Seperation Anxiety

[kiesha09]

My girl is a maltese x poodle that was rescued from the rspca as a 10 week old puppy and she is now 4 years old. She is a very anxious dog and quite reactive when on lead on walks (to other dogs walking and dogs behind fences) but not reactive off lead, although is not overly confident with other dogs.

She is also very reactive to people walking past the house and at possums in the tree and in general is turning into quite a barker.

I have also noticed in the last year that she is becoming increasingly anxious when I leave the house. Initially it started when I was leaving at odd times (ie functions at night) and she would howl and cry and try and get out the garage door to come with me but now I have noticed the last two mornings that she has been shaking as I leave to go to work. She is inside during the day with my other dog and has access to the backyard via a doggy door.

I live by the NILIF philosophy with both my dogs. They are allowed on the couch and sleep on the bed (it made absolutely no difference when she slept in her crate for 8 months). I also give them kongs and activity balls during the day and she will still eat when I'm gone.

Do you think this is true seperation anxiety? Has your dog ever experienced SA and if so what did you do?

[kiesha09]

Bump. Anyone with advice?

[german_shep_fan]

Hi

Yeah it sounds like she is definately anxious when you go to leave her. Unsure why she has started doing this though. Do you think it is possible something frightened her when you were out one day and since then she has become anxious when she knows you are going to leave her on her own? How does she get on with your other dog?

[Nekhbet]

get her properly assessed. Meantime something like a calming paste or herbal supplementation may be the way to help her take the edge off the stress.

http://www.caninetraining.com.au/

Give Mark a call as soon as you can, if he is not close enough he could probably recommend someone.

[kiesha09]

Thanks for the info guys. This morning once I got to work I decided to get her assesed with a veterinary behaviourist - Robert Holmes. Unfortunately he's only in Adelaide every 6 weeks so I will have to wait a bit.

These calming pastes and/or herbal supplements you mentioned, can you give me some examples?

[german_shep_fan]

Thanks for the info guys. This morning once I got to work I decided to get her assesed with a veterinary behaviourist - Robert Holmes. Unfortunately he's only in Adelaide every 6 weeks so I will have to wait a bit.

These calming pastes and/or herbal supplements you mentioned, can you give me some examples?

Hope all works out for you and the vet is able to give you some advice or meds that might calm her down

Let us know how she gets on.

[Nekhbet]

If you're going to use Robert he wont want the dog on herbal treatments in order to properly view the dogs behaviour.

I have used the Value Plus 4 calming paste, 1/2 ml per day for a dog of her size. You also need to start working more on separation, false leaving (so go through the motion like you are going to leave the house, then dont and go do something else) provide the dog with more exercises that utilise her brain in order for her to start concentrating and learning as well as wearing herself out.

medicated dogs require a lot of behaviour modification therapy while medicated in order to make it worthwhile. Otherwise you just pill pop to mask the symptoms.

Edited September 16, 2011 by Nekhbet

[kiesha09]

Thanks Nekhbet. I've just been reminded about another veterinary behaviourist thats in SA full time so I'm going to give her a ring to try to get in earlier. Makes perfect sense not to use the herbal treatments until after the consult if suggested.

I have been doing a lot of seperation work with her such as fake leaving (ie picking up the keys & putting them down again, picking up the keys and walking to the door etc.) because I have been trying to reduce the impact of these triggers for her. I also try and put her in her crate with a bone and leave the room etc so that she is getting good things when I'm still home but not directly with her.

As for training I do between 4 and 6 five minute sessions with her each day on top of her regular walk. I thought that would be enough.

To be honest at this stage I think I'm probably doing many of the right things but there are some serious anxiety issues behind it all. Thats why I made the decision in the end to see the VB. I really really hope to be able to modify the behaviour without resorting to drugs, but we will see.

[AdelK9]

Hi Kiesha

To me there is no such thing as 'seperation anxiety' as such... Many feel seperation anxiety is a result of being home alone.. It's not. Its a result of the anticipation of leaving the home and then the anticipation of coming home, not being alone. Explained below.

You have given a few hints about why she has this anxiety. She becomes anxious when seeing other dogs on lead, other people, etc, etc

You seem to hint that she is continually anxious, and reactive to people walikng past the house and wildlife.. possums, dogs etc.

