Dogs with separation anxiety have an unhealthy overdependence on their owner and cannot cope with being apart from him, even for a short time. It isn't so much being alone that makes them anxious but the actual separation from the specific human to whom they are attached.

This is one of the most exasperating issues for both owners and their dogs. The dog with separation anxiety is often destructive and/or eliminates in the house. The owner comes home to find feces all over the floor and/or damage to his home. My dog chewed the moulding off the doorframe and gnawed the furniture like a beaver before we got her anxiety under control. My coworker's dog chewed a hole clear through a sheet rock wall! Separation anxiety can be an expensive and messy problem for dog owners.

Many owners misinterpret the behavior as the dog enacting "revenge" on them for leaving her alone. This is not the case. Separation anxiety is no picnic for the dog, either. The dog is in a state of pure terror! Elimination in the house is the involuntary result of stomach upset and not a calculated act of revenge. The destruction is a result of uncontrollable panic. Some dogs will seriously injure themselves in their frenzied attempts to escape and somehow find you. Other dogs "zone out". Rather than hysterically attempting escape, they shut down completely. This dog may lie in one spot the entire time the owner is away and drool so much that they soak themselves and the floor beneath them. They may self-mutilate, repetitively licking themselves until the skin is exposed. In relatively milder cases, the dog may bark non-stop while the owner is away, making her very unpopular with the neighbors.

This affliction is commonly seen is rescue dogs and may be related to fear of abandonment. They were abandoned once before; what's to keep it from happening again? However, this can also occur in dogs who have never been abandoned. It is often unwittingly caused by a doting owner who has only good intentions but who does more harm than good by making their dog completely dependent on them. In some cases, the cause may be unclear. Cases range from relatively mild to severe, though anxiety never "feels" mild to the one experiencing it.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure

Some dogs are born with more of a propensity towards separation anxiety than others. However, nurture plays a strong role. There are steps you can take to reduce the likelihood of your dog developing separation anxiety.

Ideally, puppies should not be separated from their mother until at least 8 weeks of age. Even better if the father is also involved in raising them. This gives the puppy a strong Dog foundation. "Raise up a puppy in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it", so to speak. When you adopt a dog, whether she is an 8-week-old puppy or a 10-year-old senior, establish and enforce firm, consistent guidelines from the day you bring her home. Those big brown eyes can hypnotize us into giving in and pampering our pups. Dogs can be manipulative! Don't fall for it. It does her no favors to cater to her every whim. Knowing the rules and consequences helps your dog be confident and self-reliant. If the rules are always the same, she will know exactly what to do, even when you're not there to help.

Get her used to being apart from you from the beginning. Even when you're at home, don't let her follow you everywhere you go. Close the door when you go to the bathroom! It doesn't mean that you can NEVER let your dog follow you; just that you don't ALWAYS let her. Don't make a big deal out of leaving. Whatever you do, don't try and soothe her when you leave by saying things like "It's ok, you'll be alright, etc.". That soothing voice just makes it sound like there really IS something to be stressed about, and you're trying to comfort her through this horrible situation! Instead, decide on a cue for when you leave. Use it each and every time you leave home in a normal tone of voice. For example, you could say "See you soon" or "Be good". I say "Bye, Mama loves!" This becomes their cue that you are leaving, but you will return because dogs thrive on routine.

The cure

If your dog already has separation anxiety, for your sanity and your dog's, start working on it now. Mild cases can be resolved relatively simply by just making small changes in your everyday routine. If you coddle or cater to your dog, stop doing that and start letting her stand on her own four feet! If she sleeps in the bed with you, stop allowing this. It doesn't have to be forever; just until she has worked through the separation issue. Don't let her follow you from room to room. If she doesn't know Down/Stay, now is a good time to teach her this. That way, you can build her confidence in being apart from you slowly - while you're still actually in the home. Leaving her in a Down/Stay is preferable to just locking her away because it tells her exactly what to do. She doesn't have to make the decision on her own, so it relieves some of the stress. Practice Down/Stay while you leave the room. She may break the stay and follow you at first. Long Down is helpful for working up to a Down/Stay without you present. Just don't ask her to Stay for an unreasonable length of time, such as the entire time you are at work, or you will sabatoge your efforts. Dr. Karen Overall's Relaxation Protocol is also excellent for building your dog's confidence that she can take care of herself even if you aren't there to help. Also, if she is not being destructive, crating her may help with the anxiety, especially if you throw a blanket over the top and make a cozy little den out of it.

If your dog's separation anxiety is more severe, crating will not help and might cause her injury. However, the other tips will be helpful. Additionally, you may wish to take her to the Vet for medications to help bring the anxiety down to a manageable level while you work on changing her reaction to being away from you. Please note that the medication is not the cure. It's like being on blood pressure medicine. It's only to make the problem more manageable while you work on the lifestyle changes necessary to resolve the problem. Basically, medications treat the symptoms while you work on a cure. In addition to Veterinary assistance, this is also a good time to consider the help of a qualified professional behaviorist, especially in more severe cases. The cost will be much less than all the repairs you will have to make to your home, and it's also less than keeping your dog medicated for the rest of her life.

Additional Resources

Avoiding separation anxiety

HSUS on Separation Anxiety

Help your dog survive being alone, without destroying your home

Behavior modification best medicine in treating separation anxiety

Healthy Pet.com

Anxiety in Dogs Main Page