Secrets to Dog Training a Thumbnail Sketch: Separation Anxiety

Separation Anxiety

Separation Anxiety Separation anxiety is one of the most common problems that dogs develop. It’s an anxiety disorder, and is defined as a state of intense panic brought on by the dog’s isolation/separation from her owner(s). In other words: when you leave for work in the morning, your dog is plunged into a state of nervous anxiety which intensifies extremely quickly. Dogs are social animals – they need plenty of company and social interaction to keep them happy and content. No dog likes to be left alone for long stretches of time, but some dogs do a lot worse than others: these are the ones most prone to separation anxiety. There are a number of contributing causes to the condition: – Some breeds are genetically predisposed towards anxiety and insecurity, which is something you should consider when deciding which breed you’re going to go for (particularly if you’re going to be absent for long stretches of time). A few of these breeds include Weimaraners, Springer Spaniels, German Shepherds, and Airedales – A significant proportion of dogs from shelters develop separation anxiety. Most of these ‘shelter dogs’ have undergone significant trauma in their lives – they’ve been abandoned by their previous owners – and thus they have little trust that their new-found owner (you) isn’t going to pull the same trick. – Dogs that were separated from their mothers and siblings too early have been identified as being especially prone to separation anxiety. Puppies from pet-stores are a perfect example of this: they’re usually taken from their mothers well before the earliest possible age (which is 8 weeks), and confined to a small glass box in the petstore for anywhere between a few weeks to two months. This early weaning, coupled with the lack of exercise and affection while in the petstore, is psychologically traumatic for the dog. – Neglect is the number-one cause of sepration anxiety for dogs. If you’re absent much more than you’re present in your dog’s life, separation anxiety is pretty much inevitable. Your dog needs your company, affection, and attention in order to be happy and content. The symptoms of separation anxiety are pretty distinctive: your dog will usually learn to tell when you’re about to leave (she’ll hear keys jingling, will see you putting on your outdoor clothes, etc) and will become anxious. She may follow you from room to room, whining, trembling, and crying. Some dogs even become aggressive, in an attempt to stop their owners from leaving. When you’ve left, the anxious behavior will rapidly worsen and usually will peak within half an hour. She may bark incessantly, scratch and dig at windows and doors (an attempt to escape from confinement and reunite herself with you), chew inappropriate items, even urinate and defecate inside the house. In extreme cases, she might self-mutilate by licking or chewing her skin until it’s raw, or pulling out fur; or will engage in obsessive-compulsive behaviors, like spinning and tail-chasing. Upon your return, she’ll be excessively excited, and will leap around you in a frenzy of delight for a protracted period of time (more than the 30 seconds to one minute of a happy, well-balanced dog.) This extended greeting is a source of some misunderstanding: without realizing that such a greeting actually signifies the presence of a psychological disorder, some owners actually encourage their dog to get more and more worked up upon their return (by fuelling the dog’s excitement, encouraging her to leap around, paying her protracted attention, and so on.) If you’re behaving in this way with your dog, please stop. I know it’s tempting and very easy to do, and it seems harmless – after all, she’s so happy to see you, what harm can it do to return her attention and affection in equal measure? – but in actuality, you’re just validating her belief that your return is the high point of the day. So she’s as happy as Larry when you return – but, when it’s time for you to leave again, her now-exaggerated happiness at your presence is under threat, and she gets even more unhappy when you walk out that door. Fortunately, there are things you can do to minimize your dog’s tendency towards anxiety. Here’s a short list of do’s and don’ts: Do: – Exercise the heck out of her. Really wear her out: the longer you expect to be away, the more exercise she should get before you leave. For example, if you’re leaving for work in the morning, she’ll probably be by herself for at least four hours; and, if you’ve got a dog-walker to take her out mid-day instead of coming back yourself, she won’t see you – the person she really cares about – for at least nine hours. So she needs a good, vigorous walk (fifteen to twenty minutes is the absolute minimum here!) before you walk out that door. More is even better. – Distract her from her boredom, loneliness, and anxiety by giving her an attractive alternative to pining, pacing, and whining. All dogs love to chew – why not play on this predisposition? Get a couple of marrowbones from the butcher, bake them in the oven for 20 minutes (so they go nice and hard and crunchy – and so she can’t smear marrow all over your furniture), slice them up into chunks of a few inches long, and give her one about 15 minutes before you leave. It’ll keep her happy and occupied, and will act as a smokescreen for your departure. – When you leave, put the radio on to a soothing station: classical music is ideal, but any station featuring lots of talk shows is also ideal. Keep the volume quite low, and it’ll calm her down a bit and give her the feeling that she’s got company. – If at all possible, supply her with a view: if she can see the world going by, that’s the next best thing to being out and about in it. – Acclimatize her to your leaving. Taking things nice and slowly, practice getting ready to go: jingle your keys about, put on your coat, and open the door. Then – without leaving! – sit back down and don’t go anywhere. Do this until she’s not reacting any more. When there’s no reaction, give her a treat and lavish praise for being so brave. Next, practice actually walking out the door (and returning immediately), again doing this until there’s no reaction. Gradually work up – gradually being the operative word here! – until you’re able to leave the house with no signs of stress from her. Do not: – Act overtly sympathetic when she’s crying. Although it sounds very cold-hearted, trying to soothe and comfort your dog by patting her and cooing over her is actually one of the worst things you can do: it’s essentially validating her concern. Make sure she can’t tell that you feel sorry for her: don’t ever say, “It’s OK, good girl” when she’s upset! If you’re interested in getting a more detailed look at how to deal with your dog’s separation anxiety, you might like to check out Secrets to Dog Training. It’s a great learning tool for anyone who wants to learn how to deal constructively with their dog’s problem behaviors. All of the common behavioral problems are dealt with in detail, and there’s a great section on obedience commands and tricks too. You can visit the Secrets to Dog Training site by clicking on the link below: *http://www.kingdomofpets.com/dogobediencetraining/index.php?aff=joemarket2&type=separationanxiety

