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Separation Anxiety

Many dogs experience separation anxiety when left alone. They will often whine, bark, cry, howl, chew, dig, scratch at the door, soil the house or destroy your home and yard. We often unintentionally train our dogs to behave this way because whenever they throw this kind of tantrum when we leave, we quickly come back to reassure them, give them attention or even a bone or biscuit. If you do this, your dog will soon learn that he can control you with emotional blackmail.

Long, drawn-out farewells can create separation anxiety problems by first exciting your dog and then making the isolation more obvious when you’re gone. Just when he gets all worked up and ready to play, suddenly you disappear. With all this energy, your dog will either try his best to get you to come back or he will have to vent his energy in some other way. Since he can’t build model airplanes or invite his buddies over for a hand of poker, he does doggy things – like chew, dig and bark.

Perhaps it is not separation anxiety after all! We often think our dog is destructive because he is angry and spiteful that we left him, but he could actually be just trying to have some fun since there is nothing else to do. He may be relieved to be able to do those things he normally can’t do when you’re home. He may be thinking, “Thank goodness the owner is finally leaving! Now I can chase the cat, dig up the tomatoes, get in the trash, and bark at the neighbors. They never let me do those things when they’re home.”

Some dogs with separation anxiety are stressed, nervous and insecure when they are left alone. They express this nervous energy in typical dog fashion – chewing, digging, barking and house soiling.

To prevent separation anxiety, dogs need to feel happy, secure, and comfortable when you’re away. It’s important to give them things to do while you’re gone. Provide them with lots of toys, such as a Kong stuffed with treats, and chew bones. Often another companion pet can help alleviate the boredom.

Another way to prevent separation anxiety is to set aside scheduled time periods to give your dog undivided attention, play and exercise. A happy, well-exercised dog will usually sleep contentedly during the day while you are gone. Be sure that one of the scheduled play sessions occurs before you must leave for the day. Give your dog a chance to settle down before you leave and don’t make a big deal of your departure – just leave without any emotion or commotion.

If your dog is already experiencing separation anxiety, then gradually accustom him to your leaving. Practice leaving and returning several times a day until he gets used to your departures and realizes that you are not abandoning him forever. Gradually leave for longer and longer periods of time, but start out by leaving for just 5 minutes and returning again.

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Crate Train Your Dog

Growing puppies alternate periods of activity and rest throughout the day. There’s no reason they can’t do their resting in a crate, like a baby taking a nap in a playpen or crib. By keeping the puppy on a regular schedule of feedings and exercise, you can control his natural rest periods. If you put the puppy in his crate when he’s already tired and ready to settle down, he’ll get used to his new “bedroom” faster.

In the beginning, he should only be expected to stay in the crate for 2 hours at a time and overnight. During his periods out of the crate, your puppy needs plenty of playtime and attention. I like to give puppies at least an hour between crating periods where they’re played with, loved, allowed to explore and romp. This burns off their boundless puppy energy and helps them understand that crating is only a temporary thing.

Special toys and treats help make his “room” a pleasant place to stay. Give the puppy a small treat every time he has to go into his crate. Better still; toss the treat into the crate so he can jump in after it. (If you want him to learn to go in the crate on command, say “Kennel” when you toss the treat. He won’t understand right away but before long he’ll put three important things together in his mind – “Kennel” + Crate = Treat!)

You’ve given him a reward for going into the crate, now you need to give him an incentive to stay in there quietly. Make his “room” comfortable. Get him a soft but hard to destroy blanket or bed. Get him a selection of toys but don’t give them all to him at once, just one or two at a time. Rotate the toys. Puppies get bored easily and switching the toys around makes them seem new and exciting. Teething puppies love chew toys and all dogs love a sterilized beef bone with peanut butter stuffed in the middle. They can spend hours trying to clean it all out.

