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.
How Does It
Start?
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.
Mild Forms of SA
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.
Prognosis
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
DOG QUOTES
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.
We Can Train
ANY Chicago Dog Breed!
We are the Chicago Dog Trainer that can
fix all dogs.
Chicago Big
Dogs! Chicago Tough Dogs! Chicago Bad
Dogs!
Make payments with
PayPal - it's fast, free and secure!
d
CONTACT INFORMATION
Doggie Do
Right-911 847-284-7760
DOG
FACTS
Did You Know... A dog was once the King of
Norway for 3 years during the 11th century AD.
The Norwegian King, angry at
his subjects once deposed him put Saur on the throne, demanding that he be
treated regally
AMERICAN KENNEL
CLUB
DOG BREEDS
· Airedale
Terrier
· Akita
· Alaskan Malamute
· American Staffordshire
Terrier
· Australian Cattle Dog
· Australian Shepherd
· Basenji
· Basset Hound
· Beagle
· Bedlington Terrier
· Belgian Malinois
· Belgian Sheepdog
· Belgian Tervuren
· Bernese Mountain Dog
· Bichon Frise
· Black and Tan Coonhound
· Bloodhound
· Border Collie
· Border Terrier
· Borzoi
· Boston Terrier
· Bouvier des Flandres
· Boxer
· Briard
· Brittany
· Brussels Griffon
· Bull Terrier
· Bulldog
· Bullmastiff
· Cairn Terrier
· Cardigan Welsh Corgi
· Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
· Chesapeake Bay Retriever
· Chihuahua
· Chinese Crested
· Chinese Shar-Pei
· Chow Chow
· Cocker Spaniel
· Collie
· Curly-Coated Retriever
· Dachshund
· Dalmatian
· Doberman Pinscher
· English Setter
· English Springer Spaniel
· Flat-Coated Retriever
· French Bulldog
· German Pinscher
· German Shepherd Dog
· German Shorthaired Pointer
· German Wirehaired Pointer
· Giant Schnauzer
· Golden Retriever
· Gordon Setter
· Great Dane
· Great Pyrenees
· Greyhound
· Havanese
· Ibizan Hound
· Irish Setter
· Irish Terrier
· Irish Wolfhound
· Italian Greyhound
· Keeshond
· Kerry Blue Terrier
· Labrador Retriever
· Lhasa Apso
· Maltese
· Mastiff
· Miniature Pinscher
· Miniature Schnauzer
· Newfoundland
· Norfolk Terrier
· Norwegian Elkhound
· Norwich Terrier
· Old English Sheepdog
· Pekingese
· Pembroke Welsh Corgi
· Pointer
· Pomeranian
· Poodle
· Portuguese Water Dog
· Pug
· Puli
· Rhodesian Ridgeback
· Rottweiler
· Samoyed
· Schipperke
· Shetland Sheepdog
· Shiba Inu
· Shih Tzu
· Siberian Husky
· Silky Terrier
· Smooth Fox Terrier
· Soft Coated Wheaten
Terrier
· St. Bernard
· Standard Schnauzer
· Tibetan Terrier
· Vizsla
· Weimaraner
· West Highland White Terrier
· Whippet
· Wire Fox Terrier
· Wirehaired Pointing Griffon
· Yorkshire
Terrier
UNITED
KENNEL
CLUB
DOG BREEDS
Affenpinscher
Bichon Frise Bolognese Boston Terrier Brussels Griffon
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Chihuahua Chinese Crested Coton de
Tulear Dalmatian English Bulldog English Toy Spaniel French
Bulldog Havanese Italian Greyhound Japanese Chin Lhasa Apso
Lowchen Maltese Miniature Pinscher Papillon Pekingese
Peruvian Inca Orchid Pomeranian Poodle (Miniature & Toy)
Pug Schipperke Shih Tzu Tibetan Spaniel Tibetan Terrier
Yorkshire Terrier
Ainu Akita Alaskan Klee Kai
Alaskan Malamute American Eskimo Canadian Eskimo Dog Chinese
Shar-Pei Chinook Chow Chow East Siberian Laika Eurasian
Finnish Lapphund Finnish Spitz Greenland Dog Iceland Dog
Jindo Kai Karelian Bear Dog Keeshond Lundehund
Norbottenspets Norwegian Buhund Norwegian Elkhound Russo-European
Laika Samoyed Shiba Siberian Husky Swedish Lapphund West
Siberian Laika
Akbash
Dog American Bulldog Anatolian Shepherd Appenzeller Bernese
Mountain Dog Black Russian Terrier Boxer Bull Mastiff Caucasian
Ovtcharka Central Asian Shepherd Dog Danish Broholmer Doberman
Pinscher Dogo Argentino Dogue de Bordeaux Entlebucher Estrela
Mountain Dog Great Dane Great Pyrenees Greater Swiss Mountain
Dog Hovawart Kangal Dog Komondor Krasky Ovcar Kuvasz
Leonberger Maremma Sheepdog Mastiff Neapolitan Mastiff
Newfoundland Owczarek Podhalanski Perro de Presa Canario
Rottweiler Saint Bernard Sarplaninac Slovac Cuvac South Russian
