But the pet supply industry knows that there’s more to K9 fashion than just humiliation.  Sometimes, our best friends need a little protection from the elements…especially in a place like Chicago.

Take the Siberian Husky for example.  The American Kennel Club states, ”because it originated in cold climates, Siberians have a thicker coat than most other breeds of dog, made up of a dense cashmere-like undercoat and a longer, coarse top coat”. Of course, the days of dragging sleds across frozen tundra are distant for your average neighborhood Husky, but their ability to stay warm remains.  As you can guess, Huskies don’t need parkas….but some dogs do!  Ever met a Xoloitzcuintle?  Neither have I.  Heck, I can’t even pronounce it.  However….

Xolos, native to warm climates, are naked as they day they were born.   Though not especially common in Chicago, breeds like the Xolo are found in nearly every climate thanks to loving dog owners that prefer unique breeds and the gradual migration of breeds to just about everywhere.  You can bet that your average Xolo would really appreciate a warm coat come February in the Windy City. Many other short-haired dogs undoubtedly feel the same.

Back to boots.  While most dog paws can handle the cold, winter in the city often includes salted sidewalks that can ravage even the toughest paws.  Simply avoiding your salt-happy neighbor’s sidewalk can help. But, make sure you give them a good cleansing wipe down and a quick inspection for cracking or open wounds.  Only then will you know if a good wax job or boots are needed to protect sore paws from further irritation.

Silly?  Yes.  Adorable?  Absolutely.  Functional?  Affirmative.  Chilly dog?  Bundle ‘em up!  And, by whatever means necessary, protect those paws… even if it’s for your own amusement

One dog owner’s Perspective:

In my experience as a city dweller (complete with the aforementioned salt-happy neighbor), I’ve tried a few options including paw protection wax, durable boots with Velcro straps and Pawz rubber dog boots.  I’ve found that putting paw wax on all four paws is a lot of effort for a four-walk-a-day dog.  The durable boots worked pretty well, but were not waterproof and became soaked and musty after a few walks.  There’s really no use in putting cold, wet boots on a dog before venturing out into the cold and wet.   And it seemed a rare stroke of luck to return home with all four.  The rubber boots were really my favorite, though the suiting-up process was both aerobic and frustrating.  Eventually, I just gave up and changed my walking route to avoid my saltiest neighbors.  When my dog does have a sore paw or I am up for the challenge, I will use the rubber boots temporarily and pray for Spring.

One dog’s perspective:

Waterproof dogs don’t need raincoats.  No further comments, please.   This is Humiliating!!!

Unlike the goblins and gore we often see in human costumes, most pet costumes are designed to inspire snickers rather than screams.  We like it that way.  Even disguises as un-original as the “hot dog” (get it?  It’s a DOG?) can make you smile….and surrender the treats.

If you are still in the market for a pet Halloween costume, we’ve found some great resources for you:

Amazon.com

Buy Costumes

Target

For something even more unique, we found some fantastic original costumes for both canines and felines at Etsy.com

Now, we want to see YOUR pet in costume!  Please submit your best photo or video to us at info@petsandthewindycity.com.

We will be sure to feature some of our favorites on an upcoming blog post or on our Facebook page.

Fun Web Find:

Check out this website devoted to Kitai, featuring some clever homemade costumes.

Having a dog walker for your pet is about much more than ensuring your carpets and floors stay clean.  Getting out for a good walk each day also has important emotional benefits that are often overlooked. Daily walks provide mental stimulation, social interaction, and opportunities for training reinforcement. It can also build confidence, decrease behavioral issues and improve a dog’s mood.

One dog owner’s perspective on dog walking:

Having a pet is a huge responsibility. God knows I was reminded of this a billion times when contemplating dog ownership just a few years ago.  Though slightly less rigorous than the task of raising children (slightly), how to make a living and avoid animal neglect can be a difficult balancing act.  While I’ve proudly mastered the art of banishing urine stains from white shag, having my dog walked while I’m at work is about much more than managing misdirected dog waste.

I couldn’t stand the thought of leaving the love of my life at home all day.  I could stand it even less when she decided to keep herself busy by turning anything expensive and within reach into a temporary chew toy.  Finally, I hired a dog walker.  I’ll let my dog take it from here…

One dog’s perspective on dog walking:

Frankly, I’ll pee on anything if I have to.  Leave me locked inside with a full bowl of water for the day and I’ll prove it. 

But you don’t want that.  I don’t want that.  You’ve seen my guilty face, right?  Been practicing.

Anyway, crate, dog room, mid-century modern condo……it’s all the same to me.  I get bored.   So I eat important papers or practice my barking skills to fill the time.  Wouldn’t you?  Sure, relieving myself on a nice patch of grass is a nice little perk now and then (and it will happen regardless) but the things I really love: belly rubs, nose kisses, smelling absolutely everything….that’s what I need.

 I’m told I’m a pack animal.  I’ve never actually had a pack, but I get the feeling I would like it.  Unlimited playtime and butt sniffing?  Yes, please!  Of course, there are some really fun things that only humans can do.  Treats for sitting, high-fives, and those other silly things you make me do to impress your neighbors?  I’ll take it.  That’s why I love my walks.  They make me happy.  And they make YOU happy…..because my afternoon walk is much more than just a potty break.

As Pets and Windy City Customers (or just any Chicagoan who thinks dogs and cats are awesome), we hope that you will find our blog to be helpful and entertaining, regardless of your pet ownership status.

We always welcome your input.  If you have an idea for a blog topic or if you want to request that your event, service, or products be featured in our blog, please write to us at info@petsandthewindycity.com.

Hope you enjoy!

