I've gotten a huge number of requests here
on youtube, on facebook and through email
asking to do a video on separation
anxiety,
so here we go.
Ian here with Simpawtico Dog Training and
before we start talking about separation
anxiety please make sure you're
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check that youtube description below for
notes links and resources about the
stuff we talked about.
So right away I want to say that a seven
to ten minutes youtube video is woefully
inadequate to cover everything to do
with separation anxiety.
There are so many factors and moving
parts to it, and every single case is
unique.
This video is not going to give you
quick fixes. I will however help you
better understand the issue and point
you in the right direction to find good
resources.
Let's start off by clearing up the
terminology. The term "separation anxiety"
has been bandied about so much that it's
lost a lot of its meaning. Everybody
thinks that when they're dog chews up a
shoe while they're gone, or pees on the
rug, or looks sad when they leave, or
acts silly when they come home they must
have separation anxiety.
Generally this is not the case. In fact
some of these are just simple training
issues that haven't been resolved
through practice and consistency. In
other cases it's more accurate to call
it distress, and there is a difference.
Also we need to see if it's a case of
separation or just isolation; there's a
difference there too. So let's look at
these. Separation problems stem from a
dog's attachment to one person or a
group of people. In these instances no
other person or animal can alleviate the
stress. The only thing presently that
will help is the return of the specific
person or persons. Isolation problems are
more about not wanting to be alone.
Dogs are extremely social animals, that
is to say they seek out company and
companionship and they form close social
groups. In these cases another person or
even another animal can help alleviate
the problem.
Each of these types of stressors—
separation and isolation—then exist on a
sliding scale with distress being at
the low end and true anxiety being at
the high end. True separation or
isolation anxiety is serious stuff.
These are the dogs that bloody
themselves escaping from crates, that
jump out of third story windows, and have
worked themselves into frothy states of
wide-eyed panic.
These are clinical cases that require
professional intervention. Distress is
what most of you out there are
experiencing, not anxiety. Whining or barking
when you leave is not
anxiety. Chewing up tissues and pillows
while you're gone is not anxiety. At best
they're symptoms of boredom and at worst
they're symptoms of distress, which is
easily addressed in many cases. So for
example a dog with mild isolation
distress will get itchy about being
alone and get bored and then start doing
things to occupy himself like chewing or
barking. In these cases sometimes just
giving them things to do that they enjoy
will help. Sometimes they just need
company—another person or even another
pet.
Here's where a petsitter or a dog walker
in the middle of the day might help. In
order to start helping your dog you'll
need to determine whether your dog has a
problem with separation or just
isolation, and then objectively measure
how severe things are. Don't buy into the
notion that it's automatically anxiety
or even that it's automatically
separation. Our egos would love us to
believe it's always about us but
realistically it might not be.
It's useful to make these distinctions
because it changes how you may approach
the situation. Separation problems are
generally harder to fix than isolation
problems, depending on how severe things
are. We all do a disservice when we just
start labeling everything "separation
anxiety" when there are some dogs out there
that truly needs serious help and we
lump them in with dogs that just need a
chew toy and some training. This whole
problem gets even more complicated when
dogs have pent up energy throughout the
day without reasonable outlets. It also
becomes more pronounced when dogs are
never taught how to be alone. Now there
are gadgets and bits of gear out there
that are designed to keep your dog busy
throughout the day. Things like D.A.P. and
relaxing flower essences, thundershirts,
music and tone therapy, and interactive
toys like the Manners Minder, the
Wobbler, and even just basic Kong toys. But
please understand that these are not the
solutions; they're only part of the
solution. And they're not plug-and-play
kinds of things, or set it and forget it.
You must train your dog how to interact
with them and train your dog to love
them.
Yes even Thundershirts. As I've said
many times before it's not what it is
it's what you've trained it to be. If you
just buy something and leave it with them
the chances it will change anything are
almost zero. Which brings me to an
important point: there are no cookie
cutters for anxiety or distress. There
are no magic bullets. There are no 123
fixes
you might have found on a separation
anxiety board and Pinterest that are
going to do the job. Think about people
you know—maybe yourself—that suffer from
anxiety. There isn't just a thing you buy
or a pin you read that fixes it, is there?
So what can we do? Well for starters like
almost every other problem out there
it's predictable and preventable.
