Unfortunately, sometimes separation anxiety doesn't go away, so your best bet is to manage the symptoms to ensure your dog feels comfortable and safe. Your efforts will help him live a happy, healthy life as you provide the best care possible.
With proper training, dogs can grow out of separation anxiety.
Expect to spend around two months working with your dog to alleviate his separation anxiety. Taking it slowly during the early stages–getting your dog comfortable at the moment of your departure–will allow the later stages of lengthening your time away to much more quickly.
“In my experience, the four most common breeds of dogs that exhibit signs of separation anxiety are typically Labrador Retrievers, Chihuahuas (both mixed breeds and standards), German Shepherds and Cocker Spaniels”, says Dr.
However, allowing your dog to sleep in your bed may encourage a problem that's already there. For example, sleeping in bed with you can reduce anxiety in dogs, but can also exacerbate separation anxiety in the long term as your dog becomes used to having you as support every night.
Giving your dog a puzzle/food toy to work on.
One way to help manage your dog's separation anxiety is by encouraging independent behaviors. Give your dog something fun to do on their own such as a long lasting chew toy, puzzle toy or stuffed Kong.
Any major change in a dog's life can be such a triggering event. A traumatic experience to the dog could be a divorce, a terrible scary storm, a large change in schedules or loss of a loved one. There are many things that can happen that the dog perceives as scary that can lead to separation anxiety.
Anxious behaviors like pacing, whining, or trembling while you're gone or as you prepare to leave. Excessive barking or howling. Destructive acts, such as chewing or digging, particularly around doors or windows. Accidents in the house – urinating or defecating.
Separation Anxiety: Dog is anxious whenever the main caregiver is absent even if other people are at home. Isolation Distress: Dog is anxious about being left alone but is fine as long as there is some human company.
Use calming dog pheromones (such as Adaptil) sprayed onto bedding or in a plug-in diffuser and play calming music such as classical or species-specific music at times throughout the day and when you leave the home. Catch your dog being calm and when the dog is ignoring you, reward him with calm and pleasant attention.
Separation anxiety disorder usually won't go away without treatment and can lead to panic disorder and other anxiety disorders into adulthood. If you have concerns about your child's separation anxiety, talk to your child's pediatrician or other health care provider.
They described an infant or young child's reaction to separation as occurring in three phases – protest, despair, then detachment. Although this theory is less popular today, it provides a framework that can help foster parents understand a child's experience.
Being abandoned, surrendered to a shelter or given to a new guardian or family can trigger the development of separation anxiety. An abrupt change in schedule in terms of when or how long a dog is left alone can trigger the development of separation anxiety.
At first, you should increase the time you are away from your dog very gradually. A few minutes is enough to start with. Once you have successfully built-up time apart, the length of time a dog can be left will depend on the individual.
In the beginning, even one or two minutes might feel too long for your puppy, but over three or four days, you should be able to build up to fairly long periods.
DON'T stay away too long.
Most experts agree you shouldn't leave your adult dog alone for more than eight to 10 hours, but some dogs (especially ones with small bladders) can't last that long.
Separation anxiety is usually at its peak between 10 and 18 months. It typically ends by the time a child is 3 years old.
Separation anxiety disorder is an extreme fear of being separated from a loved one or primary caregiver (attachment figure). It's much more intense and not developmentally appropriate. Separation anxiety becomes a disorder when the anxiety interferes with age-appropriate behavior.
Experts believe SAD is caused by both biological and environmental factors. A child may inherit a tendency to be anxious. An imbalance of 2 chemicals in the brain (norepinephrine and serotonin) most likely plays a part. A child can also learn anxiety and fear from family members and others.