Separation Anxiety

[RubyBlue]

I know there are a lot of topics on this and I have looked through them but feel I need additional advice.

I had two dogs - an older very confident male lab and a younger female rescue lab. I got her at 13months and she is now 5. In January I lost my male and Millys anxiety has since skyrocketed. She is fine whilst I am around but when I am out (my housemates report) that she wonders around the house whinging before finally settling in the doorway to my bedroom. If she is fast asleep on her bed and I take a shower I always emerge from the bathroom to find her curled up on the otherside of the door. When left in the car (at trials or training) she howls unless she can see me. I have no idea what she does when left in the backyard (I have had no noise complaints from neighbours but then I am surrounded by barking dogs...). She also seems a lot more worried/concerned/serious prehaps? than she used too. These are all things that have started since Jackson died.

She is not destructive but when I am home all she wants to do is sleep - I am assuming because she is exhausted from her vidual. Not a big problem I guess but I quite enjoy trialling so want her to be able to be at her best during training and trials.

She always gets a minimum of a 5km walk or run every morning and usually an additional walk or offlead run with doggy friends during the day or evening. When left outside she gets her breakfast divided up amongst several foraging toys or sprinkled across the lawn. The food works well at distracting her until its gone. I have tried asking a friend around to break up her day but then got told thats worse because then she gets left on her own twice (no idea of the validity of this). My comings and goings are always very low key and I try to gently persuade her from hanging around me too much, she is usually happy so long as she can see me.

I certainly dont think it is a big enough problem to consider medication but am wondering if anyone has any other ideas on things I can try to calm her bit when I am not present.

Cheers

[corvus]

Things you can do to aid separation-related distress:

* Encourage independent activities e.g. Kong

* Pair leaving with something special e.g. special treat or toy to counter-condition them to signs you are leaving them.

* Do Karen Overall's Protocol for Relaxation or variations thereof. Add relevant exercises, e.g. picking up car keys.

* Set up very, very short and controlled separation around the house e.g. close a door between you and dog for a few seconds. Work up to longer periods of time.

* Keep all activities with the dog low key for 30 minutes after arriving home. Don't feed the dog a meal in this time.

* Create a den. Sometimes dogs feel better in a smaller, darker place.

* Mix up your leaving routine to make it difficult for your dog to predict you are leaving the house. Sometimes the anticipation is the worst bit.

* Try a DAP diffuser or lavender oil around the house or the dog's area.

* Leave the dog with something that smells like you.

[Jigsaw]

I would add to Corvus' list that keeping things very low key before you leave. Put the dog outside (if that's where you leave her) about 20 minutes before you leave. Keep all interactions minimal before leaving, try not to be too verbal with her or give her too much physical attention. It's not about ignoring her just letting her know that she can function independently of you.

[RubyBlue]

Thanks.

I have done most of that, though will look into "Karen Overall's Protocol for Relaxation". Food works great - but I dont want her to be eating for 8hrs. She gets her kibble breakfast in toys I would say that takes about 2hrs for her to vacuum. Thats still a long time left. I have tried DAP - no success (the cat one is fantastic but then cats tend to mark when they are stressed).

I dont think she notices I have left (too busy eating) and I ignore her for a while when I get home. If I got out in the evening and she is already inside I tend to just get up and leave and come back without acknowledging her at all. It seems as if by simply being at home is enough for her to calm herself down.

If I go round to my parents with her though then it really begins. I have left her under their care for days/weeks at a time on a few occasions and now she wont let me out of her sight preferably out of contact when we're there. If I do leave her there she clings to my mum and whines. I have been trying to desensitise her to being with my parents and friends but Im more inclined to think shes worse.

She has a bed which travels everywhere with her so she always has somewhere comfortable to be (a habit we started when my other dog got arthritis). When she starts to get clingy and follows me from room to room she gets placed back on her bed so she cant continue the behaviour, her bed goes outside in her kennel when no one is around, and if my housemates get home first they will bring her bed in with her. I usually place a recently worn article of my clothing with it.

Is there anything else I could be doing?

[sandgrubber]

Get her a friend?

[Guest lavendergirl]

Thanks.

I have done most of that, though will look into "Karen Overall's Protocol for Relaxation". Food works great - but I dont want her to be eating for 8hrs. She gets her kibble breakfast in toys I would say that takes about 2hrs for her to vacuum. Thats still a long time left. I have tried DAP - no success (the cat one is fantastic but then cats tend to mark when they are stressed).

I dont think she notices I have left (too busy eating) and I ignore her for a while when I get home. If I got out in the evening and she is already inside I tend to just get up and leave and come back without acknowledging her at all. It seems as if by simply being at home is enough for her to calm herself down.

If I go round to my parents with her though then it really begins. I have left her under their care for days/weeks at a time on a few occasions and now she wont let me out of her sight preferably out of contact when we're there. If I do leave her there she clings to my mum and whines. I have been trying to desensitise her to being with my parents and friends but Im more inclined to think shes worse.

She has a bed which travels everywhere with her so she always has somewhere comfortable to be (a habit we started when my other dog got arthritis). When she starts to get clingy and follows me from room to room she gets placed back on her bed so she cant continue the behaviour, her bed goes outside in her kennel when no one is around, and if my housemates get home first they will bring her bed in with her. I usually place a recently worn article of my clothing with it.

Is there anything else I could be doing?

Is this typical of separation anxiety? I have heard lots of people describe it as normal for their dogs to follow them around everywhere. I wonder what a real definition of "separation anxiety" is. For instance if it is dogs barking while their owners are not at home then the suburbs are full of dogs with this problem.

[mita]

I had a sheltie with separation anxiety. This was the advice of the behaviorist vet which worked (to my surprise!).

.Give her a day bed where all good things happen for her (like being given treats, meals, lead put on for a walk).

.Put on the day bed any toys she likes & also an old unwashed T-shirt of yours. Rub your palms all over the toys, too, to get your scent on them. The owner's scent acts as something of a substitute (like how we carry a photo of our loved one).

.Leave a radio playing up out of chewing height. (Some dogs do well on classical music because it's calming, others a 'talk' station.

.Get her used to being on this day bed, with all its goodies, even when you're home

.When you go out, ignore her for 10 minutes before leaving & 10 minutes after coming home (pick a minute when she's taking no notice of you, to call her over for her pat). This takes any emotional drama out of your coming & going.

. Never pay any attention if she's whining, or jumping up, or following you to get your attention. Turn your back/ignore & wait for a moment when she's focused elsewhere & is quiet. . Only then, tell her 'Sit' & give her a pat & cuddle. The penny will soon drop that any moves to try to get your attention will not be rewarded. Only when she's quiet & not 'demanding' & after she's followed a direction on your terms, might she get attention.

.In all your dealings with her, put this Nothing In Life Is Free strategy in place. She has to follow an order to get all the good things she like. 'Sit' first for treats, a pat, meals, lead on for walks etc. This helps her learn she can't 'demand' things of you, including your presence.

The vet behaviourist told me the sheltie would do well & learn quickly. I thought she was buttering me up because I had a difficult dog. But everyone in the household followed these directions....& the sheltie's behaviour began to modify in a few days.

We had to be consistent & within a couple of weeks, she'd totally changed to the point where she'd ignore me for 10 minutes when I came home!!!!

Edited August 15, 2011 by mita

[RubyBlue]

Get her a friend?

Working on it.

[sandgrubber]

Get her a friend?

Working on it.

Good. Didn't want to be accused of anthropomorphism, but my reading is 'grieving and lonely' more than separation anxiety. Dogs are social animals and some take the loss of a companion pretty hard.