A Happy Dog Means a Happy Family

Your health and well-being has to do with everything which includes your relationships. One relationship that most often gives us the warm fuzzies is the relationship we have with our dogs. Oftentimes there are no substitutes for the adoration that our dogs give us and the continued attention that they pour over us.

What if your dog is experiencing a problem though? Are there ways that you can address it? I’m specifically referring to separation anxiety as a disorder that is very common. Statistically it has been shown that upwards of 17% of dogs in the United States are suffering from separation anxiety – that is more than 11 million dogs!

This is a potentially debilitating disorder for both dog and guardian alike, but there is considerable hope.

1. Assessing Separation Anxiety

First and foremost, how do you know if your dog is suffering from separation anxiety and what is it anyway? Dogs with separation anxiety may be barking or howling all day, may be chewing things up in the house or may be urinating of defecating in the house only when left alone. There are numerous symptoms and precursors to those behaviors, but those are the big three that we most commonly identify as they also cause problems for the guardians.

Barking all day can lead to neighbor or landlord complains, destruction of property can become very costly and cleaning up the dog mess every day is just terribly and pleasant and can cause home damages too. But why are these dogs doing these behaviors when left alone? It is a common belief that dogs are doing these things out of spite yet dogs don’t have the cognitive software to be so manipulative.

Some people will tell you that the dog is just spoiled, but frankly if lavishing attention on a dog was the cause for separation anxiety, millions more dogs would be suffering. Studies have shown zero correlation between talking to your dog like a human and developing separation anxiety, in fact very few behaviors that we do as guardians are likely the cause for separation anxiety.

2. It’s Panic

Separation anxiety is akin to a panic attack about being left alone. The level of anxiety that these dogs are experiencing surrounding alone time is tremendous. This is essentially a phobia, and yes, unfortunately it is not rational which makes us a little crazy. Many people will say, I always come back home, why does my dog not just get it?

Well, that might be the equivalent of me saying that house spiders don’t bite and are completely safe, why do you scream when you see one? Neither is particularly rational which is common with anxiety disorders. The thing we need to know though is that the dog is not displaying these behaviors with intention, the fear and panic is involuntary.

3. Documentation

I suggest for all guardians to take a video of their dog when left alone. By reviewing video one can see that the whether the dog’s barking, chewing or elimination are products of anxiety or not. Dogs will pace, pant, whine drool and generally looked stressed out if it is separation anxiety and this rule out is important.

4. Slow and Steady

So, what can be done to work with a separation anxiety dog?

The process of creating very gradual departures and getting the dog used to them is the go-to treatment for separation anxiety. When I say gradual, I do mean gradual! While it may seem simple to start with an easy duration and then get harder as the dog is acclimated, the process can be very nuanced. Being able to identify stress signals in the dog’s body language is what is most important in the training process so that we are never pushing the dog to the point that anxiety is occurring.

Working on gradual absences 4 or 5 days a week for 30 minute stretches of coming and going may seem tedious, but it will help the dog overcome this debilitating panic and in the end your life and health will benefit from your dog’s wellbeing too. For more information you can visit www.malenademartini.com.