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At this time of year I get many calls from owners who have taken on rescue dogs just after the Christmas period. They are now finding some of the problem behaviours that probably were the reason for the poor dog ending up in the rescue centre in the first place. One very common problem is the dog chewing the furniture and carpets, or continually barking when left at home alone. However with a bit of patience and understanding why the dog is doing this in the first place, you can often overcome this behaviour.
Destructiveness and separation anxiety
The most common reasons for dogs being destructive when the owner is not at home are, boredom or distress and panic about being left alone. I often ask owners to set up a video to see what is really happening and when it happens. This can give me a lot of clues to the dog's emotional state, then I can be clearer on how to fix it.
Dogs are social animals and like to have company. Some breeds are better able to cope on their own that others. Working breeds such as collies and spaniels need to be active and bond with people and other dogs. Many of these dogs find it difficult to be alone for long periods. They need a lot of mental stimulation, and may develop neurotic behaviours if they are not given something to keep them mentally and physically active.
Some Signs of neurotic behaviours are:
- Licking walls
- Chewing furniture or carpets
- Chasing shadows
- Constant barking or howling
- Chewing or licking their feet
- Hyperactivity.
You can help dogs like this by giving them interactive toys when they are to be left on their own. Ideal toys are Kongs, which can be filled with a variety of different foods. Some of the favourites are peanut butter, tinned dog food, squeezy cheese and anything else that takes your imagination. It can take the dog some time to lick the food from inside the kong. Another interactive toy is a Training Treat Ball, which can be filled with some of the dog's daily food ration. Dried food is best for this, as the dog has to push the ball around the room so that the dried food comes out one or two bits at a time. This exercises the dog as well as keeping him amused for quite some time.
Stress and Panic
Many dogs become over attached to their owners and suffer extreme anxiety when the owner leaves them alone.
Signs of over attachment are:
- Dogs who have constant access to their owners when they are at home and are able to demand attention from them whenever they want
- If the owner leaves the room and shuts the door the dog will whine, try to follow the owner, sniff under the door or constantly sit staring at the door
- With dogs like this, when you go out, the dog does not know when you are going to return, or if you are ever going to come back and this can make them feel quite desperate
Though we find it quite flattering that our dogs want to be with us constantly, it is actually quite unhealthy behaviour for dogs that need to be left on their own occasionally. In this case you need to restructure your relationship with your dog, so that they accept being left on their own is just part of everyday life.
Increasing owner/dog distance
If you really want to help your dog with this type of separation problem you will need to put some emotional distance between yourself and the dog. You will need to be prepared to spend some weeks on this exercise for it to show benefits.
Stage 1
To do this - you must start ignoring your dog when he demands attention from you. At first you will find this very hard and will worry that your dog thinks you are rejecting him. However you are teaching him to be a bit more independent, and he needs this to cope with being alone. I like to use some sort of sign that tells my dogs that this is time for them not to look for attention from me. For example hang a towel over the door during the period that you are ignoring them. When you take the towel down this is time for giving attention. The dog soon associates the towel with not being given attention.
Stage 2
Go through your normal routine for leaving the house, putting shoes and coat on, picking up keys etc. Your dog may start to look a bit anxious about this, but you must just ignore him. Then immediately put the keys back and take off your coat and carry on with your normal household things. Do this a few times each day until your dog is not responding to this behaviour.
Stage 3
From this point, do your usual key collecting, putting on the coat etc and then totally ignore your dog for a good 5 minutes before removing your coat and putting keys back. Continue with this part of the exercise until you can ignore the dog for up to 1 hour. This way your dog will begin to realise that putting on coats etc means he does not get attention for some time.
Stage 4
Once your dog is becoming used to this idea of being ignored occasionally, you can then try getting your dog to settle in another room while you shut the door on him. At first, so he can still see you, I would use a child gate with the towel hung over it to put some distance between you and the dog. It is important that you don't make any fuss as you leave the room. Just walk casually out and close the child gate behind you. Leave the dog for about 30 seconds and then return to the room just as casually with no fuss. Build up the amount of time you leave over the next few days.
Repeat this exercise every day until you can leave your dog for 30 minutes to 1 hour without any reaction. At this stage you can introduce a treat ball, kong, or strong marrow bone stuffed with food, so that the dog has something to keep him occupied whilst not getting attention from you.
Stage 5
Remove the child gate and repeat this exercise with the door closed. (again hanging the towel over the door. Remember this is your sign for not being given any attention) Continue with this exercise every day until you can leave your dog for up to one hour. You are now beginning to equip the dog emotionally for being left alone when you go out.
Stage 6
You can now repeat the same exercise by going outside and leaving the dog indoors. Again gradually build up the amount of time you leave and give him something interactive to keep them amused. If the dog is used to having the television or radio on during the day, then leave this on when you are out so that it feels more normal.
This exercise works well if you are prepared to work at it and be consistent. It does take time and patience. Some extremely anxious dogs may need additional help in the first stages of this exercise to help them remain calm. There are a few suggestions at the bottom of this article on Bach flower and herbal remedies that I have found effective in these cases.
Break up the day
If you need to leave your dog for any more than 4 hours, I would strongly recommend that you consider using a dog walker to give your dog a break from the monotony of being alone. Think how you would feel if you had to spend every day without anyone to interact with and nothing to do. We expect an awful lot from our dogs and it is unrealistic to assume that they will just lie about all day waiting patiently for us to come home. Dogs have feelings too. An hour or even half hour in the middle of the day would be a welcome break for your dog.
Feeding
Diet additives, preservatives and food colouring can also have an impact on the dogs' behaviour Diets too high in protein or fat, and artificial additives can make for an overeactive dog. I suggest a change to a more natural based diet like the Burns kibble, or James Well beloved. If your dog prefers a moist diet then Denes or Nature diet are very good. These have the correct levels of good quality protein and carbohydrates, which should have a positive effect on the management of behaviour. Many of the lower quality foods have preservatives BHA, BHT and Ethoxyquin that can have a negative reaction, and manifest in behavioural problems. A common protein source in lower quality foods is corn. This is thought to decrease the level of serotonin in the brain, which is responsible for controlling mood. Dogs deficient in serotonin can be extra sensitive, overly reactive and can even become aggressive.
As Serotonin affects the moods of your dog it is worth trying a Serotonin enhancing diet for 4 weeks, to help calm things down. Three hours after each of the dog's normal meals, give him a small saucer of pure carbohydrate such as potato or white pasta (not brown pasta, this has some protein in it). This releases insulin, which will take away, some of the amino acids produced from the meal that are trying to get in to the brain. This allows the serotonin levels to go up and produces a happy dog
Remedies that can help Separation Anxiety
Bach Flower Remedies to help build confidence in anxious dogs
- Larch
- Star of Bethlehem
- Mimulus
To calm and relieve anxiety (also useful for during fireworks and thunder storms)
- Scullcap and Valerian
- Nerve Tablets
- Valerian Compound
- Interactive Toys
- Activity Ball
- Kong
Please ring us if you have any questions, or see our website www.k9centre.co.uk
Carol Martin (AACC)
Edmiston House
Nethermill
DUMFRIES
DG1 3NG
Tel: 01387 860322
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