SEPARATION ANXIETY:
The Road to Separation Security
New pharmaceuticals used in conjunction with behavior modification training can assist dogs in defeating over
dependence.
"You complete me." This powerful sentiment, actually a quote from the movie "Jerry McGuire," could be the
defining statement for dogs suffering from a behavioral disorder known as "separation anxiety." Dr. Wayne
Hunthausen of Westwood, Kansas, a veterinary behavior consultant and internationally known lecturer on the
topic of pet behavior, describes separation anxiety as a problem that occurs when dogs are too attached to their
owners and consequently unable to deal with them being gone or inaccessible.
When separated from their owners, dogs suffering from separation anxiety demonstrate destructiveness,
inappropriate elimination, hypersalivation, excess vocalization and escape attempts that may result in self-harm.
When confined to a room or a crate some dogs suffering from separation anxiety have been known to bite and
dig, fighting for freedom until their teeth and claws are broken. Many amazing canine Houdinis actually manage to
break out of the most "maximum security" sorts of dog crates, chew through solid oak doors and even crash
through windows (including those above ground floors) to escape confinement and possibly attempt to close the
distance between themselves and their missing human family members. Frequently these dogs are hurt in the
process.
Not all destructive behavior and inappropriate elimination is the result of separation anxiety, however, but can be
caused by other impulses and improper conditioning. Investigation, boredom and lack of exercise all can lead
home-alone dogs to walk on the wild side, without a twinge of separation anxiety involved. Soiling can be the result
of improper housetraining rather than the fallout from fear of being left alone.
THE ROOTS OF ANXIETY
But how can one be sure if a misbehaving-when-alone dog actually is suffering from separation anxiety? Why are
some dogs resigned, even seemingly indifferent, to their owners exits and absences while for others the sound of
jingling car keys tolls doom and strikes terror in their hearts? Why do some dogs entertain themselves quietly or
sleep during their owners' absences while others act out in frustration, fear and fury, harming their environments
and themselves, suffering excruciating stress and anxiety every unbearably long moment their families are away?
In order to effectively prevent or treat separation anxiety, the owner first must understand the problem and its
causes.
In his book "The Dog Who Loved Too Much" (Bantam Books, April 1996), Dr. Nicholas Dodman states: "About 4
percent of the 54 million dogs in the United States suffer from the wretched condition known as separation
anxiety." The problem may have its roots in earliest puppyhood, according to Dodman; for many dogs that suffer
from separation anxiety, this was a traumatic time. They may have been mistreated with isolation or neglect and
also may have been separated from their mothers and littermates too early. Isolation during critical periods of
social development, especially the first four months of life, may set the stage for clingy overdependence once the
dog makes an attachment to the owner.
Symptoms of canine hyperattachment usually are blatantly obvious and include predeparture anxiety or withdrawal
and exaggerated greeting behavior upon the missing owner's return. While the owners are present the dogs
typically behave wonderfully. In many cases they are emotionally bonded pets that devotedly follow their owners
from room to room and usually sleep with, if not actually on top of, them in their beds. The dogs usually are
receptive and responsive to their owners' love and affection and are attentive as well as attention-seeking. Some
dogs that develop separation issues seem to have no problems at all when their owners are home, other than
Velcro®-like personalities. The problem is these dogs have become so codependent they literally can't function
when their "other half" is absent.
As for that "other half," many owners unknowingly engage in anthropomorphism --invalidly attributing human
qualities to their pets. When an owner does this, his or her personality and interactions with the anxious dog often
contribute to and compound the problem. Most are loving, emotional owners who are terribly attached, attentive
and empathetic to their pets. When people rescue dogs from dire, lonely circumstances, they often are very
pleased by the dogs' neediness and seeming "gratitude." It is compelling to save an animal; it feels good to be
needed and to make a difference to another life. But when an emotionally needy dog comes into a new home and
makes an attachment with an emotionally needy person, there is a great risk this puppy-love scene will set the
stage for separation anxiety's curtain to go up.
THE CYCLE OF ANGUISH
Problems often start when a dog watches its apologetic, guilty owner leave for the first time. Looking back with
sympathetic glances after having cuddled, petted and apologized for the impending exit, the owner even may do a
few curtain calls, coming back to try to "settle" the dog with more nurturing and sympathy before finally leaving for
good. The windows, doors, baby gates, furniture and even curtains all become barriers between the dog and the
object of its need and desire: the absentee owner. Having no idea where the person is going, how long he or she
will be gone and when or if the owner ever is coming back, the suddenly abandoned dog may go into a full-blown
state of panic. Whether fueled by fear, fury or a combination of both, one thing is clear: The dog is not content or
able to accept being left behind, and all its frustrated energy is redirected.
