Separation Anxiety- A Holistic Approach
Anxiety, stress, tension, fear, panic; these are the hallmarks of separation anxiety (SA). Like a panic attack, dogs may feel an overwhelming sense of fear and anxiety at being left alone or without human companionship. The reasons behind this mal-adaptive behavior may be unknown due to some past trauma or situation. Contributing factors may include pre-natal care, post-natal care, socialization, diet, environment, toxins, chemicals or deficiency. Separation anxiety is not purely a matter of a lack of training. It can range from anxiety, pacing, drooling, vocalizing, defecation, chewing, and all out destruction usually as an escape effort. These dogs are not being “bad” for the sake of being bad nor are they bored. They are over-whelmed by panic and fear. These responses are dictated by certain areas in the brain. They are not doing it on purpose to “punish” you for leaving them so punishing them for the behavior will only increase their stress levels and make matters worse. Understanding and empathy are the order of the day.
There are many strong indicators that neurotransmitter imbalances may be involved in the development of SA. Whether due to genetic, environmental or nutritional causes depends upon the individual. A holistic approach is critical in dealing with these issues. One can not look at simply one facet of the situation but rather the dog is a total system of all governing elements. Environment, diet, stress and other circumstances are critical to be addressed to resolve the problem.
Counterconditioning and desensitisation may be effective for mild cases of SA. This involves teaching the dog to go to a safe spot such as their bed or a mat. Give them a food stuffed toy to work on and gradually leave the room for a few seconds then return with no fanfare. You gradually build up the duration of your absence bit by bit. It is considered best to establish one safe area and not to confine the dog to an unfamiliar area. This will only exacerbate their anxiety. Then you can start again at the beginning and work on actually being able to leave the house. This is a time consuming and arduous process for all involved. If your dog will eat the food stuffy then you are on your way. If they will not eat, then you have a more severe case. The dog is in a state of fright or flight, thus the attempts at escape. They are over taken by an intense need to re-establish social contact, at all costs. Their digestive system shuts down as they are in survival mode, thus why they won’t eat. Anti-anxiety medications or calming supplements may be of great benefit in these cases.
Technology can also be of immense help. You can skype with your dog when at home, then in another room then out of the house. Also, remote feeders can benefit as reinforcing appropriate choices by your dog. Set up a babycam, laptop or another camera to watch your dog. When they exhibit an appropriate action, reward them via the remote feeder with a treat. You can even record yourself performing a familiar routine and play it on a loop on your computer for the dog. There are several great pet camera options on the market ranging in price from $100-$500. Most only provide audio communication with most offering a remote feeding option. PetCube offers a visual display so that your pet can see you on the monitor screen. This may be beneficial to many dogs. These apps offer a large range of options and in many cases will help you make substantial progress in alleviating your dog’s distress.
Some SA programs will advise that you take your dog out for strenuous exercise before leaving them home alone. This may work for some dogs but the usual method for people trying to tire their dogs out is to play ball and engage them in highly stimulating activities like frisbee, chase or tug of war. These activities may help some dogs to take the edge off but with other dogs what happens is that you are ramping up their stress response by causing their adrenal cortex to flood their bodies with cortisol, a stress hormone. Also with energetic activity the adrenal medulla produces adrenaline which pushes them into an over-excited state. This highly aroused situation only exacerbates the flight or fight survival response of SA.
For many dogs a better alternative is to engage them in brain work, problem solving and calm mental activities. Denise Fenzi, Kay Lawrence and many others have fabulous activities for calm and exhausting brain games. Start with the basics of obedience such as Sit, Stay, Down. Work on increasing distance, duration or distraction slowly, baby steps. Set your dog up for success. If they can’t do as you asked then you are going too fast, go back a step or two. Only increase on aspect at a time. If you increase distance, then you must decrease the duration. Don’t ask of them what they are unable to perform. Take it slow and easy.
Food games are great for mental work. Try playing Search by first putting a treat on the floor where they can see it. Have them Sit & Stay while you do this then release them to Find It! Gradually move the treat farther away and then place it behind furniture legs or under pillows once your dog has figured out the rules of the game. One very important thing to remember when doing mental work with your dog is to always and exuberantly praise your dog for their success. You want to make it clear that they are doing a great job, that you are proud of them and that they are making a great choice. Try not to tell them No, this is de-moralizing and is of no benefit to either of you. Think… Just Say YES! You do not want to be always told that you do things wrong and that you can’t succeed, it is the same with your dog. They want to know that they are right, that you approve and most of all that doing activities with you are fun.