Dogs learn quickly when their behavior is associated with a reward. Behavior that doesn’t result in a reward often disappears when there’s nothing in it for them. It’s normal for many puppies to bark, whine, howl or throw tantrums when first being crate-trained. If you let your puppy out of the crate while he’s upset, you’ll be rewarding him for bad behavior. The next time he’s supposed to go in his crate, he’ll cry and bark again because that’s what got him out the last time.

For many puppies, just ignoring their complaints is enough to make them stop. If it doesn’t get them anywhere, they soon give it up and find something better to do like sleep or play with a toy. Stubborn puppies might need a harsh-sounding “No!” and a rap on the top of the crate to help them get over their tantrums. Whatever you do, don’t take him out of the crate until he’s quieted down.

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Stop Your Dog from Jumping Up

In order to get your dog to stop this behavior you have to stop rewarding it. What do pet owners usually do when the dog jumps up? Usually they look at the dog and say something like “OK, Rover, OK, down, down, OK, good dog, go away now, enough, OK…” and may even pet the dog during the episode. All this attention is PURE REWARD to the dog, and only encourages the jumping up behavior. What needs to be done is the withdrawal of all attention. When the dog jumps up, quickly turn away from the dog, fold your arms, make no eye contact and say nothing. Once the dog has settled down THEN give it loads of attention and serious petting. The dog will need to learn this with every family member and everyone should act the same way to be consistent.

Once the dog learns that jumping up gets it NOTHING, the behavior should lessen or stop. Often the combined use of the sit command to refocus the dog’s attention is a great way to speed the whole process. As the dog is calming down, give the sit command and reward the dog for the good sit. This is especially good when you are on walks and the dog encounters a human it wants to greet. Just before it gets excited, give the sit command, then reward the dog with food, petting, toys, etc. Get the human to come down to the dog’s level and greet the dog that way. A dog that is busy sitting can’t jump up if it’s on a leash.

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Four Keys to Training Your Dog.

Reinforcement

Dogs engage in a behavior because it is a reinforcing behavior.  For example: The dog jumps in the pool so as to feel cool, the dog scratches on the food bowl so as to get fed.  Also, the dog stares at you and barks so as to get you to feed him from the table, or the dog jumps up on you so as to get your attention.  These examples are about a dog doing something to get a desired consequence.  At one point in their history, the action paid off with a desirable consequence to them, and so they do it again.

In dog training, we take advantage of this fact of life and teach the dog that a particular action on their part will result in a positive consequence.  In other words, we reinforce that particular behavior.  So, in training, we will be strengthening the behaviors we want by rewarding them with food, praise, toys etc.

Consistency

When training your dog, you are essentially teaching him a new language- the language that will serve as a communication bridge between you and him.  What this means is that you must always be clear and consistent.  The rules being taught must always apply so as to not confuse him.  Think of dog training as a black and white concept, as opposed to a gray one.  Gray areas are obstacles to the bridge we are building because they don’t give the dog sufficient feedback.

Timing

The amount of time it takes a dog to associate the consequence of an action with the action itself is approximately 1.5 seconds.  In other words, you have a 1.5 second window of opportunity to teach a dog something.  For example: the dog sits beautifully, right after he is told to do so- the reward should come at or very close to 1.5 seconds so as to show the dog you are happy with his actions.  The longer you take to react after this, the more unlikely it will be that the dog associates the action he preformed, with the consequence you provide.

Attitude

When training your dog, there is really no room for anger.  Anger tends to frighten a dog, which will only set you back in your training and get in the way of your bond with him.  When the dog behaves in an undesirable fashion and we feel anger, then it is best to leave the training for a later time when we feel more even-tempered.  It is important to have fun with your dog during training.  Indeed, it requires discipline and attention on both of your parts, but it should be a happy, entertaining activity that you both enjoy.  That will only increase the likelihood of your dog’s full attention during training and help strengthen your relationship

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Teach Your Dog to Roll Over

Get your dog to lay down in front of you. Once he is down, encourage him to go to a hip (whichever side your dog favors).  Now take a treat, show it to your dog. Keep the treat close to your dog’s nose and move the treat slowly over the dog’s shoulder towards his backbone. Your dog should turn his head to follow the treat. At first you may have to place your other hand on your dog’s back to prevent him from standing up.

