Puppy
Separation Anxiety
Q:
I adopted a 1-1/2 year-old small female
pit bull mix from a couple who were neglecting
her. She is very sweet but has a habit
of whining whenever I leave her sight.
I thought it might get better after I'd
had her for a while but it's been weeks
now and no change. I take her with me
as many places as I can (even to work)
to give her a sense of security but her
behavior stays the same. Is there anything
I can do?
A:
Thank
you for providing a much needed safe and
loving environment for this dog!
Although
your best course of action is to find
a professional trainer to visit your home
and evaluate the situation, it does sound
a lot like separation anxiety. There is
a step-by-step protocol for separation
anxiety. It entails getting your dog used
to your departures and returns. A professional
trainer can show you how this is done.
Normally
it takes a dog thirty or so days to acclimate
to a new environment. Since dogs thrive
on routines with positive outcomes and
their being able to predict daily occurences,
you may find the situation improving as
she gets use to your lifestyle and relaxes
more and more. You can help speed this
process along by trying to maintain a
daily routine of quality times that include
training (which will help the bonding
process, build trust and instill confidence),
exercise and just hanging out together.
Massaging your dog while you both relax
will really help.
There
are some immediate steps you can take
without the trainer, however. First and
foremost is setting up the environment
for safety so your dog can't destroy any
property, escape, and/or somehow injure
herself. Also, make sure your vet has
given her a clean bill of health. Here
are ten tools to use in dealing with separation
anxiety:
- Lower your
affect when you leave and come home.
This is probably the most important
ingredient. It means that when you
leave, either say nothing or offer
a simple, unemotional "later".
When you come home, ignore her for
ninety seconds or so (this might be
difficult in the beginning!) and allow
her to let the adrenaline subside
a little. Pay attention to her when
she is just a bit more relaxed.
- Change your
departure routines. Dogs predict what's
about to happen by making associations.
So leave by a different door, put
your keys somewhere so they don't
make a sound, go through the door
earlier and then return and eat breakfast,
etc.
- Practice leaving
and returning throughout the day,
especially on weekends when you can
practice more often, so she can never
predict when you might be gone for
longer periods. Occasionally get in
your car and drive down the block
and walk back to your house. This
will help break the association of
your leaving with the sound of the
car.
- Turn the tv
or radio on 30 minutes before you
leave. Classical, New Age and even
Country music work best.
- Tire your
dog out by providing more exercise
before you go to work.
- Give her a
treat-filled "Kong" to keep
her busy and take her mind off you
leaving. Many times a dog is most
distressed during the first twenty
minutes of a person leaving. Giving
her something to do during this time
period often helps.
- Have a dog
walker stop by
- There is
a dog-appeasing pheremone that helps
relax some dogs. As it is inexpensive
and very easy to use, you can experiment
with it. It is called DAP and is diffused
in the air by plugging the diffuser
into any electric outlet. Experiment
when you can observe results as it
doesn't work for all dogs and in some
rare cases, some dogs have a negative
reaction.
- There are
also some holistic therapies such
as Bach Flower remedies, herbal aids
and aroma therapy which have proven
very effective for many dogs.
- For severe
cases, there are pharmacological aids
such as Clomicalm. This is presribed
by your veterinarian and is a temporary
aid that is used until your dog learns
to relax as the behavior modification
program takes hold.
Very
best wishes and good luck to both of you! |
