I think my dog has separation anxiety

In My Humble Opinion
1

Here’s the background: My husband and I brought our dog home about 2 weeks ago from the animal sanctuary that he was surrendered to when his owners could no longer care for him. He’s a wonderful dog, very sweet and friendly, loves the neighbor kids and is housetrained. He walks nicely on his leash and tolerates nail trims and baths with little fuss. His only problem is that he can’t stand to be left alone. (Well, he has terrible breath, too, but I can live with that :stuck_out_tongue: )

Before he came to us he was in a home with 5 children and 4 other dogs and was never left alone. He went to the sanctuary with the other dogs from the household, all of who are experiencing similar issues at their new homes. He barks and barks and barks if my husband and I are out of his sight. There actually has been improvement, sometimes I can be upstairs without him for up to 10 minutes before he starts barking and the bouts of barking are less intense than they were in the beginning. When we’re home he’s glued to one of us, waking up from a dead sleep to follow us into the next room and ignoring commands to go lay down or stay.

We’re doing what we can to train this behavior out of him; ignoring him when we come into the room until he calms down so that reunions aren’t a Big Deal, waiting until there’s a break in the barking to reappear so that he associates quiet moments with Good Things, leaving for work without making a fuss over him, and putting him into his crate at night without fanfare. He’s on as steady of a routine as we can manage, a walk in the morning and one at night and the same routine for bed every night. I’ve tried distracting him with toys and food, but he won’t be consoled by anything other than one of us being in the room.

So far he isn’t tearing up the house, although he did chew through the strap of a tote bag that was hanging on the door and he peed on our laundry basket once. The next door neighbors are really understanding and haven’t complained about the noise yet, but new people are moving in on the other side of us and I doubt we’re going to be lucky enough to have two sets of neighbors that will tolerate constant barking.

Any suggestions or success stories? I love him already, and I want him to be happy and healthy and not stressed out. I also want him to get along with the cats, but that’s a bridge yet to be crossed.

A bit more info: he’s a 4 years old altered Tibetan Terrier and has an infection in one paw that is clearing up. I’d bet that he’s not feeling well overall because of the infection, so maybe he’ll chill a bit when he’s healed up. Or maybe he’ll have more energy to bark :dubious: He won’t eat any of the FOUR foods we’ve tried for him, so we’re laying off the treats until he gets hungry enough to have at least a few mouthfuls. Whether his appetite is being effected by the infection or his anxiety, I don’t know. His former people say he isn’t a picky eater.

2

This isn’t facetious. Get another dog. Maybe even another of the same pack?

We have 2 dogs. 3 of our neighbours have one apiece. Our dogs bark at people at the door (till we greet them), and occasionally at possums in the back yard. Mostly they are quiet. (I have checked with the non-dog-owning neighbour in case the barking pattern is different if we are out. It isn’t much.) The other dogs bark incessantly at EVERYTHING, and it drives us, and other neighbours, nuts.

Having 2 lets them keep each other company, and gives them someone to play with.
Really, get your new dog a friend :slight_smile:

3

We have two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (sorry about that breed name, makes me want to puke up lime-green Espadrilles) and this breed is famous for hating to be left alone. They are puppies (not quite 1 year old as I write) and are only now getting to the point where they don’t yip and whine pitifully when no one is in the room with them.

IANADP (I am not a dog person) so you shouldn’t take advice from me. But here is how we have been dealing:

  1. We have two of them, so they are never completely alone - separate from people, perhaps, but they always have company of some sort.

  2. I give the dogs an exhausting walk every morning - they are so worn out after 45 minutes of tromping through the kampung at top speed that they spend a lot of the rest of their time sleeping. When possible, they get a second long, brisk walk in the evening as well.

  3. They are cage trained, and as cruel as that sounds, everything you read about cage training turns out to be true - the puppies love their cages and willingly go into them. When they sit in their cages and bark because oh my goodness, no human is in the room with them, I yell the same words (SHUT UP! STOP BARKING!), same tone of voice every time. They are NEVER rewarded for barking. I only go visit with them/let them out of their cages when they are quiet.