Redirection occurs when dogs can't contain energy and can't express it in the way in which they feel compelled. If
a dog wasn't impeded by barriers while separated, it very likely would pursue its missing person. Instead, left
behind and distraught, the dog shakes, trembles, pants, drools, whines and barks; it may pace, run frantically from
room to room or repeatedly climb on furniture to look out the windows; it may claw at curtains or mini-blinds,
probably tearing or knocking them down in the process, and may rip into pieces anything and everything it can get
its teeth on. Elimination behavior is very likely to occur because the dog's state of fear or agitation can affect
bowel and bladder control. The dog is actively, passionately, desperately miserable; in many cases "anxiety" is an
understatement!
When in doubt about exactly what goes on while you are out, run a video camcorder or an audio tape recorder to
shed light on your dog's degree of separation-related distress. Knowing exactly how the dog reacts to separation
helps determine how best to handle the problem. As you begin treatment, the tape gives you a point of
comparison against which (it is hoped) improvement can be measured.
Hunthausen believes owners' interactions with their pets when they are home, and especially their reactions to
pets when they return after an absence, can cause separation anxiety to increase rapidly and spiral out of control.
Upon returning and discovering the scene of destruction, and perhaps hearing reports from concerned or
displeased neighbors about the dog's vocalizations, many frustrated owners resort to punishing their pets. Instead
of having the desired effect of settling the dog into obedient, passive compliance and resignation to separation,
punishment serves only to compound separation anxiety. Now the poor dog is caught in a classic approach/
avoidance situation, pining for the owner's return yet at the same time dreading it. Punishment doesn't reduce the
dog's inappropriate behavior while the owner is away, but the dog does begin to associate the owner's return with
both the dread of punishment and the salvation from isolation. The confusion the dog now feels about the owner's
much-needed return only heightens the state of anxiety while alone. Punishment actually increases rather than
decreases the stress-related outletting behaviors the owner is trying to reduce.
Besides causing dogs already under extreme duress to have to bear the added weight of their owner's
disapproval, anger and punishment, separation anxiety has caused many dogs to lose their homes and even their
lives. Many owners who can't or don't know how to solve this problem finally reach the point where they can't bear
knowing their dogs are suffering or can't bear the damage their suffering dogs keep inflicting on their
surroundings.
THE SECOND PET SCENARIO
Searching for a solution, many owners attempt to reduce their dog's hyperattachment and resulting separation
anxiety by obtaining another animal, hoping it will provide some surrogate security for their dependent companion
pet. The addition of a second dog or even a cat can reduce anxiety for dogs that have been raised in a household
with other pets during early puppyhood (their first 12 weeks) and especially for those that continued to live with
other animals for longer periods of time.
If a dog raised in a close relationship with another animal winds up in a subsequent home as an only pet, it may
form an especially tight, dependent bond with its new human family. Yet the same dog may have trouble feeling
secure in its relationships with humans, even when they are present, because it may be unfamiliar with the
one-on-one, dog-to-human relationship; it always has been part of a group. This dog may be more anxious when
left alone than a dog that gradually has gotten used to solitary time throughout its early development, especially
from its seventh to 22nd week.
Owners of dogs that originally were raised with other animals for the first 12 weeks of life or longer but now live as
anxious only-dogs may find adding a second pet resolves much of their dog's separation problem. A second dog
can relieve the dependence the first dog places on its humans and vice versa, provided both dogs appreciate
dog-to-dog relations, and the humans have the time, energy and emotion to commit to a second pet with needs of
its own.
But dogs that never have been in a close relationship with another animal, that focus all their social neediness on
human beings and have been reinforced by those humans' responses, will not be suddenly satisfied with a
replacement in the form of a second pet. In fact, a second pet can increase the stress, tension and separation
anxiety for a dog that now has to contend with competition for its humans' attention. Also, keep in mind a second
dog easily can turn into a second separation anxiety problem for owners who don't learn what changes they need
to make in their own interactions with and reactions to their pets.
SEPARATION SECURITY
Of course, obtaining another pet is not something one should jump into hastily, and, depending on your anxious
dog's history, a fellow canine companion may not be able to help. Other solutions are available, however.
Separation anxiety is rapidly becoming the most treatable canine behavioral disorder, probably in part due to the
introduction of Clomicalm, a brand name for the drug clomipramine hydrochloride, manufactured by Novartis
Animal Health U.S. Inc., of Greensboro, N.C. Clomicalm is the first such medication approved for canine use by
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; it is engineered specifically for the treatment of separation anxiety.
