Separation anxiety

[sin-thia]

Although I've had dogs most of my life, this one is a challenge. We got a puppy about four weeks ago - a dumped stray - found her waiting for the dog catcher to come and pick her up. She has some issues that we think she's outgrow since it's obvious she was beaten. She a mix - about 30 pounds, unknown breed. Anyway, she has severe separation anxiety. We can't get a shower without her having to have her head in the shower. If she's laying down and you leave her line of vision, she has to get up and follow you. Even if someone else is home and one of us leaves, she goes nuts. I don't know whether she was always left alone or never left alone. We have to crate her when we go out for her safety. She's approximately 8-11 months old. I want her to know when someone leaves, they come back, but it's frustrating to be followed around the house every single minute of the day.

Also, something interesting.... In my house, I am the pack leader, and yet yesterday even though I did nothing but put my coat on to take out the garbage, she went crazy. Not in the sense of the paragraph above, but mean, like a police dog who was given an order to attack. We've seen this behavior at random times, which is what I referred to when I said she has issues she may outgrow. But isn't it funny that without my saying a word or looking in her direction, she went after the "mother"

[livelychati]

Although I've had dogs most of my life, this one is a challenge. We got a puppy about four weeks ago - a dumped stray - found her waiting for the dog catcher to come and pick her up. She has some issues that we think she's outgrow since it's obvious she was beaten. She a mix - about 30 pounds, unknown breed. Anyway, she has severe separation anxiety. We can't get a shower without her having to have her head in the shower. If she's laying down and you leave her line of vision, she has to get up and follow you. Even if someone else is home and one of us leaves, she goes nuts. I don't know whether she was always left alone or never left alone. We have to crate her when we go out for her safety. She's approximately 8-11 months old. I want her to know when someone leaves, they come back, but it's frustrating to be followed around the house every single minute of the day.

Also, something interesting.... In my house, I am the pack leader, and yet yesterday even though I did nothing but put my coat on to take out the garbage, she went crazy. Not in the sense of the paragraph above, but mean, like a police dog who was given an order to attack. We've seen this behavior at random times, which is what I referred to when I said she has issues she may outgrow. But isn't it funny that without my saying a word or looking in her direction, she went after the "mother"Hey Sin, I had a dog with the exact same problem! It was impossible to leave him alone in the house, he'd just cry and bark. This dog was a rescue too, and we knew he was abused. The reason they react that way, from following you around to suffering when left alone, is that after such a horrible life they found a home where they were loved and they are scared shitless they'd lose it. So, the following around NEVER stopped.

However, with leaving him alone it was really becoming an issue. At the time when I got him my mom was with me for her yearly 5-6 month visit and when I was out, she would be at home. But there were many occasions when we both went out - and it was a disaster! Plus, I had to train the dog for when she leaves. Then I got an idea and decided to try something different. Instead of leaving through the front door, we would leave through the patio door. We used this door all the time going out to the patio and he was not reacting to that. I live in a condo complex and pets are not allowed in the courtyard, so he had to stay in.

In the beginning, we'd fool him for a while, then he'd start barking after about an hour when he clued in we were not on the patio (neighbour had the key and took care of him if he wouldn't stop barking). As time went by, he'd start "protesting" later and later, until I was actually able to leave him for longer stretches of time. It took more than six months to get to that point.

Do some research on the Net - there are many sites with pet advice, and there are also pet-specific forums out there. Also, your local Humane Society has experts you can consult for free. Good luck!!!!

[sin-thia]

Thanks for the info. Hopefully, this will be something she'll grow out of as she becomes more secure. I just hate listening to her howling when I go out to the car.

I have a dear friend who's little three pound dog was just killed - beaten to death by someone in the family. I can't imagine ever hurting an animal but to look at a dog's face and then beat them. Sickening.

This little thing just wants someone to take care of her.

[amarenuovavita]

I went through this same issue with a foster dog and with a whole lot of work, made some progress with him. When I first got Roscoe he lunged at anyone or anything that walked by him, barked like a rabid beast, and actually tried attacking a technician that came into my home. He also had separation issues. He would actually jump into the shower with me and need to follow me everywhere. As you are, I was the pack leader in my house. I fed him, walked in the door first, ate first. I established myself well and he listened to me but because of his past, he had issues trusting me.

The training started during walks --- I would place myself BETWEEN him and whatever had been making him anxious without making a fuss or pulling him away from it. It was hard to make it a smooth transition but he got the idea it was okay to ignore things. Also, a turning point came when a stray 15lb pom mix came running up the street at us and Roscoe, a husky/lab/border collie mix of about 50-60lbs, went nuts. I slacked the leash and stepped toward the other dog, between them. This initally shocked the other dog into stopping, but then he retreated. (I was not "chasing" the other dog or threatening him in an overt way, I was pushing him back by threatening his space... there's a difference. I wasn't harassing someone's dog!) Roscoe must have realized then that I would protect him no matter what came at him so after that, he wound up calming down all around. He was okay when I would put him in a down-stay in a room, and walk out to where he couldn't see me. I established trust through this.

