Not all dogs suffer from separation anxiety and there is still no conclusive evidence proving what triggers this disorder. Most likely it is caused by the animal's fear and discomfort of being left alone, experiencing the feeling that a very important person in his life is gone, even for a little while. Other related causes can be a change in residence, a change in schedule (how long the dog is left alone), being abandoned, taken to a shelter or given to a new guardian.
Separation anxiety causes disruptive or destructive behavior; dogs will bark and howl, driving the neighbors crazy, they destroy things in the house, chewing, defecating and urinating everywhere. Of course, sometimes these problems may be related to indolent owners who do not bother to train their dogs to behave well. However, if this scenario occurs only while the animal is left also, being also associated with distress behavior when the owners are preparing to leave the house, we are talking about separation anxiety.
Other symptoms include:
• Trying to escape Separation anxiety often causes in a dog the need to escape from the house where he stays separated from his guardian. This is why the dog will probably scratch and chew doors, windows and may even get hurt in the process.
• Walking in circles or along a specific path
• Eating his excrements
In their natural environment, dogs are social and almost always stay with their pack. The moment when we adopt a dog, we must have enough time for him, because it is our responsibility to keep him happy, stress-free and entertained.
How do we approach this problem?
There are a few things you can do, before leaving your dog home alone for a few hours, in order to ease his anxiety and prevent bad behavior. You can spend time with your dog before leaving home. Take him for a walk and offer him some rewards. You should not say goodbye or make a big deal about it. Actually, you should neither touch your dog, nor talk to him or make eye contact. Be calm, assertive and leave naturally; this attitude will ease his separation anxiety.
If your dog manifests this disorder right from the beginning, you should start out small. Leave for just a few minutes then extend the time gradually.
There is also an efficient therapy for mild separation anxiety, called counterconditioning; it will help your dog in making associations between the source of his anxiety (being left alone) and good things, like tasty food. A puzzle-toy stuffed with food will keep him busy for a while. Such toys must be removed as soon as you arrive home; your dog must learn that they are available only for that particular period while he is alone.
However, in the case of moderate to severe separation anxiety, it is most likely that these things will not work properly. Moderate or severe cases require a more complex approach and dog owners should ask professional help from a certified animal behaviorist or board-certified veterinary behaviorist.