Canine Behavior Training: Separation Anxiety Protocol

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Separation Anxiety Protocol

4:03 PM | Posted by Canine Behavior Training | | Edit Post

Protocol

Day 1

hour 1: in the house, go into a room, close the door – dog outside the room. Count to 10 open the door, walk to the next room (do not interact with the dog). Repeat in every room in the house that can be closed off with a door and every closet in the house until you can be in a room/closet for 5 minutes.

hour 2: Do exactly the same as hour one except when you come out of the room, provided the dog is not going nuts and is calm, play WITH the dog (push a war, smack it, tug, something interactive IT MUST INVOLVE PLAYING WITH YOU). You should be able to get to 10 minutes separated from the dog in a room or closet by the end of this hour. The play session should not last more then 1 minute. You can do more then one play session each time with a break of 30 seconds between 1 minute sessions.

hour 3: repeat hour 2, this time with food instead of play. Food should be accompanied by the HUMAN getting really excited about giving the food to the door. Get to 15 minutes. Obviously that means only 4 or 5 rooms will be used in an hour.

Take a break until evening, do not feed the dog dinner.

Hour 4: time to start heading outside, use every door in the house, start at the count of 10 again, NOT at 15 minutes. This is to the dog a totally different game. It will go faster however since the rules of the game have already been established in the first 3 hours.

Hour 5: Write down every routine you go through when you are about to leave the house. It doesn’t matter whether the routine is for going to get the mail, or going shopping, or going to work. Humans are creatures of habit and routine and if you think about it, you can write down every step you take in each type of routine. Put each step in those routines EACH on a 3X5 card and shuffle them. Then grab 5 cards, do the actions in those 5 cards (even if it means putting on your shoes and then taking a shower). At the end of each 5 card routine, go outside rotating doors each time, and continue your counts until you can get to 10 minutes outside with no reaction from the dog.

Hour 6: Do hour 2’s actions of play, but instead of room and closets, go outside. Try and get to 15 minutes.

Day 2

Hours 1,2,3 Do the actions from hour 6 on day one alternating play with food. Get to 20 minutes separation time. The play sessions should be longer now – 1 minute play, 1 minute no play repeated 5 times. The concept that dog gets here is that play always restarts. If you make it one long play session, the dog is left feeling like you’re never going to come back and play again.

Hours 4,5,6 Continue what you were doing in the morning, get to 30 minutes separation time and 2 minutes between 1 minute play sessions.

Day 3

This is the day for the long separation times. When you get up, shuffle your cards and pick out 10 to do, then leave the house for 30 minutes, actually driving away – you can run some errands if you wish so you come home with a bag or two of stuff. When you get home, walk in, ignore the dog no matter what he is doing. Wait until he is calm and then have a 10 minute play sessions (30 seconds on, 30 seconds off).

Wait two hours and repeat with a new set of 10 cards. Leave for 45 minutes, make sure to come back with dog goodies. Again wait until the dog is calm if necessary and have a 15 minute play session.

Wait two hours and just leave, no routine, just pickup the necessities and leave. Be gone for an hour, don’t bring anything back but do have the play session once your dog is calm – 15 minutes is good.

Wait 3 hours, do a normal leaving routine for going to work and then leave for 90 minutes. Everything should be fine by this time. The dog should have the concept that you will always come back and that if he is calm you will play with him for a long time. 15 minutes is a long time for a dog.

