Separation Anxiety - Dog Training

Separation Anxiety In Dogs - Training

This next bit is bits of advice I reveived, and my own experience all compiled into one, hopefully helpful post !

Calmatives

Types of calmatives widely available either in the shops, on the net or from the vet are DAP - Dog appeasing Pheromone collars and diffusers are widely available.

Dap is a synthetic copy of a dog's naturally occurring appeasing pheromones from the lactating female. The DAP Diffuser works like a plug in air freshener, continuously releasing the odourless natural pheromone into the dogs environment, helping to make it feel safe and calm. The DAP Diffuser is a natural solution, there is no sedative affect and the dogs ability to interact and play is maintained. 

A lot of people have dogs who are frightened of fireworks, and it is very distressing for owners to see their beloved friends cowering or shivering in a corner during this season, which seems to get longer each year. The only solution for many is sedatives. This is only a short term solution and is not good long term for the dog.

Punishment and adversaries will not work

Punishing, aversive training methods and coercion will not work! Please, Please, Please do not employ the use of shock, spray, noise or any other foul collar. Shock pads are even worse. They are ridiculously expensive and you will end up compounding the dogs issues.

Ok ! So forget the dog for a second ! Think of something that makes you panic. Your worst fear. Got it???

Right mine is Spiders I hate them, really give me the heebey geebies. I'm a complete wimp and run screaming from the room! No person with any compassion would attempt to treat my fear by punishing me! (I would get the kitchen knife first)

But for the purpose of this lets say that is exactly what someone comes and does.

They lock me in a dark shed, fully of spiders webs, and loads of HUGE spiders. Then every time I screamed, tried to release my sefl, cried, killed one of the little blighters in an attempt to get them off me, my healer shocked me! This could go on for minutes, hours or days, they didn't tell me! I silently stand there, shaking and sobbing until I either faint, die of fright, go into clinical shock, or they let me out!

Yeah right, I am really going to want to go NEAR a spider again.

I think most would agree this would compound my fear, rather than heal it. Congratulations you have now taught me learned helplessness. And the next time you come near me, I will have that kitchen knife in my hand, another congratulations I a now aggressive.

This is exactly what these sorts of aversive methods do! Please, Please do not put your dog through this !

Crate Training

DO NOT USE A CRATE TO HELP EASE SEPARATION ANXIETY UNTIL THE DOG IS REALLY COMFORTABLE ABOUT BEINGIN THERE!

Provided a crated is introduced in a positive manner, made a nice place to be, and NEVER used as a punishment, then it could ( and did become mine) your biggest ally with combating Separation Anxiety.

The dog has a safe place, or den where he can retreat to in stressful situations. Also you leave him in a safe environment where he cannot chew through your antique table or the live wire of your TV.

To affectively manage the problem, you need to put the dog in a situation where he cannot make a mistake.

Comforting sounds and smells

Leaving the TV or radio on can sooth the dog. Radio stations like BBC Radio 4 is great, lots of talking, or he may be partial to classic FM. Whatever works for him.

Also a well worn but not washed top of yours near to him but out of chewing distance can help here too.

Desensitization

The first step is to ensure the dog is sufficiently tired. Exercise, play, train hard. You want him to be ready for long sleep. For this first step a good play and training session should do the trick. You must be calm and relaxed or the will pick up on it.

1. Put the dog in this area, having made sure he is empty, and basic needs met. Then follow your normal leaving routine, grab your keys. Then sit down and read a magazine. Repeat 10 times a day, until the dog no longer even bothers to lift and eyelid.
   
   
2. As above place the dog in his area, after meeting basic needs, introduce a stuffed Kong 10 minutes before you get ready. (something to keep him occupied) Go through your normal routine, go out the door, close it, then come straight back in.
   Again repeat minimum 10 times a day, until he thinks you are simply mad, and doesn't bat an eye lid.
   If you have a car, this could also be a strigger, so step 3 may to open and close the car door, and go straight back. Then turn the engine on etc.
   
   
3. One you can leave for 30 minutes, you can then build this into hours, again 1 hour, 1 hour 30 mins, 2 hours etc.
   
   CONGRATULATION WITH HARD WORK, UNDERSTANDING, AND CONSISTANT TRAINING YOU HAVE A DOG THAT NO LONGER HOWLS, CHEW AND SPENDS ALL HIS TIME WAITING DESPERATLY FOR YOU TO COME BACK.
   If you haven't then you really need to employ a behaviourist to assist you, if you haven't already.
   
   Once you successfully get to this stage, after about 6 months of happily being left alone, you can take steps to withdraw calmatives very slowly, and shorten the length of extra exercise. Don't do it too quickly and undo the hard work.