Have you considered she has taken on a leadership role within the home? You also state she is not confident around other dogs off the lead? Seems to me a confused lower pack dog taking on a leadership role in the home, due to the interaction with family members, not reading her body language and rewarding/reinforcing the wrong behaviour and state of mind.

If a dog has taken on a leadership role within the home, and is continually anxious/stressed because of the role, due to being reinforced.. Then if her pack (family) leaves the home she becomes stressed. As it's her role to look after the pack. She can't do that when the pack leaves. So she becomes anxious when they are leaving.

For example..if you had a pack of wolves and we removed the entire pack from the alpha, he/she would become very stressed indeed. But no seperation anxiety, as there would have been no expectation that the pack was leaving.. But stressed due to the pack not being around.

I feel that the issues may stem from the relationship with family members when they are home. Reinforcing assertive and anxious states of mind.. Not setting proper rules and boundaries etc. Taking her to a Vets office to be assessed, will not show her relationship with family members within the home, and therefore in my opnion could be misdiagnosed.

I sugest get a behaviourist into your home for a few hours, so they can assess her and the family in the home environment.

Whats her attitude like when family members come home.. pacing, panting, anxious and can't settle? Do members then greet her when in this state? What is she like if members of the family are at home and she is locked outside? When they let her in, does she barge through the door and claim the house and people inside. In other words overly anxious? Or is she always with the family and never locked out when people are home? How is she when giving treats..does she snap them from your hand? Is she overaly anxious when about to feed her, or go for walks, etc? Does she look like she always has a job to do in the home? Tense. pacing.. slightest noise sets her off, etc?

All the above issues (and more) I raised can be the reason for this anxiety and stress.... I'd also like to point out.. that I believe anxiery only kicks in when the person is getting ready to leave the house, and again when the family member comes home.The dog knows when the person is coming home or has arrived. Ie coming home at the same time each day, anxiety begins to build at a certain time... anxiety builds around this time and the dog is then greeted in this state of mind when family come home. Anxiety doesn't exist when nobody is home.. sure some dogs become stressed, displaying signs such as destructive behaviour, escaping, barking, etc, etc... This however in not seperation anxiety.. it is stress from being alone. Anxiety is the conditioned expectation of a certain event or activity to take place.. Ie, dog is stresed being left at home alone.. Owners usually get home at 5pm.. around this time the dogs mind switches into being anxious about family members coming home.. anxiety builds in the dog, then owners arrive..Owners then reward ths state of mind when they get home.. Therefore over a period of time this anxiety becomes stronger and stronger...

Edited September 16, 2011 by AdelK9

[kiesha09]

Adelk9 thanks very much for your reply. I agree with much of what you said and others not so much.

The veterinary behaviourist actually comes to your home for the very reason you have stated...so they can assess your dog in their home environment. Yes some people will do the consult at their office but if depends what problem you are dealing with. I feel that a VB has the most appropriate qualifications and experience to help with with this problem rather than just any old behaviourist with who knows what qualifications.

I have considered that she has taken on a leadership role but I really don't know what else to do about it.

To answer some of your questions when we get home she is VERY excited but we ignore her until she calms down which now takes about 3-5 minutes. She definately isn't panting, pacing or what I would consider anxious but more excited woo wooing and wagging her butt like crazy. If she is locked outside she's fine if she has a bone but will scratch at the door once it's finished. Generally she is never locked outside because she barks (at possums etc) and I don't want complaints. The only time I put her outside is when I'm cleaning the house.

When giving treats she is as gentle as can be certainly doesn't snatch. Not overly anxious before feeding or walks. I wouldn't classify her anxious at all at these times. When I'm home she is mostly a lounge lizard with half an eye open for people going past the house where she will run to the front door to bark at them.

In general she is really well behaved and doesn't push the boundaries. She will always wait at the doors until permission to go outside (doesn't push through), will wait for permission to eat her dinner, will sit for pats but does jump on the bed and couch whenever (I've never enforced any rules about the couch and I did try the no bed rule for 8 months with no difference).

So overall she works for everything that she gets around here and is ignored when showing anxious behaviour. Not sure what else to do here?