Separation Issues & Anxiety

Dealing with Separation Anxiety
by Christen Cupler owner and trainer of Smarty Paws K9 University LLC

I hear so often in my line of work about dogs having separation anxiety. Especially now since covid changed everybody’s schedules and now with life returning to somewhat of normalcy the dogs that have been fortunate enough to stay in their homes, many have been dumped at shelters, are experiencing separation issues.
Many times, what appears to be separation anxiety really isn’t. Sometimes it’s nothing more than needing to adjust to new schedules. Real separation anxiety is rough but can be worked on in the same way as adjusting a dog to a new schedule. I’ve had two experiences with separation issues. One, was genuine Separation Anxiety.
Rodi, my side of the road foster/rehome failure Husky mix. I found him at about 10 months old according to the vet. He was never supposed to stay, I tried several sleep overs with potential homes and every time he was sent back to me. He could not handle being alone AT ALL. After the 3rd failed potential home, I realized he was staying. His separation anxiety was off the charts. So bad he would pee in circles if he got worked up, bounce 8ft off the ground if I stepped out my front door, trash pick, collapse crates, eat doors, etc.
Second, is actually Linc my current dog. He’s now about 1.5 yrs. old. His separation issue happened at about 6 months old. We had lived in the same place up till then. My landlord did the unspeakable and gave me 15 days to move out so she could sell. So, I went to stay elsewhere. I had moved so many times I didn’t think much of it with my Mastiffs, Rodi had passed by this point and the Mastiffs had always been great with moves. Linc, didn’t handle it so well. Which really surprised me because he was an amazingly confident pup. But where we stayed was an old RV with a shotty addition on it and TONS of neighbors. So, he could hear EVERY noise. When I’d pull into the driveway, you could hear him barking insentiently and he would start within minutes if walking out the door.

So how did I handle these two cases given they were both so drastically different? Honestly almost identically in both cases. Rodi had trigger points forever, so I had plenty of practice. The only thing I never accomplished with Rodi was the crate portion of it. I likely could have but at the time I didn’t need to, so I didn’t stress it. I did live to regret that though.

Tips for helping with Separation Issues and Anxieties
1.) So first and foremost, make sure your dogs are getting enough physical AND mental stimulation in life. A bored dog is almost always a destructive dog. For more information on mental stimulation see my blog post on Canine Enrichment.

2.) Next, crate train your dog. Crates, I promise you, are not cruel. In fact, they are the best training tool I can ever suggest for all ages but that is another topic. Crate training is not just stuffing your dog in there and walking away. Especially not when dealing with Separation issues. Start it out slowly.

3.) Change your leaving routine. We all have a routine, and our pets know it well. That routine can trigger your dog’s anxiety before you even get out the door. Shake it up a bit to keep your dog from picking up on the signs of you preparing to leave.

4.) Thundershirt, I recommend Ebay for this because they are very expensive, and I’ll openly admit that they don’t work for every dog. Ebay has them considerably cheaper. Pheromone collars are known to work well also. There are many available.

5.) Richard’s Organics Pet Calm, I have sworn by this for years. Natural ingredients and I’ve used it for many of Rodis triggers over the years. He hated guns (even toy guns), fireworks, storms, car rides and many other things in addition to being alone.

6.) Music or TV while gone.

7.) Stuffed Frozen Kongs

8.) Practice (best if done BEFORE its
needed*) and time
* If you have a puppy or new dog, don’t
spend every waking second with them
when you first get them, or you have
the time and then expect then to
adjust well to the sudden change of
you gone 8-10 hrs. a day. It doesn’t
work that way. A good example is all
the pandemic puppies who have been
displaced by the world’s return to
normal. These dogs now lack social
skills, confidence and everything
needed to cope with separation.

Now when I speak of practice and time. what I mean is there is no quick way to fix this. You have to put in the effort and time to help your dog learn how to cope with you being gone. What I did with mine seemed to work well with both. I would keep frozen filled Kongs in my freezer. I changed my routine for getting ready, I would give the Richard’s organics about 1 hr. before I had to leave. About 30 minutes before I would pop the Thundershirt on and spray it with pheromone spray. Then roughly 15 minutes before I would put them in their areas (Linc is crated and covered & Rodi was gated in the large empty area in whichever home), and I would pass out the Kongs. Allowing them to get into the Kongs PRIOR to my departure helped them to not notice me leaving. Again, lessening the anxiety level. Now with Linc, his was simply he needed to adjust out and once he did, he was fine and even when we got our own place again, he handled it just fine. I still went about it the first few days the same as the last move but quickly noticed he was fine. Now he just gets the Kong as reinforcement for the crate being fun when I leave for a long period of time. Rodi on the other hand since his was legitimate separation anxiety, his had to be monitored for his whole life and different situations would Amp it up. Moving was always a trigger, and unfortunately, we did plenty of that. Even moving furniture or organizing a closet was a trigger for anxiety for him. I mentioned earlier regretting having not crate trained him and believe me I did regret it but one if his first experiences in a crate he somehow collapsed the entire thing and managed to get out before it came down on him. So, I was afraid to try again. But fast forward a few years to eating doors and you’d understand why I regretted it. If I had made the crate a good place for him, he would have not had the option to be destructive to deal with being alone. Live and learn, I suppose. Once I discovered the gates worked well, it lessened the issues.
To help lessen separation anxiety issues, in addition to what’s been covered above. Be sure to PRACTICE. Practicing this is the key to making it successful. When a dog is afraid of being alone, you have to set then up to succeed at it. Take time while you are home and able to practice it. Start with the crate or gated area, teach them a cue word for the area. Once they have that down, add a release word. Followed by then closing the door. Just like any other crate training breakdown will explain. Then add in walking out of the room. Go back in a minute or two, whatever you think your dog can handle. It is most important to not make a huge fuss when you see your dog, walk out calmly and wait for them to sit or ask them to, open the door and Give release word. Remember if they break prior to the release, close the door to reinforce a calm exit. Build your time and distance. Many of us have cameras in our homes we can view from our phones…. drive around the block. go to a dinner. build the time slowly and check in via camera if you can. If not, then just set a time based on what you know your dog can handle and build up from there. Time, practice and patience will make all the difference in the world. Some get past it quickly, some will need managed their entire lives to some degree, like my Rodi. Genuine separation anxiety is always present and can rear up from time to time even with the best methods around. Know your triggers and help work them through it. Helping them build their confidence is key and that takes training and practice.
Consult with a professional trainer near you for in depth assistance. No dog is too far gone to be helped.