Ovcharka Spanish Mastiff Tibetan Mastiff Tosa Ken
Alpine
Dachsbracke American Black & Tan Coonhound American Foxhound
Anglo-Francais de Moyen Venerie Anglo-Francais de Petit Venerie
Ariegeois Basset Artesien Normand Basset Bleu de Gascogne Basset
Fauve De Bretagne Basset Hound Bavarian Mountain Hound Beagle
Beagle Harrier Billy Black Forest Hound Black Mouth Cur
Bloodhound Bluetick Coonhound Briquette Griffon Vendeen Chien
D'Artois Chien Francais Blanc et Noir Chien Francais Black et
Orange Chien Francais Tricolore Dachshund Deutsche Bracke
Drever Dunker English Coonhound English Foxhound Estonian
Hound Finnish Hound Grand Anglo-Francais Grand Basset Griffon
Vendeen Grand Bleu de Gascogne Grand Gascon-Saintongeois Grand
Griffon Vendeen Griffon Fauve de Bretegne Griffon Nivernais
Hamiltonstovare Hanoverian Hound Harrier Large Spanish Hound
(Sabueso Espanol de Monte) Leopard Cur Mountain Cur Otterhound
Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen Petit Bleu de Gascone Petit
Gascon-Saintongeois Petit Griffon Bleu de Gascogne Plott Hound
Poitevin Polish Hound Porcelaine Redbone Coonhound Small
Spanish Hound (Sabueso Espanol Lebero) Stephens' Cur Treeing Cur
Treeing Walker Coonhound Welsh Hound
American Water Spaniel Barbet
Boykin Spaniel Bracco Italiano Braque D'Auvergne Braque du
Bourbonnais Braque Francais, de Grande Taille Braque Francais, de
Petite Taille Braque Saint-Germain Brittany Spaniel Cesky
Fousek Chesapeake Bay Retriever Clumber Spaniel Cocker Spaniel
Curly-Coated Retriever Deutscher Wachtelhund (German Spaniel) Drentse
Patrijshond English Cocker Spaniel English Pointer English
Setter English Springer Spaniel Epagneul Blue de Picardie Epagneul
Breton Epagneul Picard Epagneul Pont-Audemer Field Spaniel
Flat-coated Retriever French Spaniel (Epagneul Francais) German
Longhaired Pointer German Shorthaired Pointer German Wirehaired
Pointer Golden Retriever Gordon Setter Irish Red & White
Setter Irish Setter Irish Water Spaniel Kooikerhondje Labrador
Retriever Large Munsterlander Novia Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
Old Danish Bird Dog Perdiguero de Burgos Perdiguero Navarro
Portuguese Pointer (Perdiguero Portugueso) Portuguese Water Dog
Pudelpointer Small Munsterlander Spanish Water Dog Spinone
Italiano Stabyhoun Standard Poodle Sussex Spaniel Vizsla
Weimaraner Welsh Springer Spaniel Wirehaired Pointing Griffon
Afghan
Hound Azawakh Basenji Borzoi Canaan Dog Carolina Dog
Chart Polski Greyhound Ibizan Hound Irish Wolfhound Lurcher
New Guinea Singing Dog Pharaoh Hound Podengo Portugueso Rhodesian
Ridgeback Saluki Scottish Deerhound Sloughi Spanish
Greyhound Thai Ridgeback Whippet Xoloitzcuintli
Airedale Terrier American Hairless
Terrier American Pit Bull Terrier Australian Terrier Bedlington
Terriers Border Terrier Bull Terrier Cairn Terrier Cesky
Terrier Dandie Dinmont Terrier German Pinscher Glen of Imaal
Terrier Irish Terrier Jack Russell Terrier Jagdterrier Kerry
Blue Terrier Kromfohrlander Lakeland Terrier Manchester Terrier
Miniature Bull Terrier Miniature Schnauzer Norfolk Terrier Norwich
Terrier Patterdale Terrier Rat Terrier Russell Terrier Scottish
Terrier Sealyham Terrier Silky Terrier Skye Terrier Smooth Fox
Terrier Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier Sporting Lucas Terrier
Staffordshire Bull Terrier Teddy Roosevelt Terrier Toy Fox Terrier
Treeing Feist Welsh Terrier West Highland White Terrier Wire Fox
Terrier
Australian Cattle
Dog Australian Kelpie Australian Shepherd Bearded Collie
Beauceron Belgian Shepherd Dogs (Groenendael, Laekenois, Malinois,
Tervueren) Bergamasco Berger Picard (Picardy Shepherd) Berger de
Pyrenees Border Collie Bouvier Des Flandres Briard Collie
Dutch Shepherd English Shepherd German Shepherd Dog Giant
Schnauzer Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog Mudi Old English Sheep
Dog Polski Owczarek Nizinny Puli Pumi Schapendoes Shetland
Sheepdog Standard Schnauzer Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog Swedish
Vallhund Welsh Corgi-Cardigan Welsh Corgi-Pembroke White Shepherd