In the past few months a lot of puppy and dog owners have been reaching out concerned their newly purchased puppy or adult dog has started developing “separation anxiety.” The story goes something like “we’ve been home with our puppy or dog since bringing it home due to the virus” … or “we have been home with our dog 24/7 and he or she is so attached to us.” Many go as far to describe new behaviors which “came out of nowhere.” However, a lot of times these random behaviors were gradual changes we did not notice until they were significant enough to impact us. I have referred to this new era of overly attached dogs who have established an unhealthy bond to their humans as “Coronapuppies.” However, I should say it is overly attached humans who have established an unhealthy bond to their dogs. So….maybe it is a “Coronahuman” era? And….it’s honestly nothing new (unfortunately).
For a very long time I have personally observed dogs with behavioral challenges (or unwanted behaviors) which stem directly from the way their owners treat them and choose to reinforce (a lot of times without even realizing it). To make matters worse for people, many place human emotions onto their animals (a lot of times their own personal feelings). Sometimes it is very mild, and sometimes it is so severe it actually prevents the human from doing social things because they feel so bad leaving the dog behind or being without them (including boarding them). In turn, the dog realizes their behaviors gets them what they need and they learn to behave in a specific way making the human feel the dog truly has a “problem” without them. Often times these behaviors are set off by triggers, or patterns we have before we do something — like leave the house. Unfortunately, when these series of events take place and this attachment exists, it can be a very difficult conversation to have with a dog owner in trying to communicate they are in fact the cause of the observed behaviors they are referring to as separation anxiety (and wanting to get rid of).
In all the years I have dog sat, I would probably say I can count on one hand the cases of true separation anxiety I have observed. There are certainly circumstances in which may naturally cause a puppy or dog stress, especially if it has been poorly socialized (and when I say socialized I do not mean dog-to-dog socialization). However, when we start feeding into these behaviors we start contributing to a problem referred to as stimulated separation anxiety. Stimulated separation anxiety is created by providing attention and affection to our dogs during certain situations or scenarios (thunderstorms, fireworks, a fearful dog in a new environment, dropping a dog off somewhere) in which they learn their behaviors (unwanted behaviors) bring them attention (even if negative). The human becomes a crutch; and instead of building confidence in their dog and teaching them to face the world on their own they are constantly allowing their dog to crawl into their skin. And when I say face the world on their own I certainly do not mean things like driving to the grocery store to purchase their own food. I mean having an attitude of confidence and independence away from us, or when separated or put in a situation which makes them feel insecure. This confidence and independence is one of many reasons I am a huge advocate of crate training and proper socialization from the get go — and especially utilizing the crate while you are physically home at the same time as the dog. It’s very important to NOT constantly be babying your puppy or dog. If you got a dog for the sole reason you can love on them, that is fine and dandy…but you need to be fair to the dog. How fun would it be to live a life of insecurity and stress?
One of the most common contributors I observe is dogs being rewarded with affection when they are left for overnight boarding or immediately upon pick up. Especially owners who have noted jumping as being a major challenge seem to happily invite their dog to scoot around, out of control, jumping all over them. A simple command such as a sit or down would be sufficient to teach the dog calmness earns a reward. It is amazing the way in which a dog can then channel its energy into a behavior we like opposed to reinforcing an over stimulated mind/body. This same behavior takes place when the owner leaves home after being away for a while. A lot of times prolonged good-byes and immediate hellos in combination with teaching the dog to be over aroused before our departure or upon our arrival are all part of the problem. When a dog performs an action he feels was rewarded, it reinforces the behavior. The best thing to do when dealing with stimulated separation anxiety is to take a look at our behaviors. Once we understand how we are reinforcing or extinguishing behaviors we can better set rules and boundaries for ourselves and our dogs.
Dogs will do all sorts of behaviors when they know “they work.” Unfortunately for the very sensitive and emotional human…a dog will easily take advantage of this.
On the flip side, true separation anxiety is a condition where the animal feels actual panic. While many vets may prescribe drugs to help curb the problem, they are only putting a band-aid over a major behavioral issue and prolonging the problem. True separation anxiety is not going to fix itself in a matter of days. However, there are things we can do each and every day to make things better for both the human and the dog. Healthy diet, exercise, and ongoing training are critical.