  4. We have gotten “antibark collars” but haven’t used them yet – I’d recommend a lot of research before you go down that path, as the collars can be quite expensive and customer reviews suggest that they don’t necessarily work.

  5. I consciously spend time with the dogs whenever I can - I go into the room where their cages are and let them out and play with them several times a day, even if it is only for a few minutes each time. Also, I’m training them (they are terrible students, but have finally learned to sit on command) and that provides a framework for giving them regular attention.

If any dog people react in horror and say I’m doing it all wrong, believe them, not me. My dogs are happy, healthy, loving and adorable, but that may just be luck. I prefer the dignity of cats and am humoring these dogs only out of love for my son, who adores them.

4

My friend’s dog would Flip. The Fuck. Out. every time she got up to go to the bathroom. I felt so sorry for him. He was emotionally shredded if she was out of his sight, but only at my house. In his own environment, he could function. Maybe things will mellow out with time.

5

Unfortunately, another dog is out of the question right now. We have three cats who haven’t even met this dog yet because one of the cats was recovering from a bite wound when the dog came home then the dog developed this infection and we want everyone to be healthy when they meet so they’re at their best. I don’t want to stress the dog with the cats on top of the stress he has from not feeling well. I may be overthinking it (husband says YES), but I’m trying to remove all barriers to a calm introduction.

Quite frankly, I’m terrified of what’s going to happen when they meet. My cats are MEAN and I don’t think they’re going to take this intrusion laying down. Everyone has been separated (cats upstairs, dog down) thus far, other than sniffing under doors. Another dog would complicate things even more. I have my hands full with this guy already!

The wonderful neighbors not only put up with the barking, they said we’re welcome to put our dog in their yard to play with their 2 dogs any time. We may take them up on that once his paw heals, but I’d much rather solve the problem (being alone) than slap a band aid on it. He’s going to have to learn to be alone at some point, unless the cats decide they love him and vice versa. Wouldn’t that be lovely?

As for a bark collar, I have a friend who offered to lend me hers, but I really don’t want to use one. It won’t solve the underlying problem and he’s such an anxious and timid dog that I don’t want to scare him more. I’d hate to turn him into a frightened, nervous mess. If it becomes absolutely necessary I’ll consider it, but it’s pretty far down the list, after a professional trainer and a soft muzzle (which I’ll only resort to if the new neighbors pitch a fit).

He gets a good walk in the morning (at least a half an hour) before we leave for work, plus a longer one in the evening and in an ordinary week there are only 3 days when both my husband and I work and he’s alone for 8-9 hours. Every other day someone is here most of the day.

Thanks for the advice! If another dog was feasible, I’d be game for it, but I think it would throw a wrench in the works right now. Another personality to work with, the inevitible training issues, more vet bills, etc.

ETA: CarioCarol I had to google Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (fancy!) because I didn’t know what they were. Super cute dogs! Care to share pics of yours?

6

Have you asked the neighbors if they can hear him barking when you are gone? He may not be barking when he knows you aren’t there at all - my two pups will whine and fuss if they are in the house and we are just outside, but if we get in the car and drive away, they actually settle down and are fine. They know at that point there’s no chance of being with us so they get over it.

You said you got your pup from a sanctuary - there should be someone there that can instruct you on how to deal with separation anxiety. So far it sounds like you are doing a lot of things right - if he’s better now than he was two weeks ago all you may really need is time and patience.

If his breath stinks, he needs a dental cleaning. He may have an infection in his mouth that’s bothering him, too.

7

The neighbors say they can’t hear him, but I think they’re just being nice because I can hear him when I’m outside the house. I’m considering paying their 8 year old a few bucks to come over every couple of hours and just listen at the door for a minute or two on the days we’re gone. He may not be barking all while we’re gone, but he does it when we walk upstairs or into the yard without him.