Prior to clomipramine's approval, other drugs had been used to treat separation anxiety. The following. as
explained by Patricia Cahill, D.V.M., outlines some of those drugs and how they worked:
Acetyl promazine (acepromazine) is a tranquilizer that commonly is prescribed to blunt the behavior, but it doesn't
actually change the anxiety; the dog still feels stress, but the drug reduces its ability to respond to the stress
actively. Acepromazine would be inappropriate for treating separation anxiety because it does nothing to enhance
learning or reduce the actual anxiety. It is fine for use in the treatment of short-term anxiety, such as a stressful
visit to the groomer, unless you hope to recondition your
dog to learn better self-control in such situations. Basically it works as a psychological crutch rather than a lifeline
to treat the underlying problem; i.e., it is restraining rather than retraining. It can be effective, however, in reducing
the symptoms of anxiety that might otherwise lead some owners to give up on their out-of-control pets.
Alprazolam (Xanax®) is a benzodiazepine tranquilizer typically prescribed to humans suffering from anxiety, and
diazepam (Valium®) is another drug from this family. Both have been used effectively to help control canine
anxiety. The downside in using these drugs is while they do decrease anxiety they do not enhance learning;
therefore, once the dog stops taking the drugs any changes made in handling and environment may not have
helped it gain better, independent, drug-free control.
Amitriptyline (Elavil®), an anti-depressant, is in the same family as clomipramine; it has been used effectively in
the treatment of many separation anxiety cases. It is comparatively inexpensive and relatively free from side
effects when used properly. It is a human drug, however, and is not specifically approved for animal use; as long
as owners know this drug has not been clinically tested for animals, it can be used with the owners' consent.
Anti-depressants, in addition to having a calming effect, increase the brain chemicals associated with learning.
While on the drug, the dog can learn new behaviors that are retained once the drug no longer is used.
Fluoxetine (Prozac®) is another anti-depressant that has been used to treat separation anxiety. People have
become very aware of this drug in recent years due to its effectiveness in treating a broad spectrum of human
psychiatric conditions. Its effective use in the treatment of both canine compulsive disorders and anxiety disorders
makes it another prescribed medication for the treatment of separation anxiety. It is not label-approved for use in
dogs, however, and can be very expensive, especially with large-breed dogs.
Clomipramine, or Clomicalm, effectively relieves anxiety and doesn't dull the dog's personality or memory. In fact, it
actually may enhance the dog's ability to learn more positive behaviors and responses to stressful stimuli. During
FDA testing, 47 percent of the dogs treated with Clomicalm improved compared with 29 percent given a placebo
during the first three weeks of treatment. By the end of two months, 65 percent of dogs receiving both the drug
and behavioral therapy had improved, while 55 percent of dogs receiving behavioral therapy alone improved.
Drugs certainly are not the only or even the most important tool in treating separation anxiety, but Clomicalm
seems to make an important difference when combined with behavioral therapy, especially in the early stages of
treatment. Clomicalm perhaps is the most exciting new drug on the market because it offers hope to desperate
owners who have been held hostage by their dog's condition. Clomicalm is not a wonder drug, however, and the
problem will not be resolved without behavioral modification for both the anxious dog and its family.
The one possible negative side effect of the recent publicity Clomicalm has received is that people might view it as
a "magic pill" offering a "miracle cure" for separation anxiety. People might look to the medication for immediate
relief from their dogs' stressful behavioral symptoms, but once the acute problem has been resolved, they might
not go the distance by following through with behavioral therapy.
Drug therapy is not always necessary or even appropriate in treating every separation anxiety case, many dogs
suffering from this condition will respond to behavioral therapy alone, without needing drugs. But for some dogs,
medication can provide the scaffolding they require to help keep them glued together until changes in their
environment and social relationships enable them to stand more securely on their own four paws. For dogs that
harm themselves due to separation anxiety, drug therapy can make the difference between life and death.
And in some cases drug therapy calms the owners as much as the anxious dog, although the owners don't
actually take the medicine themselves. Just knowing their dog has been given help to decrease anxiety and
resulting outbursts allows some owners to leave home without feeling over-whelming anxiety of their own. With the
help of anti-anxiety medication, many dogs that otherwise might have been given away or put down get a second
chance and some bought time to begin behavioral therapy.
THE CONDITIONING COMPONENT
Behavioral therapy begins by changing the dog/owner relationship while the owner is home. Hunthausen
recommends teaching the dog a Wait or Stay command and requiring the dog to hold it for gradually increasing
amounts of time, starting with one minute and working up to five. Using mental separation while home, for example
leaving the room (and leaving the dog behind on its Wait or Stay command) four or five times during an hour,
helps the dog detach slightly and gain better confidence and independence. Hunthausen suggests leaving the
room during every commercial if you enjoy watching television with your dog in the evening.