The further back you move the treat, the more your dog should twist his neck to follow the treat.  If the neck twists far enough, the body will follow.  Once his legs are in the air, continue using the treat to lure him all the way over.  Remember to label the command with one word such as ‘over’ or ‘rollover’. Be consistent with the command you give every time you work with your dog on roll over. Until your dog knows what is expected by the command, only say it as the dog is doing the trick. Always give him the treat when he is all the way over.

With practice, your dog will no longer need you to lure him all the way over. You will be able to say your command and make a rolling signal with your index finger to cue your dog to roll over.

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How to Stop Your Puppy from Chewing

1) Puppy-proof your home. Instead of constantly reprimanding a young puppy for getting into things, puppy-proof any areas of the house to which your puppy will be given access, in much the same way one would child-proof an area for a baby:
 

  • Temporarily take up any throw rugs.

  •   Place all plants, poisonous substances, household cleaners, trash receptacles, paper products (such as tissue and toilet paper), shoes, and any small chewable objects out of reach.

  •   Remove, cover or tape down all accessible electrical wires.

  •   Remove or secure heavy objects which could fall or be pulled down and cause injury to the puppy.

2) Limit the number of toys. While all dogs should have toys to play with, the problem with providing your dog with too many toys is that it makes it more difficult for the dog to differentiate what’s his from what’s yours. Do not provide a destructive puppy with more than a few toys at a time.  Rotating your dog’s toys will keep the toys new and exciting to your dog, so he would go looking for new toys.

If your dog is chewing on soft items such as sofa cushions or pillows, do not give your dog any plush toys.  Plush dog toys with squeakers, often increase your dog’s prey drive, making them want to destroy and get the squeaker out.  Once the dog has destroyed his toys he will go looking for something else to “kill”.

3) Safely confine your puppy. Use a suitably sized crate or wire-reinforced puppy gate whenever you’re unable to safely supervise him. When introduced properly and used correctly, crate training is a safe, preventive, effective and humane housetraining tool, which provides the puppy with a secure, protective den, while offering his owner peace of mind. Please note: Introduce your dog to his new crate using positive association and never use his crate as a punishment.


4) Offer him lots of outdoor exercise. Dogs that are destructive indoors need one to two hours of active outdoor exercise daily, provided they are fully immunized. Teaching your dog to retrieve a ball, toy, or Frisbee will help cure his chronic chewing problem.

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Dog Rearing: The Essentials

Attention, Exercise, and Mental Stimulation

Dogs need social interaction, physical exercise, and mental stimulation – just like children do – in order to grow up to be healthy and well adjusted.  When these needs are not met, many behaviour problems can develop. 

Attention:

How much daily social time does a dog need? A good rule of thumb is that a dog should spend at least half his waking hours each day interacting with other dogs and people.  Like humans, most dogs enjoy a mix of old friends and new encounters – so make sure your pup meets at least one new dog or person each day.   While dogs do need to learn to spend time alone, too much isolation will make them antisocial, anxious or depressed.  Allowing your dog regular access to his familiar doggie buddies as well as the chance to meet new dogs will increase the chances of him being socially content and well adjusted. 

Physical Exercise & Mental Stimulation:

Your dog’s brain and body BOTH need lots of exercise. Swimming, playing tug & fetch, and playing with other dogs are good brain AND body work-outs.  Walks on leash are not always physically exerting, but they do provide a lot of mental stimulation: all the outdoor smells, sights and sounds are very interesting!  Working on obedience skills requires lots of doggy concentration, and your dog will love the mental challenge of figuring out new things.   Make sure you exercise your dog’s brain AND body each day.