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Notice that you don’t need to take your dog for a walk during these three days. Your dog will be really tired from the mental exercise and the play sessions.

On play, if your dog doesn’t tug or have much interest in toys at all, there are two games you can play with him. Push-a-war: push lightly at the dog and run away making silly sounds. Game of Deke: with a squeaky toy in your hands, start bouncing back and forth squeaking the toy, your dog will start bouncing with you. There is never a need to give the toy to the dog, just keep bouncing and occasionally run away. Once your dog is playing these two games, you can add one called Smack It. Sit on the ground with the squeaky toy in your hands, smack the toy on the ground to your left saying “smack it”, then to your right and back and forth until your dog is diving to each spot trying to get the toy.

The intention with these three games is to put so much value into playing WITH you, that anything you have is also valuable. The toy you are squeaking becomes valuable to the dog and he wants it Then you can start with tug, drop, run (wait til your dog bites the toy, drop it and run – he should run after you with the toy in his mouth).

Make this whole routine fun for both you and the dog. You can enthusiastically charge out of closets and rooms to start the play sessions or throwing a handful of treats (or his dinner). Really get into the card shuffle game and realize how silly humans are with their routines and habits and laugh at yourself. Your emotions and energy level will affect how well your dog does with this.

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Dog Separation Anxiety | K9 OBEDIENCE TRAINING BLOG

First, understand that your dog is not trying to get even with you for leaving him home alone. The destructive behaviors, going potty on the floor and neurotic behavior that accompany dog separation anxiety are linked to a panic response. Luckily, for you the owner, the panic response is a behavior that is successfully modified with corrective, positive reinforcement to help calm nerves and promote your dog’s confidence and wellbeing.

No one fully understands why there’s some dog that suffer anxieties more than others when some dogs don’t at all. However, it is known that dog separation anxiety sometimes occurs when a significant change in routine, structure or surroundings such as the absence of an important companion. This may also occur when moving into a new home, a new pet or person in the family, or perhaps a change in the normal feeding schedule.

Before we get into the process of what to do about dog separation anxiety, let’s spend a moment going over what NOT to do. First and foremost, don’t punish your dog. Punishment of any form is NOT an effective way to treat dog separation anxiety as well as any unwanted behaviors. A response such as this, on the part of the owner (you) only serves to reinforce the behavior you’re trying to do away with.

Providing another pet as a potential companion for your dog won’t exactly help either. Dog separation anxiety stems from your dog being separated from you and not so much from being alone. Being unable to play with another animal isn’t the same as just being plain old bored. There is a major difference between boredom and loneliness.

Incarcerating a dog with separation anxiety in a crate is also not the answer, nor a solution. A dog’s nature is to be free. A nervous dog locked in a crate is now left with a heightened panic response but now with a build up of paranoia and desperation on top of it. The added risk of your dog injuring himself in an attempt to escape from the crate is also heightened.

Obedience training alone will not address this psychological problem. Although, there is no question that obedience training is a satisfying and worthwhile experience for the both of you to enjoy. Dog separation anxiety is an uncorrected panic response and is unrelated to obedience as well as disobedience.

Crates and Kennels have become a popular way to begin dog training for furry friends of all ages.  Crates are known as a great way for puppies get through stages of separation anxiety, as well as a good way to put positive reinforcement on dogs ‘alone time’.  However, many dogs of older ages have issues adjusting to crates, so here are a few dog owner tips on how to handle Kennel training.

Introducing Your Dog

When you first get your dog a crate, it may be a foreign concept to your pet. The new addition to your home will most likely take some time to ease your pet into, so here are a few ways to make the comfortable switch into using one.  Make sure to introduce your dog to the idea of the crate.  Leaving the crate in an area that is frequented by family members (such as the living room) will reassure your dog that it is safe, and soon will become a normal thing in your home.  Many dogs have an automatic curiosity as to what the crate is, and end up looking around it.  Many dogs even grow automatically accustomed to spending time in the crate and need no training, but if that is not your case, keep reading!

Familiarity and Food

One of the easiest ways to get your dog into the crate, is to start feeding them inside it on a regular basis.  If you consistently present your pets meals inside the crate, they will grow to see it as a common place and become more comfortable spending time in it.  Another way to help familiarize your dog with the crate is to put some of their favorite objects inside.  Weather it be a loved toy or a comfy bed, placing these objects inside will make the kennel or crate more homey for your pet. Once they become less anxious inside of the crate, try leaving them inside for small amounts of time while you are home, and gradually increase the time until they are comfortable with going inside of it on a regular basis.  Additionally, try leaving them inside while you are gone until the action becomes routine.

Potential problems with crates and Kennels include dog separation anxiety and whining.  Try to always let your dog outside to go to the bathroom before you put them into the crate to assure that it is not because they need to pee.  If problems persist, consider Florida dog training for your pet.