Which brings us to another point, training is something your do with your dog not to your dog. They need your guidance, approval and interaction. Dogs left up to their own devices rarely figure out what the rules of our strange human world are. The human world is a human construct, dogs need our help to navigate positively in it. Just giving your dog a rubber toy stuffed with peanut butter is not going to cut it here.
Mental health issues are at the fore-front of health care for humans and the same elements affect our pets. They are subject to the same toxic environments with usually sub-standard feed in the form of over-processed nutrient deficient kibble. If an animal (human or dog) does not ingest appropriate nutrients, vitamins, minerals, lipids or amino acids, they may develop nutrient deficiencies and may be unable to metabolize the necessary neurotransmitters for optimal brain function.
Essentially a multi-faceted approach is required to address the myriad of issues that may be contributing factors to your dog’s separation anxiety.
A,B,C,D’s of Separation Anxiety
Antecedents: Antecedents are environmental stimuli which cause or trigger a response of anxiety or panic. Environmental management of known aversive antecedents can help alleviate an episode. For instance, some dogs are noise sensitive. If the smoke detector goes off some dogs will go into a full-blown panic attack. Sometimes even just the beeping of a low battery will send some dogs over the edge. If you are aware of any triggers, then management can help alleviate an aversive response. Try to keep a log of events and their precursors to help you identify possible triggers.
Behavior: Although fear is a physiological response and can not be reinforced, the behavior that an animal uses as a means to escape the feared stimuli may be reinforced. If the response worked to get the scary thing to stop/go away once then it may work again. Each time the dog performs a response that ends up with the scary thing stopping then that behavior will become part of the dog’s repertoire in the future. Each time the response works will strengthen the likelihood that the response will be exhibited in the future to the same or similar circumstances. Separation anxiety is not a condition that will go away with time as well the dog will not simply learn to deal with it by themselves. They need help in terms of a solid behavioral training plan. Think in terms of a two-year-old child. If your toddler was deathly afraid of the dark would you lock them in a pitch-black room and expect them to deal with it? Unlikely, so don’t do it to your dog.
Choice: Many of the dogs with SA lack the ability to make appropriate choices to establish control of their environments. Insecurities, lack of impulse control and not having the ability to predict what will happen can negatively affect a dog’s mental state. The old standard to treat SA was to mix up your schedule upon leaving. This meant picking up your keys and going back to what you were doing. Putting on your coat and continue about your household chores. Going to get the leash then putting it back, and so on, and so on. You can certainly try this method which falls under counter-conditioning. The premise is that the dog has learned your cues of preparing to leave the house and gets more and more upset as you go through this routine. But stop and think for a minute. What are you actually teaching your dog when you do this routine? In most cases, you are teaching the dog that you are unpredictable. Is that what you want? You would most likely get far better results by teaching the dog elf-confidence and how to make appropriate choices in their environment. There are many, many games and exercises that teach impulse control and self-confidence through interactive play. Check out some of our blogs on DIY interactive games.
Diet: Diet is a vital area which is largely ignored by Behaviorists. The body is a complete system and one aspect can not be taken out of the context of the whole organism as a solution. If at all possible, the dog may benefit from a biologically appropriate diet. This may be a raw diet, a cooked diet or a combination there-of. The most important factor is that the diet be nutritionally balanced. Using the National Research Council (NRC) guidelines will help you to do this as well as adhering to the AAFCO ( Association of American Feed Control Officials) guidelines. It is not terribly difficult and there are many prepared foods that are available in today’s market if you can’t do it on your own. Even supplementing your dog’s current diet with 25% real, fresh, whole foods will be an improvement. If you don’t supply the building blocks required for optimal neural function, then your pet can’t function at an optimal level.
Drugs: In many cases, especially severe cases, medications, supplements and alternate therapies may be of great benefit. These include over the counter calming treats, nutritional supplements such as 5-HTP, l-theanine, CBD oil, melatonin, and others. Consult your Vet regarding anxiolytic medication to reduce anxiety while you engage in exercises to teach your dog appropriate coping mechanisms. Sometimes it is of great advantage to a dog to be a bit calmer whilst learning good choices. T-touch, relaxation protocols, acupuncture or calming dog music may also be of great benefit to some dogs.
As well, since most dogs do not get the help they need at an early stage, most are left to their own devices to figure things out or are relinquished to a shelter when their people just can’t take it any more. In many cases the use of anxiolytic medications will be of great help in calming the dog so that they are able to benefit from a solid behavioral training plan.
If your dog is having trouble coping, don’t expect it to get better on its own. The dog does not have the tools to manage and get better, they need your help. In most cases, if not treated, many of the cases can magnify to disastrous results. Don’t let it get that far. Intervene and get help early, if not for your own sake then do it to save the woodwork!