As for the actual seperation anxiety, there is a big difference between boredom and anxiety. The anxiety will deminish when you have a dog that will trust that you'll come back and take care of him. In saying that, it won't go away totally. Toys, distractions, and plenty of patience in training will be needed as well.

A really good tip is not to fuss over the dog when you first come in. Ignore him for 5-10 minutes. Don't even acknowledge his behavior when he wags and gets excited when you walk in. (I'm assuming you know this considering you know about pack mentality and that you need to be the leader, etc.)

You can also get a ton of information from Animal Planet shows such as "It's me or the dog" and other training shows. Take tidbits of info from each show you see and put them together to help your dog, because all dogs are different!

Good luck! :) Hope I helped.

[MasterPlan]

Everything begins with a master plan.
First: dogs don't understand that we are human and not non-vocal animals. Therefore, we have to understand how they communicate in order to be understood.
Second: all dogs want to please their owners/masters therefore they will do whatever is encouraged by the owner/master.
Third: we see "family," they see "pack." Consequently, we see "head of household," they see "pack leader." So to get what you want, be a pack leader in the home.
Everything you do should be with a confident, straight-backed personality. Don't look him in the eyes, that is a threat. That is why his head lowers when you do look him in the eye.
Correct him when he follows you with short, sharp sounds. Keep it simple. In the case of a dog who is this scared and submissive, you want to be stern but not mean. A simple hissing sound should suffice. Turn with your chest out, look him in the eye for the correction, point at his eyes and hiss sharply forcing from the diaphragm (or gut) ... not from the lungs. Maintain a stern look in your face until you see your pooch turn away.

For the issue of leaving the house, I would recommend practice time with the dog placed on a doggie bed in a safe place like a bedroom or otherwise where he cannot see the house door. Disappear to the door and open and close the door. As soon as you hear the jingling of his tags reappear around the corner (with chest out) and hiss sharply knowingly (not forcefully) directing him back to the bed. Repeat this until there is no more need.

Being a submissive dog, he will learn quicker than you might think.

In all interactions with your dog, be patient, observe his body language, adapt your own to communicate your wishes. Do not pet him when he shows fear as this is encouragement for what he is feeling in the moment he receives affection. Rather, ignore him until he comes from his shell, then pet him as his esteem picks up.

[sin-thia]

I appreciate both these responses and will put all the ideas to work. She's getting much better in the house, but I notice she listens when there are treats involved. So we'll work on training with no treats. For example, she doesn't come when called, but will come if we are working with biscuits. We had her spayed on Monday and worried how she'd be at the vets all day, but she was so loopy when she got home, I don't think that was an issue. Although we crate her when we leave the house, she's unhappy there (at least at the beginning, she's always ends up sleeping) and I'm hoping at some point to be able to just leave the house. But she's a little young yet anyway.

Because it's freezing with so much snow, we haven't walked outside, but the few times we've had her on a leash, she's been horrible. Unfortunately we can't work on that for some time unless we actually walk in the house.

The one suggestion about ignoring her when we come back home is a little more difficult. For instance, are you suggesting we leave her in the crate after she knows we're home. She'll still go nuts whenever she gets out. And if I leave the house and someone else is home, I do not acknowledge her at all when I return (she's a jumper) until she actually sits quietly. Then I pet her.

It's funny really. I've had dogs my entire life, but never one who had been hurt with no history. So we don't yet know all the triggers and needs. So although I know the training techniques, they aren't working as well with her.

[MasterPlan]

To start with the question about ignoring her upon your return home. Let her know you're home, even by walking into the room the crate is in to set down your purse and walking back out, don't look at her eyes. At some point, as you are in the room with the crate, spend time in there and relax. Ignore any attempts on her part to get your attention. Wait until she relaxes as well, then approach the crate. If she gets excited, correct her until she calms. As you move forward, if she gets excited, stand still and correct her again, don't move until she relaxes. Do not look at her eyes unless you are correcting her. Focus only on the task at hand in the moment you are doing it. Look away as you approach, look at the lock, unlock the cage. Remove her from the crate when she is calm. Correct her if she tries to come out excited.
Do Not Use The Crate for Correctional Purposes. She will associate the crate with fear or correction. She should associate the crate with comfort, relaxation and rest. Right now she sees it as loneliness, but try not to "feel sorry for her" as this tends to make us (as human nature) submissive (to the one who is harmed).

