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Canine Separation Anxiety
THE TRAINING AND REHABILITATION
OF
CANINE SEPARATION ANXIETY
Canine Separation Anxiety is a mental illness. Dogs
that have SA are not being bad, trying to get even or displaying love for you.
They have a mental illness that cause the dog to experience overwhelming anxiety
if left alone in the home.
| Introduction to Canine Separation Anxiety Faqs |
Separation anxiety in dogs is the fear or dislike of
isolation which often results in undesirable behavior. Separation anxiety is
one of the most common causes of canine behavioral problems.
As social animals, it is normal for puppies to form
attachments to their mother and littermates. Once a puppy is separated from its
family group, it becomes attached to its owner.
Attachment implies a trusting
relationship and is the foundation of a good, healthy bond between owner and
pet. However, when a dog becomes overly dependent on its owner, such as never being alone, sleeping on the bed, never becoming acclimated to the crate, problem
behaviors may result.
Dogs develop SA for one of two reasons; they are born
with a genetic predisposition to become anxious or afraid when under stress, or
the owner of the dog has made the dog neurotic by creating an emotional
co-dependent relationship with the dog.
Separation anxiety may occur in dogs with an abnormal
predisposition to dependency. Traumatic events in a young dog's life may also
increase the likelihood of the development of very strong attachments. These
events include;
- Early separation from the bitch
- Deprivation of attachment early in life (puppies
kept in pet shops or animal shelters)
- A sudden change of environment (new home, stay at a
kennel)
- A change in owner's life-style which results in a
sudden end to constant contact with the animal
- A long-term or permanent absence of a family member
(divorce, death, child leaving home) or,
- The addition of a new family member (baby,
pet)
| How Do Dog Owners Increase The Risk Of SA? |
There is a particular type human personality that
seems to be able to create SA in almost any dog that they acquire. The elements
of this personality are:
- Over emotional interactions with the dog
- Tendency to "baby" the dog
- Reluctance to obedience train the dog (it's too
mean)
- Refusal to crate the dog (it's too mean, and
I wouldn't like it)
- Overly permissive or inconsistent with establishing
and maintaining boundaries
- Neurotically, over-protective; unable to relax and
let the dog engage in normal, canine behaviors
- Projecting human emotions and motivations on to the
dog
- Using the dog as an "emotional surrogate" to
replace the need to interact with other human being
- Histrionics/Hysterics if the dog has a natural
unpleasant experience: getting dirty, roughhousing with another dog, getting a
scrap or small bite, falling down, etc.
- Reluctance to leave the dog alone, for any length
of time, for any reason. Women tend to carry toy dogs perched between their
breasts or under the arm pit.
| Characteristics of Canine Separation Anxiety |
The dog is not comfortable staying in a room by
himself when the owner is home. He follows the owner from room to room and
becomes upset if prevented from doing so (by a barrier of any kind: leash, baby
gate, door).
- Typically, the dog builds an unusually strong bond
with one member of a family, usually the wife or the family member that works
from home.
- Dog is always on a lap, in the arms, in the bed or
touching the family member that it has neurotically over-bonded with.
- Some dogs may show physiological signs of fear, such
as increased heart and breathing rate, panting, salivating, increased activity,
and urinating and/or defecating.
- After the initial frantic period, the dog may settle
down to chew something the owners have recently touched or worn and may then
curl up in the midst of the debris.
In milder forms of anxiety, little or no destruction
occurs, instead the dog collects the owner's personal belongings and merely
curls up with them.
There are other dogs that will re-arrange a family
members personal belongings or household items in peculiar patterns as a way to
reduce mental tension.
| How Does A Dog Express SA? |
Every dog afflicted with separation anxiety reacts somewhat differently. Some
dogs only engage in one problem behavior while others may engage in several.
Many dogs can sense when their owner is leaving and become anxious even before
the owner leaves the house.
- The dog may follow the owner from room to room,
whimper, shake or even become aggressive as the owner tries to depart . The
dog's anxiety level peaks within 30 minutes of departure and this is usually
when most damage is done.
- Dogs displaying separation anxiety will often scratch
and dig at doors and windows in an attempt to follow their owner. Chewing on
household objects is also very common.
- Some dogs urinate and defecate in unacceptable
locations such as by the door or on their owner's bed. Whining and barking for
an extended period are also common concerns.
- Other dogs become depressed and will not eat or drink
while their owner is gone. This is especially detrimental if the owner is gone
for an extended period.
- In rare cases, dogs will have diarrhea, vomit or
engage in self-mutilation after being left alone. Most affected dogs will
become overly excited when the owner arrives home and will engage in an
unusually prolonged, hyperactive greeting.
| What Won't
Help a Separation Anxiety Problem |
- Punishing your dog. Punishment is not an effective way
to treat separation anxiety. In fact, punishing your dog after you return home
may actually increase his separation anxiety.
- Getting another pet as a companion for your dog. This
usually doesn't help an anxious dog because his anxiety is the result of his
separation from you, his person, not merely the result of being alone.
- Crating your dog without proper training. Your dog
will still engage in anxiety responses in the crate. He may urinate, defecate,
howl, or even injure himself in an attempt to escape from the crate. in cases that are this severe, the owner may have to purchase an aluminum or steel crate.
- Separation
anxiety is not the result of disobedience or lack of training; it's a panic
response.
If you think your pet may be the victim of separation
anxiety it is important to take measures to alleviate the problem soon. Unfortunately, SA is not something that will simply disappear with time.
In fact, if not treated, Canine SA will get worse and on occasion so bad that the dog must either be rehomed or killed. That is the hard truth about this mental illness.
It is
important to remember that your pet is not bad or trying to make life
miserable-although it sometimes may feel that way! Your pet is the victim of a
disorder that can be treated.
FIRST TWISTER
Well, when you first rehabilitate a dog it begins like a bad game of Twister, but it always ends a Tango. Ami Moore The Dog Whisperer
GOD'S COUNTRY
I work by feel in God's country, the heart.
Ami Moore The Dog Whisperer in Chicago
THE DARK SIDE OF DOGS
There is a "dark side" to the nature of dogs.
I say that a dog has gone to the "dark side" when the dog has allowed fearfulness, nervousness or aggression to rule, to propel him into the danger zone.
My job as a Dog Whisperer is to prevent a dog from getting seduced by the Dark Side of his nature. Ami Moore The Chicago Dog Whisperer
| GET HELP FOR YOU AND YOUR DOG |
WHAT DOGS LEARN
Dogs learn what they live, and then finally, live what they learn.
Ami Moore The Chicago Dog Whisperer.
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