Separation Anxiety in Dogs
Dear Alex,
We adopted a dog last week. He is about a year and half old. He has severe separation anxiety. When we are gone he has a tendency to move his 4 x 6 kennel in our basement around. We have a tarp tied down on top of his kennel. He chews the fence and tears up almost anything that is in the kennel with him. When we got home the other day, he had slobbered or drooled so much his entire head was soaked. Do you have any ideas on how to help with this?
Lisa
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Dear Lisa,
It sounds like you are seeing signs of separation anxiety, which can sometimes be confused with simple play. However dogs who simply want to play generally don’t drool. They are just avoiding boredom. And, separation anxiety is more common in dogs who have been abandoned in animal shelters.
There are several ways to overcome his anxiety. Conditioning a dog to remain calm for periods of time is a real kindness that you can offer to your new pet. It does require some work, but chances are you can be successful by your making some behavior changes yourself.
First of all, punishment does not work. Make sure you are not angry with him. He will not understand—even if he exhibits a submissive posture, looking as if he “knows what he did wrong.” He simply will know you are angry. He will not know why.
There are several behavior changes you can make. I would suggest taking away cues that you are leaving him alone. It would be a good idea to put him in his crate sometimes when you are home and in another room. Probably now you are putting him in the crate just before you are leaving, which allows him to know he will soon be alone. Also, attempt to remove any suggestions to him that you are leaving soon, such as picking up your car keys or putting on a jacket just before you leave. It would be a good idea to put on a jacket or pick up your car keys, and then sit down and watch television, rather than always leaving. You can also put on your work clothes, go outside, lock the door, and then come in again, leaving him alone for short periods of time, and repeating those cues so many times that they become meaningless to him. If you normally have the television or radio on only when you are home, then try leaving them on when you leave to create a sense of relaxation. It will not fool him into thinking you are home, however.
You can also purchase a Kong toy, pour some tasty liquid, such as chicken broth, into it, freeze it overnight, and then give him the toy during the day so he can lick it as it melts. I would suggest you do this first on days when you are home with him. Again, you don’t want the toy to indicate to him that you are leaving.
Diazapam, more commonly known as Valium, or Alprazolam, a similar drug that has a longer effect, can be prescribed by your veterinarian as you are modifying his behavior. It should not be used as a substitute for behavior modification, but rather in conjunction with it.
I would predict that, given a few weeks, you will be able to modify his behavior adequately so he will not feel abandoned when you are leaving, and that he will become comfortable enough in your absence to control his anxiety. It will take a little time and a little effort, but your chances of overcoming this obstacle in adopting a new pet are good.
Larry Baker, for Ask Alex