The light at the end of the tunnel is an opening waiting for your arrival. You can make it, it just takes patience. Feel free to IM me any time I am online. I will have contact information at the end of this note.
You will find that dogs who are offered much structure and solidity to their environment will gravitate toward those who offer it. They love to be led and told what they can and cannot do. This is what makes them happy. She will come on command as you put into practice things which draw her from her cold, lonely shell. The key is knowing who you are to her before you consider who she is to you.

You say, "the few times we've had her on a leash, she's been horrible," what does she do?

Master Plan Canine Rehab
Patience, Observation, Adaptation, Communication
Peter A. Wood
832-729-7257
MSN IM: MasterPlanCR@hotmail.com

[sin-thia]

Thanks for the great information.

What I meant by "horrible" was jumping, tugging, sitting, barking. Everything except walking. Since I don't know whether she ever got out of the house in her previous life, I was thinking this was all new. So I tried just walking calmly in the house with a small treat. As soon as the leash went on, she went beserk. I don't whether she thought we were going in the car - which she hates - and that's why she sat, or just that she thought she was being left alone again, and that's why the jumping and aggression. But frankly, because she still has her spay stitches, I quit the attempt very quickly.

I will say again that she's learned quickly to sit when you give her a biscuit, or if she even sees you reaching for the box, and will sit, stay, and come when there are treats. But if she gets outside, "come" is never an option. That's when I realized she was doing tricks more than she was being trained.

When we come in the house and she begins the jumping, I've asked everyone to ignore her completely, even turning away and crossing our arms. Shortly, she does sit and only then do we acknowledge her. Perhaps over time, this one will sink in more.

Because we don't know her age or what happened to her before (I mentioned aggressive triggers) we are taking things slowly. She seems desperately in need of attention and is rarely left alone. That being said, I would like a dog who doesn't jump when you come in, and comes immediately when called. She'll be in the crate when alone as long as she continues to chew on everything she can find.

[Otto]

Since I don't know whether she ever got out of the house in her previous life, I was thinking this was all new.

I thought it was cats that had multiple lives. :confused: ;)

[sin-thia]

I meant because she was abandoned! She has so many issues, I just think of it as her previous life:)

[MasterPlan]

Quite possibly, there may be several reasons for the behavior on the leash. A: Protesting due to lack of experience with the leash; B: Fear of a tool previously used for abuse.
It sounds more like A. Over-excitement and protest. To correct this, again, use the active correction method.
Jumping: Step in, with chest out, hissing, lightly but firmly touching her at the chest.
Tugging: Assuming this is tugging backward, maintain your place, do not pull back from her, do not allow her to pull you forth, kneel down to her level with the palm of your hand open and facing her. Lightly hiss until she stops pulling, then pull her gently to yourself.
Sitting: Pretty much a repeat of the tugging. Gently pull her to yourself until she releases and comes to you.
Barking: Hand extended, hiss sharply for each bark. If she can't hear you, bark. Thrust a pulse of air and sound from your gut. Make it loud and forceful but not stressed. Do Not Tug the Leash until she is used to it being a part of her.
Put the leash on her, correct her until she relaxes, reward her, then remove the leash. Do this until she stops caring about the leash.

About the jumping upon your return: Ignoring her is only the beginning. Your goal is for her to stop jumping completely. So, continue this practice for a time then soon move into a more active correction. Hissing and lightly, but firmly, touching her on the chest with the tips of your fingers, not the palm.

Turning around and crossing your arms is more inconvenient to you than simply walking by and ignoring her.

The treats: Without bashing this technique, I would like to say that this an ineffective method when your core problem is excitement. She is excited about the treat. When you use excitement to achieve a task, it encourages excitement (adding fire to the core problem). The techniques I am showing you are intended to reduce excitement. How do you stop a dog from being excited by showing her something she's excited about.

Progress is a process. It should never be a goal. She will learn quickly.

[Otto]

I meant because she was abandoned! She has so many issues, I just think of it as her previous life:)

I was pulling your leg, sweetheart. You used to "get" me. Remember?

I have no doubt that this new addition to your family will get all the love and attention she needs.

[sin-thia]

I always get you sweet man. Always:)

[Otto]

I always get you sweet man. Always:)

...and I you. ;) XOXOX

Good luck with that puppy! Let us know how she's doing.

[ThatLabGuy]

Heres what I did when my Lab The Marley had his separation anxiety. I got a small recorder and set it up inside the house when I had to leave. When I came home he would be very, very exited to see me as was I to see him.

When I listened to the recording all I heard was crying and barking and moaning, sleep for 10 minutes then it started all over. I was gone for only 4hrs twice a week.

This may not be for all dogs or people but the simple solution was to (and this is so stupid its simple) not make a big deal of leaving, just walk out. Upon returning I did not make a big deal of it. The hard part was not petting or saying I missed you, it was mainly to stay off, no jumping and lay down. Then we go outside after about 5 minutes to potty and play.

It took about 6 or 7 of these before he calmed down. Thank goodness for audio recorders. Hope this helped.