Oh no, it’s just normal dog breath. I’ve checked his teeth and gums thinking that he might have an issue that made it difficult to eat the kibble he’s refusing. His breath is a little worse than normal right now because he’s wearing an e-collar to keep him from licking his paw and it concentrates it and funnels it right up into my face when he’s looking at me. :stuck_out_tongue: He is going to the vet for a general checkup and shots this week, so I’m sure the doc will check the chompers, too.

The folks at the sanctuary are very helpful, and say I’m on the right track. Like I said, all of the dogs from that home are having issues. :frowning:

8

If you drive your car around the block and walk back to the edge of your property, can you hear him? My dogs bark and fuss if I’m outside and they’re in, but I know that as soon as I leave, they curl up on the dog beds (or my bed) and go to sleep. If I come back when they aren’t expecting me, everythings quiet until I get to the door and they hear me. Then you’d assume they were barking all day.

StG

9

I don’t know why people think this, but it is not normal for a dog’s breath to stink, any more than it would be for us or any other species. If his breath is bad it’s because there’s a lot of crud built up on those teeth and that’s not healthy for the dog. Tartar harbors bacteria. Do ask your vet about doing a dental cleaning when you are in for the checkup. You’ll do both your pup (and your nose!) a favor.

I’m not trying to get all up in your grill about this, so I apologize if it seems that way - just tryin’ to fight this little bit of ignorance.

Good luck with the anxiety training - it really does sound like it will work itself out over time.

10

I think crating him while you’re gone is your best bet, at least until you see signs that his anxiety is decreasing. We had a German Shepard mix for a while (his prey instinct was way too strong to get along with our cats) who had pretty severe separate anxiety. Crating him while we were gone helped a lot – he’d bark for about 15 minutes after we left (and chew up anything within reach of his cage, i.e. two separate comforters), then he’d settle down and sleep. If we left him out, he’d pace and whine and bark and chew the whole time we were gone.

Eventually, you should be able to stop locking him in the crate. He’ll still have it as a sanctuary when he’s feeling stressed out, so he can roam around the house the rest of the time without getting nervous.

Otherwise, it sounds like you’re doing everything right. Ignoring him when you first come home, not making a big deal of leaving, making sure he’s getting exercise.

11

Crate training is great, in general. With true separation anxiety the dog will likely try to eat his way out of the crate, however. However, separation anxiety is a phrase that is overused. Sort of like calling every human that has a bad day “clinically depressed”. True separation anxiety will escalate over time, and can be life threatening to the animal.

If you believe the dog has separation anxiety, a visit to your veterinarian would be a good idea. Clomipramine can work wonders, although it can take some time (4 to 6 weeks) to see an effect, IME.

12

Very interesting, I didn’t know that. It sounds to me like the dog is more at the “kind of sad” level in the depression analogy, so hopefully the crate training will take care of it, but Nikki is of course far better equipped to assess how severe the anxiety is.

13

vetbridge - I had a German shepherd with separation anxiety. He learned to unlock the windows of my house, open them up and get out. When he was crated ripped several bars off the metal crate. We tried him on meds, but they changed his personality (he’d lay with his head under a chair, not interacting with me at all). I ended up putting him in an outside kennel with the top and bottom covered with fencing. Still he’d occassionally get out, but breaking the chain link. It was miserable, but when I was there he was so happy and loving I just kept putting up with him. I think he’d’ve made a great service dog or police dog, as long as he could’ve been with his person all the time.

StG

14

romansperson, I will ask my vet about a cleaning, thank you. Based on his submission to nail trims I think Sprocket is tolerant enough that he’d let me brush his teeth myself, so maybe I should pick up some doggie toothpaste on my next trip to the pet store. Once he’s eating normally it should be better, since the hard kibble will help to scrape his teeth, right?

Giraffe, we actually did intend to crate him while we were gone, but he barks whether he’s in the crate or not, so we decided it would be less stressful for him if he could walk around the lower level of the house instead of being confined. Since he’s not destroying things (other than my poor tote bag), I’d rather leave him out. He sleeps in the crate, but based on his personality I think 8 or 9 hours in a small space seems like the sort of thing that would make him more nervous, not less.

