Desensitizing Anxiety Triggers

[Laurenbiz]

I'm sorry for my long posts.

 

I'm back again, with my pee-machine, Bernie!

 

We've had him since October; he is 4 years old. Raced for two years. His SA was obvious even on Day 1 when we left him in his crate alone for 30 minutes, and we came back to find tinkle. (And that's how it's been since!) UTI was ruled out, and he does not urinate and/or mark in the house while we are there. Only when he is alone does he urinate.

 

Here is the laundry list of what we've tried: crate training and alone training, DAP collar/wipes/spray, Rescue Remedy, throwing in a dirty shirt of ours in his crate, calming dog music, Yanni music, lights, radio, TV, leaving toys with him, stuffed Kongs and treat dispensers (which he doesn't touch when he's alone - he only enjoys his treats when we are with him,) multiple potty breaks before leaving him alone, two daily walks, and ignoring him 30 minutes before leaving and 10 minutes after coming back. We even tried two extra Greyhounds - and other friends didn't help him, either!

 

(He'll go in a belly band - and in his crate, or in a safe room, or if he has the whole run of the house.)

 

He has shown some progress - SLOWLY but surely - since we enrolled him in a Greyhound-Only Obedience Class. We finished that class last month.

 

 

Yesterday morning, though, I think I had a revelation: he gets so worked up and stressed when we go through the motions of leaving the house.

 

 

Yesterday, he actually tinkled while he was in his crate while I was still in the room. I'd gotten him in the crate and then I kept getting ready. He was whining, but I ignored it. I'd started walking around the house quickly to make sure I was finished getting ready, I grabbed lunch out of the fridge, I picked up my purse - and I stood there and watched him tinkle!

 

So, I feel like we've totally been missing the part about desensitizing him to the triggers that increase his anxiety. Since he's so stressed by the time we've gone through the motions to leave, once we do leave is when I believe he just loses control of his bladder.

 

What can you tell me about working to desensitize triggers that cause stress???

[Sambuca]

While you're hanging out at home go through all the motions of leaving many times a day, then when you would walk out, let him out of the crate and take him out. If he sees that you can go through all the motions and not actually leave, it shouldn't be as scary for him. Of course when you actually leave he still may have issues, but the process shouldn't be as anxious inducing if you practice it often.

[Guest Giselle]

Wow, that is a lot of stuff to have tried in a matter of 3-4 months! Above all, remember that it takes time and patience

 

On to the training...

 

You're right, and your observations were very well thought-out. You DO need to desensitize him, but here's the thing: Desensitization alone does NOT work for severely anxious animals. You need to throw in counterconditioning and, ideally, some kind of alternate behavior. The crux of modifying anxious and aggressive behaviors is that it relies on changing the dog's underlying emotional state. If, every time you pick up your keys, your dog anticipates you leaving and immediately gets upset, simply picking up your keys 10X a day will only make him more nervous and anxious. This is what desensitization technically means. So, DS alone just won't work. What you need to do is countercondition his association towards the anxiety-inducing triggers from "OH NO! Mom is leaving!" to "Oh, that's alright; I get to do _____ instead". This is DS/CC. This is what virtually all behavioral modification is about.

 

The easiest and most effective method of counterconditioning is through food + alternate behaviors. What you want to do is pair the anxiety-inducing trigger with a positive outcome. Example: Pick up your keys and pop a treat into your dog's mouth. Do this simultaneously. Repeat this over and over again until, when you pick up your keys, your dog gets all perky and bright-eyed! Now, repeat it with all the other stress-inducing triggers. Put on a shoe + pop a treat into his mouth. Repeat repeat repeat. When he's able to tolerate the triggers without stressing, you can easily ask him to "Go to Bed/Mat/Crate" and give him a frozen Kong. Repeat! Now, incorporate alone training. Your end goal should look like: You get ready while your dog waits on his bed/mat/crate. You give him a Kong/treat dispenser as you leave, and he'll be calm/happy enough to occupy himself. Good luck!

[GeorgeofNE]

What Giselle said so well!

 

For George, his anxiety was all about being crated; 95% of our problems stopped when I put the crate away. But my PRIOR dog, a mixed breed, was absolutely undone when I left if he WASN'T crated. We made a wonderful game of the whole thing; special toys and special treats ONLY for the crate. He never even got to SEE his Kong except in the crate. Peanut butter is your friend!

[Laurenbiz]

Thank you for the responses!

 

I feel like this was truly a revelation because the idea hit me: we've done everything we know to do to work with the SEPARATION anxiety, but we've entirely overlooked his anxiety prior to him being alone!

 

Of course, he whines before we leave, and we just ignore that behavior. But, if he is already that stressed while we are still in the house, does our sudden disappearance make his stress magically go away? Ha, nope! (Which is where I'm thinking the pee comes into play.)

 

So when I work with the counter-conditioning, does the way in which I give him a treat really matter? For example, he does get worked up when I put my purse on my shoulder. In counter-conditioning, do I put my purse on my shoulder and physically stick the treat toward his mouth to let him take it from my hand? Or put my purse on, and just throw a treat in his direction? (I don't know if it really matters either way - but I thought I'd ask!)

 

Thank you

[Guest Giselle]

I'd recommend sticking the threat into his mouth simultaneously. You want the association to be pretty exact, with little room for error right now. The way we deliver rewards IS important, and it IS a major part of correct timing and rewarding the correct criteria. Good for asking Later on, when your dog is much more mellow/calm/relaxed, you can go through your routine and toss treats to him on his bed. But, for now, you're teaching a new association and new behaviors, so you should be fairly precise with your timing and treating.