouldn’t our pets feel the same way? While this may seem ideal, it is entirely unhealthy from both ends of the relationship. Our dogs should feel at ease when they must be without us, and we should rightly so feel at ease when we must leave our dogs on their own. There is much work that must go in from both ends to make this happen more naturally! 

SYMPTOMS OF SEPARATION ANXIETY

Urinating and Defecating: Unusual urination or defecation when the dog is separated from their guardian, or left alone. If the same behavior is happening in the presence of the guardian, it is likely not caused by separation anxiety. Perhaps this dog was punished for soiling the house, or was not completely house-trained? 

Barking and Howling: Unusual barking or howling for any prolonged amount of time might be an indicator of separation anxiety. This kind of barking is persistent and doesn’t seem to be triggered by anything except being left alone.

Chewing, Digging, Destruction: Some dogs that experience separation anxiety may chew on, dig, or destroy certain objects (including door frames, floors, pillows, carpets, curtains) when left alone or separated from their guardians. These behaviors can result in self-injury – such as broken teeth, cut and scraped paws, and damaged nails. If a dog’s chewing, digging and destruction are caused by separation anxiety, they don’t usually occur in his guardian’s presence.

Escaping: A dog with separation anxiety might try to escape from an area where he’s confined when he’s left alone or separated from his guardian. The dog might attempt to dig and chew through doors or windows, which could result in self-injury, such as broken teeth, cut and scraped front paws, and damaged nails. If the dog’s escape behavior is caused by separation anxiety, it doesn’t occur when his guardian is present.

Pacing: Some dogs walk or trot along a specific path in a fixed pattern when left alone or separated from their guardians. Some pacing dogs move around in circular patterns, while others walk back and forth in straight lines. If a dog’s pacing behavior is caused by separation anxiety, it usually doesn’t occur when his guardian is present.

Coprophagia: When left alone or separated from their guardians, some dogs defecate and then consume all or some of their excrement. If a dog eats excrement because of separation anxiety, he probably doesn’t perform that behavior in the presence of his guardian.

WHY DOES SEPARATION ANXIETY OCCUR?

There isn’t conclusive evidence as to why certain dogs experience separation anxiety, however we do know that separation anxiety can be pre-determined by genetics, and is often times exacerbated by the environment, any sort of change to the mundane, and prolonged stress.

A few common reasons that a dog can experience a higher level of stress include a change of family or guardian (foster change, adoption), a change in regular schedule (when and how things happen), a change in residence (loss of territory), or a change in household membership (adding or losing a member to the family).

It can also be determined that dogs who have been adopted from a rescue or a shelter can experience separation anxiety in far greater numbers than those dogs who have been in one, singular environment for the duration of their lives. For example, adopting a puppy as a family and keeping the puppy with the same family for the duration of their lives is much less stressful and anxiety-producing for said dog. This is basic logic, as the loss of an important person or group of people in a dog’s life can increase the chances of stress, and therefore of separation anxiety. This change or loss can also produce an effect on the intensity and the frequency of the separation anxiety. 

As always, it is vital that any medical issues are ruled out of the equation FIRST… before applying any behavior modification protocols or new procedures with your dog. A few common medical issues that could be underlying your dog’s behaviors can include incontinence or new medications. Separation anxiety should also not be confused with containment phobia, submissive or excited urination, incomplete or improper house training, scent marking, adolescent destruction, or excessive barking – even though often times separation anxiety can lead a dog to display these common behaviors.

THE RESEARCH SUGGESTS…

New research suggests that separation anxiety in dogs should be seen as a sign of underlying frustrations rather than a diagnosis, and understanding these root causes could be key to effective treatment.

A team led by scientists from the University of Lincoln in Lincoln, England, identified four main forms of distress for dogs when separated from their owners. These include a focus on getting away from something in the house, wanting to get to something outside, reacting to external noises or events, and a form of boredom. More than 2,700 dogs representing over 100 breeds were included in the study.

The study highlights how different emotional states combine to produce problem behaviors in dogs. Although the unwanted behavior is first triggered by the owner’s departure, it arises because of a combination of risk factors that may include elements of the dog’s temperament, the type of relationship it has with the owner, and how the two of them interact.

The study, “Developing diagnostic frameworks in veterinary behavioral medicine: Disambiguating separation related problems in dogs,” was published Jan. 17 in the online journal Frontiers in Veterinary Science and is available at jav.ma/separation.

HOW TO ALLEVIATE SEPARATION ANXIETY

STEP 1:  Understand the symptoms and underlying causes to the behavior.

STEP 2: Get your dog comfortable relaxing with you.

STEP 3: Get your dog comfortable relaxing with you, from across the room.

STEP 4: Get your dog comfortable relaxing with you, through a barrier.

STEP 5: Get your dog comfortable relaxing without you, from another room.

STEP 6: Get your dog comfortable relaxing without you present.

Each step should be practiced until the dog is able to fully relax in each situation. Steps can be repeated, even more than once, until the dog is totally at ease. There will be transgressions, and that is okay. This training process will not be linear.

SOURCES:

ASPCA

AVMA