If things don’t continue to improve, I will talk to my vet about medication, as vetbridge suggested. It’s down there on my list along with a bark collar and a muzzle if nothing else works, but it’s very much a last resort. The reason I made the title “I think” rather than “I know my dog has SA” is because it’s just the barking. Most of the articles I’ve been finding online say that SA involves mulitple and more severe behaviors, so maybe it’s more “kinda sad” than “clinically depressed”?

15

I have a young Beagle mix who can’t bear to be separated from me. I worried about the same thing. Careful testing and talking to the neighbors showed that he’ll bark like crazy if I’m just outside of the house without him, even if I’m well up the street (and I can hear him all the way to the end of the block wince), but he’s fine if I’m actually gone for real.

Here’s the thread I started about Sebastian’s barking issues. For the record, he’s still far from perfect, but he’s MUCH improved. Time passing has settled him down a lot.

16

If I find any while the thread is still active, sure. I don’t seem to have any on my hard drive, and my husband is off in the US with both the camera and the other laptop…
They are awesomely cute, it’s true.

17

We have a dachshie mix that we adopted about 2 or 3 months ago. We already had an 8-year-old Border Collie at home, and we really worried about her accepting the new dog. That went surprisingly well–the only time they snap at each other is when they’re vying for food or attention, both of which they get in abundance.

The dachshie (Scout) was a rescue dog. He and 3 other of his litter mates were abandoned in the back yard when their former owners moved away and left them there. Neighbours heard the dogs barking and phoned the police. Scout is very, very clingy, and has to be in the same room with one of us. When we first got him, he couldn’t stand being outside in the back yard with the door closed, even if we were out there with him. He would just stand by the back door, pawing at it, trying to get into the house. We’ve slowly built up to where he’ll stay in the back yard for up to half an hour before he starts panicking a little bit.

We don’t crate him at night, but let him sleep in the bed with us. It’s actually usually just me, since my husband travels most of the time for business. I do crate him during the day while I’m at work. He’s calm when he goes into the crate, and I really don’t think he barks much during the day except, perhaps, when the mailman comes. When I come home from work and am fumbling with the key at the door, he starts barking and whining and pawing trying to get out of his crate, and he can’t stand being in there another second once I get home.

About the breath issues–is he a chewer? If so, you might want to try him on some Dentabones or rawhide chews (we only get the American made ones). Is he a coprophage? A couple of times Scout’s breath is so vile that we suspect he’s been eating poop, but usually he does not have bad breath at all. And he does gnaw on the rawhide chews like they’re going out of style.

So the separation issues do seem to be resolvable, but it’s taking a lot of time and patience.

18

Dogs are pack animals. It’s not normal for them to be alone. If you can’t get another dog to keep him company, then take your neighbors up on letting him run with their dogs in the backyard. Unless they have open wounds, his paw is not going to be a danger to them.

If you can afford it, you might also look into doggie daycare, as that would give him company, exercise, and stimulation.

19

Is it possible for you to adopt another of the dogs that he was with previous to the sanctuary? He sounds like he needs a buddy.

Me leaving for work is a normal part of my dogs’ day, so they don’t bark at all in the mornings. If I come home and then leave again, they will bark for a little bit, then settle down. If I come home at any unusual time, I can sometimes walk into the house and get to their kennel before they wake up.

20

You may be right, but be careful you’re not anthropomorphizing too much. Dogs are den animals and feel far more comfortable in enclosed spaces than we do. They’re also pack animals, so having a whole floor of a house could be partially the cause of your dog’s anxiety, i.e. the pack leaders leave and all of a sudden he’s in charge of keeping watch over everything. It really depends on how comfortable he is being thrust into a leadership situation. You might try confining him to a single room with his crate in it and some chew toys – he’ll undoubtably still bark initially, but he may settle down after you’ve been gone a little while.