There are techniques to help your dog cope with separation anxiety.   A Florida dog obedience training professional can teach you specifics, but in the meantime, here are a few tips to help you start training immediately.

Step Away in Small Spurts

The first method utilizes the “stay” command.  Be certain your canine is able to master this command.  Once your pup is able to execute it properly, try stepping into another room, say the stay command, shut the door and wait.  Sit there for a short amount of time and walk back out.  It allows your dog to get used to the fact you are not present.  Do this a few times.

After completing the entering and leaving a room, implement the same technique with exit doors and food toys.  For instance, if you normally leave for work out the backdoor use it for this practice.  Walk towards the backdoor, put a toy filled with food goodies for the dog, say the stay command, shut the door and walk out of sight.  Stay outside for a time.  There are many messages sent via this action.

The food tells the dog regarding the time apart is a non-threatening, positive experience.  By departing for short amounts of time, it shows the dog you return and are not leaving permanently; therefore, there is no reason to panic or feel anxious.  Eventually, you lengthen the time in-between departures for your dog shall associate the fact of you leaving and being gone with everything is okay.  You always return.  As a result, it is solely a time to relax and not one of worry.

For more information on how to help your dog cope with being apart, meet with a k9 obedience instructor today.

It seems that dog owners suffer from separation anxiety more than their actual pups.  It is tough to leave your dog at home alone.  But there are times when it is necessary.  It is part of life.  But how do you know if your canine is suffering too?  Here are some traits enabling you to pinpoint if your dog has fear of being apart from you.

Your Dog Turns Into Houdini and Escapes

Every time you leave your dog with someone else or alone, does your dog take-off and perform a magical disappearing act?  You may see evidence of your dog chewing through doors, digging under fences or clawing at the window.  If this is not normal behavior for your dog, and only occurs when you are not present, then your dog may suffer from nervousness due to you being gone.  Start taking note of this behavior.  If it persists talk to a Florida dog training professional about how to resolve this issue and keep your dog happy, even while you are gone.

Your Dog Walks the Line…Back and Forth

Does your dog leave a pacing pattern on the carpet while you are gone?  What about when you are present?  If your dog is relaxed in your presence, but turns into a pattern stepping fiend when you are gone, then your canine may be having issues.

To comprehend your dog’s actions, you need to watch your dog’s physical behavior.  If it changes when you are not around, then you need to take a closer look about how to relieve your dog from this stress.  Ask a k9 obedience instructor about what techniques to follow lessening the strain on your pup, and creating a serene state of mind for the both of you.

Addressing separation anxiety in dogs - Love My Dog Training Weblog

Separation anxiety, or a lesser form now often referred to as separation distress, can be a frustrating issue to deal with, especially if your dog is destructive when separated. However, many people think their dogs have separation anxiety when they really do not. If your dog does suffer from separation anxiety, it can take time to overcome. Patience and baby steps are they keys to successfully resolving the issue.

At the recent seminar I attended by dog trainer John Rogerson, he discussed his approach to treating separation anxiety. I liked some of his ideas and will definitely be incorporating them into the program I already use, which is described in my upcoming book, Juvenile Delinquent Dogs: The Complete Guide to Saving Your Sanity and Successfully Living With Your Adolescent Dog.

John’s approach mimics what he believes is a mother dog’s approach to helping her puppies adjust to her separation from them. He breaks it down into three stages: (1) mental separation, (2) physical separation, and finally, (3) visual separation.

John begins by having his clients “mentally separate” from their dogs. This might be done by sitting at a table and completing a jigsaw puzzle while the dog is in the same room. By focusing on something specific, clients mentally disconnect from their dogs. Once dogs learn to relax when no one is paying attention to them, they move on to step two.

Physical separation consists of being in the same room, but preventing the dog from being in physical contact. Mental separation is also included in this stage. A dog might be tethered to a table nearby or in a crate. Somehow, the dog is physically prevented from coming into contact with the person.

Once the dog is comfortable with the mental and physical separation, they move on to stage three, visual separation. The dog might still be in the same room with a screen set up between dog and person, or the person might be in the very next room. In this stage, the dog is both mentally and physically separated as well but now is not able to see the person. However, at this stage, it is still important for the dog to be able to hear the person. The person might be talking on the phone, reading aloud, or doing other things so that the dog cannot see but can hear and smell the person nearby.

While there are some other things that need to be done as well, these steps make sense in the process of breaking things down into smaller steps. Anyone who has worked with me on an issue they have been having trouble with is used to me saying: “How can we break this down into smaller steps?”

Thanks to John, I have more ideas for helping people break down the issue of separation anxiety into smaller steps.

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.