He does not suggest putting a dog that never has been crated into one; the imposed confinement, rather than the
self-restraint of a Stay command, would increase rather than decrease anxiety. In order to desensitize a
crate-phobic dog, medication plus the help of a behaviorist will be required. The dog must be put into the crate for
very short periods of time during the day when the owners are home and must learn to associate it with positive
experiences, such as "After I go in the crate and come out, I go for a walk or get to eat." The dog isn't shut in the
crate for longer than a few minutes at a time until it has been desensitized thoroughly and positively
counter-conditioned to it.
Hunthausen also suggests eliminating attention-on-demand. Instead, give the dog attention when it obeys
commands. This helps reduce the dog's impression of the owner as someone who is always there and can make
physical separation easier to bear. Owners who are kindly but consistently "in charge" have more secure dogs;
practicing obedience training for five to 10 minutes twice per day helps reinforce the owners' leadership.
Dodman recommends 20 to 30 minutes per day of aerobic physical exercise along with a low-protein diet to
balance available energy and output. (Note: Depending on your dog's age and health, this regimen may vary;
consult your veterinarian to tailor a program to your pet's individual needs.) Tired dogs always get into less trouble
than wired ones! On the subject of tiredness, Dodman also recommends sleeping arrangements be changed to
reduce dog-dependence. Having the dog sleep on the floor, on a dog bed or in a crate (if it can emotionally
handle it) should help the dog learn it can survive without continual emotional support and physical contact from
the owner but without having to endure total rejection.
Dodman suggests forbidding the dog to drape across feet or make constant body contact during waking hours, as
well. He advises placing a dog bed at a bit of distance from the owners and commanding the dog to stay on it
when the family is watching television or reading in the evening.
Behavioral therapy also requires desensitization to predeparture cues, such as picking up keys or a briefcase,
walking toward the door, touching the doorknob, opening the door and walking out. Repeating these individual
steps over and over, not necessarily in order and without sequencing them to an actual exit, helps make them less
meaningful and less likely to trigger an anxious response.
Being unemotional and indifferent for 10 to 20 minutes before leaving and upon returning helps stabilize the dog's
mood at these most stressful times. Although it is very hard for owners to take this rather hard line with their pet at
the time when it seems to need them the most, the owners' attention just prior to leaving only heightens the dog's
sense of loss and abandonment when it is abruptly cut off from the warm, loving farewells. The best approach is to
ignore the dog completely for the period of time preceding the exit, no matter what the dog is doing. It is just as
important to not
overdramatize your return, which only points out to the dog it is feast when you are home and famine when you
are gone and increases the anxiety about exits and overexcitement about returns.
It's hard for owners not to play into the dog's reactions at these two times because it is very flattering to feel so
needed and important, but if you keep in mind your loving emotional interactions at these times actually cause
your beloved pet to suffer it may be easier to bite the bullet and demonstrate emotional self-control. This "tough
love" approach probably is the most important step in behavioral therapy for separation anxiety. One way
owners indirectly can make exits more palatable for their pets is
to engage actively in counter-conditioning. This means causing the dog to start to like your absences rather than
dread them. If every time you leave, something wonderful happens for the left-behind dog, it actually may begin to
like your exits! The best tools for counter-conditioning are big, delicious knuckle bones or femurs with either real
or fake (peanut butter, Cheez Whiz®, liver sausage) marrow stuffed into the hollow. I use a pastry tube to stuff the
bones before getting ready to depart, and I keep them off-limits except when I am leaving, when I nonchalantly
drop them around. Some people use Kong® toys stuffed with treats or creative-thinking toys that require your dog
to outsmart them to get the treats out. If the dog still is in the throes of acute separation anxiety it may lose all
interest in eating while you are gone, but it's worth a try.
Separation anxiety stems from one very real fact: Dogs are social animals that by nature never were intended to
experience imposed separation and solitary confinement away from their "families" or packs. Unless an owner is
able to quit his or her job and never leave the dog alone again, all dogs must learn to tolerate or endure a certain
amount of solitary confinement. Whether left in a crate or with the run of the house, some dogs, no matter how
much room they have to roam, are miserable and upset as long as their significant others aren't home. The more
dependent and less able to accept confinement, the greater the likelihood the dog will have separation problems.
When owners learn to respond appropriately to their dogs before exiting and upon returning, and when they
improve the way they relate to their canine companions when they are home, owners help their pets build better
self-control and confidence and reduce or eliminate the dogs' anxiety about being home alone.
Peggy Moran, a dog owner, behaviorist and trainer, has been working professionally with dogs since 1975,
specializing in behavior problems. Her background includes hosting seminars at veterinary conferences, working
with a local veterinary neurologist to treat referral behavior cases, training animal shelter personnel and serving
as the behavioral consultant to the American Dog Owners Association. Peggy currently conducts classes at her
Lemont, Ill., training facility, in addition to hosting the "Help the Canine Mind! and bulletin board areas of DOG
WORLD's World Wide Web site.