So if you're watching this and you have
a new puppy or even a newly adopted
adolescent dog, teach them how to be
alone for periods of time. A dog needs to
be content with spending time alone. If
you've watched my toy training video or
my Kong video you know that one of the
main points is training chew toys to be
outlets for exactly the kind of stress
being alone creates. Take a look at your
dog's diet. Do your homework and get the
best you can reasonably afford. A crappy
diet will most definitely exacerbate
anxiety and distress problems just like
a does in humans. Get your dog some
exercise and some mental stimulation.
activities like flyball, rally, agility,
nosework, and K9 games are ones that
not only get the blood moving but help
the brain grow. Manage your dog's space. Use
gates to limit access to parts of the
house you don't want them in. Crate
train them. These are just the tip of
the iceberg. To help you wrap your head
around this process there are a couple
of really good books on the subject I
recommend. The first one is I'll Be Home
Soon:
How to Prevent and Treat Separation
Anxiety by Patricia B. McConnell, PhD.
She's a stalwart figure in the behavior
community and her work forms the basis
for most of it out there.
The second book is Don't Leave Me:
Step-by-Step Help for Your Dog's
Separation Anxiety by Nicole Wilde, CPDT-KA
Nicole is a nationally recognized
consultant; her books and articles are
always gold very—easy to read and
accessible for everyone. Pick one or both
of these up and see if they can give you
the guidance you need to solve your
problem. At the very least they'll help
you build a foundation to work with
while you seek additional help. And you
probably should seek additional help.
Some anxiety or distress issues stem
from genetics or past experiences which
we have no control over. My best piece of
advice is to hire a behaviorist.
A behaviorist is different than a trainer.
Your local dog trainer will usually not
have the experience or knowledge to
adequately address anything more than
simple distress.
A good behaviorist will help you design a
plan that fits your dog and your
lifestyle. A behaviorist will know how to
problem-solve and offer multiple
solutions.
These can include plans for management,
nutrition, exercise, mental stimulation,
and training. In a robust approach these
will all be supported by adjunctive
strategies like drug therapy,
desensitization, and conditioning. And
your behaviorist will help you train those
gadgets and gear we mentioned earlier so
they actually work for you. To find a
qualified behaviorist, start with a
search on the APDT's website. the APDT, or
the Association of Professional Dog
Trainers has a registry that you can
search through. Most professional
organizations such as the American
Veterinary society of Animal Behavior,
the Certification Council for
Professional Dog Trainers, and the
Association of Animal Behavior
Professionals also have similar
registries. Membership in one or more
professional organization is a good
start.
It indicates standards met, communication
with colleagues, and a means to keep
current on new info. But it's not a
guarantee of quality. Once you find a
person, ask about their professional
training and their experience. Always ask
about their experience level. A seasoned
practitioner with no professional
credentials is preferable to someone
with credentials but with limited or no
experience. Also contact the local
shelters and rescues for their
recommendations. These organizations see
a thousand times the amount of dogs you've
ever even owned and they have a roster of
professionals that they rely on. Look for
someone who recognizes the importance of
you working through the problem rather
than sending the dog somewhere to get
"fixed." Anxiety and distress are
completely inappropriate for any kind of
board and train services. Work needs to
be done at home.
Look for knowledge of positive
reinforcement methods, classical
conditioning, progressive desensitization,
and making food, toys, and play integral
parts of building good behavior.
This is a must. Any kind of aversive
techniques that are painful, scary, or
stern will be absolutely
counterproductive.
Now, there are trainers out there that
have experience with behavior consulting
and vice versa.
You may find that rare someone who is
versed in both training and behavioral
methodology. Please do not ask your vet
for behavior advice unless you are
inquiring about drug therapy suggested
by your behaviorist.
Vets are not trained in behavior. They
are trained in anatomy, procedures,
diagnosis, treatment, and medicine. They
will be the medicinal and drug expert,
but your behaviorist will know better
what to do in conjunction with it.
Look: I respect the veterinary community
greatly and I always learned tons from
them. But I have seen vets prescribe
drugs to dogs that didn't need it, and
I've seen dogs put through ridiculous
exercises when they needed drugs and
management. I know it is tempting to ask
the pet professionals in your life for
help but seek the best sources. You don't
ask your plumber for electrical advice,
right?
Also do not ask or take advice from pet
store employees. These people are there
to tell you what's on sale.
That's like asking someone who works at
Rite Aid to give you medical advice.
Always seek advice from the best sources.
If you need training advice you call a
trainer. If your pet is hurt or sick call
your vet. If you have a grooming question
call your groomer. If your dog's diet
needs tweaking contact a nutritionist.
And if you have behavior problems call a
behaviorist. Everything I've mentioned in
this video is linked in the YouTube
description below.
Well good luck to you if you're
struggling, whether it be easily solved
isolation distress or you're in for the
long haul with real separation anxiety.
Don't be afraid to ask for help and make
sure to explore the resources around you.
Please give this video a thumbs up if
you learned something and as always: keep
learning and keep practicing, and we'll
see you next time. Thanks for watching!