Separation Anxiety

[Guest jennis]

My dog of 4 months has bonded well with me rather too well she seems to have fixed all her devotion on me. She is showing signs of seperation anxiety when I leave even if my partners at home. I am sure when I first got her and trawled this forum I read loads on SA now I seem unable to find any but the briefest reference. Could someone please point me in the right direction. Thankyou

[JJNg]

Here's a recent thread to get you started:

http://forum.greytalk.com/index.php/topic/294957-need-help-and-advice/

 

If you post more detail about what's going on with your dog, I'm sure you'll get more specific advice for your situation as well.

Edited March 8, 2013 by JJNg

[Guest jennis]

When I first got her 20th October from the racing yard after she was retired at 5 years old,I would leave her in the porch for increasing lengths of time,she would whine on first going in and on hearing our return. If we sneaked in she was quiet but I could tell by the warm spot she had been on the back step rather than her bed. Because of her reluctance to go in the porch and improvement in house training I decided to leave her in the kitchen. On the first occassion she scratched the wooden door badly so we bought a dog gate. First time I could hear her reaching through the bars frightened she might hurt herself on the next occassion put cardboard across the bars. She chewed it into little pieces and it was blood stained from damaged gums she also chewed the door frame and the dog gate. I normally just leave with no fuss but on the last occassion I looked at her as I left I she was shaking all over and looked really frightened, I became concerned at the damage she may do to herself and property so I called a friend who came over to sit with her. The logical answer seems to be put her back in the porch but she really hates being left there last couple of times I had to push her in and feel her adversion was growing. Also having damaged one door think she would probably do another. Am planning on going back to beginning of alone training for kitchen. She is not food motivated and will not eat when left alone treats and kongs included. Did I hear somewhere that leaving a visual clue helps. She has a clock but am also going to leave a radio. In the short time we have had her she has changed from a serious adult dog who didnt show much emotion to a pet who is more puppish she communicates more expressively and likes to play. Shes a sensitive soul who likes to please. Having just read this is it me being too anxious about her welfare causing her anxiety to increase, is it me thats the problem not her?

[JJNg]

Will she take treats from you? If she will, it's not that she isn't food motivated. It just means that she's too stressed to eat when she is alone.

 

Is the porch comfortable and secure? If so, and she seems less stressed when she is out there, you could try training her to go out using treats and positive reinforcement. Even consider feeding her meals on the porch so that it's part of her daily routine and not just where she's left when alone.

 

The 'safety cue' is used when you're in the process of alone training, to help the dog distinguish training sessions vs. unavoidable absences where she will be left longer than she is comfortable with. This would be a good tool if you are starting alone training in the kitchen. But you still need to figure out an alternative for those times when you have to leave her longer than she is ready for, so that she doesn't hurt herself.

 

How exactly do you think you might be too anxious about her welfare? Dogs are often very sensitive to our moods and can feed off of the owner's anxiety, but this isn't commonly the case with separation anxiety since it happens when you're not there. I suppose if you're anxious and worried whenever you leave, she might sense that and it could affect her behavior. I hope others will chime in with additional thoughts too...

[3greytjoys]

In addition to JJNG's posts above, it helps if another person can help with the dog's care. Good if your partner (or someone else) is able to feed and walk your hound periodically to help separate her from relying on you for everything. Your new girl likely spent all five years of her life with other Greyhounds, without them, you are her world. You didn't mention another dog, so I assume she is your only dog. If so, if you have a friend who owns a Greyhound, it might help to invite another Greyhound over to your house to see if that helps your girl relax. Alternatively, if your friend would be willing to invite your girl to her/his house during your absences for a while (hound sitting exchange).

 

Sometimes it helps to depart from a different door that the dog can't reach. They often fixate on the last door from which they saw their owner leave. Having a safe, dog proof baby-gate separating the dog from the door sometimes helps (find one her head can't get through). I assume she clawed the wood vs. chewing it with her mouth. A hard plastic sheet/shield could protect the door from claws, cheap mat on the floor, otherwise her properly fitted kennel muzzle could help prevent dangerous chewing.

 

I'm not sure of your porch setting(?) or the current weather temperatures, but our Greyhounds are indoor dogs, and are very sensitive to outside temperatures. Just wondering if the temperature might be another factor for your girl not wanting to be left on the porch.

 

When dogs are feeling anxious about their owner's departure, they often need an extra potty outing immediately before departure (even if they went out 20-30 minutes before).

 

By the way, it's good for folks experiencing a similar situation to remember that anxiety is "fear" based. It's important to remain completely calm/quiet if a dog damages something or has an accident during their human's outing. (Reprimanding a dog for a negative behavior stemmed from fear magnifies anxious behavior.)

 

[Guest jennis]

I dont tell her off for any damage or accidents just clear it up. I do however ignore her until she calms down as I found if I greeted her she became more and more excited. The alone training did not go too well she seemed to get more anxious each time she was left. I dont know any other grey owners but have arranged to drop her off at afriends who has a border terrior she plays with. Also ordered calmex thought I would try for a couple of weeks hoping she will realise the world isn't going to end. She always has a decent walk and empty before being left. The porch has a radiator and the kitchen has underfloor heating which is left on as a comfort to her. By my being too anxious I really meant should I just walk away and leave her to get on with it and ignore her feelings in the expectation she will eventually get over it. Could you explain 'safety cue' please

[JJNg]

The alone training did not go too well she seemed to get more anxious each time she was left.

 

If she's getting more anxious, you're going too fast. Did you read through the messages in the link I provided in my first response to you? In post #27 there, I explain the alone training process as well as 'safety cue'. Here's a direct link to that message:

http://forum.greytalk.com/index.php/topic/294957-need-help-and-advice/?p=5431747

 

By my being too anxious I really meant should I just walk away and leave her to get on with it and ignore her feelings in the expectation she will eventually get over it.

 

If she's getting anxious before you leave, then you can work on desensitizing to the triggers that make her anxious. Many dogs with separation anxiety start to get anxious when they see signs that you're getting ready to leave - things like putting on your shoes, picking up your purse, picking up our keys, etc. You can desensitize to those things by doing them at random times and then sitting back down and not leaving.

 

Or are there other times when she acts anxious? There are some who believe that 'comforting' a dog who shows anxiety can reward that behavior, but I think it depends mostly on how it's done. Because I'm short on time, here's a previous where I discussed this a little more:

http://forum.greytalk.com/index.php/topic/294957-need-help-and-advice/?p=5431747

 

Finally, I'd suggest talking to your vet about this. If your dog is actually hurting herself, she's truly in distress and panicking, and there are medications that can help. The various supplements on the market might or might not help, but actual prescription meds tend to be more effective and predictable. For more severe cases, I'd consider using medication to help give her more immediate relief and speed the training process. Also talk to your adoption group (if you got her from a group) and consider working with a good trainer or behaviorist.

[Guest jennis]

Thankyou for the links. We are starting our next training class on Wednesday I'll ask for advice there. I think I have just been too fast and will go back to seconds rather than minutes and be repetative and only increase time when she seems comfortable.