Housebreaking

• STEP ONE: Clean everything, scrub, shine and scrub again and pick up all rugs.  If the main spot she’s been urinating on continues to be an issue, place an upside down bath mat or carpet square on it to make it less appealing to her.
• STEP TWO: Manage her environment by keeping her in your eyesight at all times.  Remember, the more practice she gets peeing inside, the better she will get at it and you don’t want that. If you do backslide at all, don’t scold her. Doing so after the fact does not prevent the accidents but will damage your relationship and possibly cause her to find more spots away from you to do her business.  You can say ‘ack’ if you catch her in the act but take her out right away.
• STEP THREE: Put her on a consistent schedule and praise/treat (WITH AMAZING TREATS) outside for all good pottying, I’d recommend an extra potty break before you leave in the morning. While working through this, be very consistent on the times of day she is taken outside.  When she does her business (not while you are waiting) say ‘go potty’ and make a big deal out of every action you get there.  You can say ‘yes’ every time she sniffs the ground so she knows she’s on the right track.  Make sure to treat her the moment she’s done peeing or pooping and to only say ‘go potty’ while she’s doing it.
• STEP FOUR: As we discussed, more stimulation will also help build her confidence and make her less agitated during the day. An extra couple of minutes a day make a big difference!

Separation Distress

• When she paws or leans on you while you are home. IGNORE HER until she’s stopped begging for attention. If she stares at you, look away.
• When you do leave her alone, make sure she gets one of her favorite toys.  When you come home, the toy goes away.
• In the evening for the next week, 30 minutes each night, sit on your couch while she’s tethered to the other chair and completely ignore her.  Once she’s totally calm for the entire 30 minutes start increasing the expectations of this exercise. Make sure she can’t get herself tangled in her leash or drag the piece of furniture as that will increase her anxiety.  Once she’s doing well with this for a week (she lies down as soon as you put her on leash), you can move on to the next step.  Only once she’s calmed the second you put her on leash.

• STEP TWO: For 30 minutes each day, tether her to the same chair and sit at your dining room table, ignoring her while she’s tethered.
• STEP THREE: For 30 minutes each day, fumble around in the kitchen
• (she should be able to see you) ignoring her while she’s tethered.

Outside Dog Reactivity

Keep her on leash and at a distance from things that cause vocalization and lunging.  It’s important right now to focus on eye contact and a loose leash at a distance from dogs so she learns to contain herself before life gets too stressful.  Screaming ‘no, back, stop’ when she starts lunging at another dog only reinforces the behavior as it adds tension and gives her attention (even negative attention reinforces behavior.)  The dog continues to walk as well so she believes she scared the dog away.  Keep your eye on her body language (SEE BELOW).

Leash Walking

Work on leash walking. The looser the leash is, the more relaxed she will be. Increase voluntary eye contact. Any time you get it outside, ‘yes’ and reward. You are creating a dog that looks to you if she’s are unsure of what to do.  Start every walk by asking your dog to ‘sit’. Say ‘yes’ and then ‘ok’.  The techniques to use to prevent distraction and/or pulling:

• She pulls, stop.  Say, ‘back’ and Wait for her to walk back to your side, use your hand to guide her or take a step backwards.  Say “yes” when she does and her only reward should be to continue walking.  If you treat at this moment, you treat the chain of behaviors: pull and walk back to your side.
• Take a few steps, stop and ask her to ‘sit’ to prevent the opportunity for her to lunge.  Lots of verbal reinforcement when she’s doing so, if you only focus on stopping, you will be stopping every few steps for a long time.
• Use turns to engage her brain more and prevent lunging.
• Give her feedback when she is walking nicely on leash so she will continue to offer that behavior.

The more you praise her when that leash is loose, the easier it will be to take less stressful walks even when dogs are near. Adopt a no tolerance for pulling policy, it may take you longer to get around the block but will exert great mental and physical activity for your dog and set the expectation that she does not get rewarded for pulling, at all.

Require a ‘sit’ for every dog interaction and limit them to dogs you know she’s good with. Lots of verbal praise for all good interactions.

Wait and ”Say Please”

I would make her “wait” for lots of life rewards! “Sit” and “wait” before she’s allowed to cuddle, play fetch or eat her meals. “Wait” as you walk through a door and she’s not allowed to follow until you say “ok”. Hold a toy and say “wait”. She can’t have it until she’s calm, then she can “take it” while you hold it.  This will teach her that valued resources come from your hand which gives your words more power in stimulating environments. This is a nice way to teach her without damaging your relationship.

NO TREATS IF ANOTHER DOG IS WITHIN FIVE FEET OF YOU, FOOD IS A HIGH VALUED RESOURCE AND COULD CAUSE YOU TO GET BITTEN.

Body language

Watch body language BEFORE she gets loses control. Most dogs demonstrate one to two calming behaviors before they pass the point of no return. Things to watch for are: shaking, paw lifting, tongue flicking, body stiffening, chest widening, puffy flews, pacing or yawning. These often happen before the tail stiffens, fur raises, or body becomes erect.  Watch for these and add some distance to the situation. If she then calms, ‘yes’ and reward. You can also redirect with a ‘sit’ or ‘leave it’ if she has not surpassed the calming stage (only if she’s been practicing these commands).

MANAGEMENT & OTHER TRAINING RULES

If you have a situation where she lunges or vocalizes excessively, DO NOT GET IN HER FACE OR YELL simply move her away from the dog and give nonchalant quiet verbal praise once she recovers.  No treat; you are simply giving her feedback for calming herself down.

Do not reward demanding attention. If she nudges you to play or jumps for a treat, take away what she wants for a few seconds or redirect that energy to ‘sit’, ‘wait’, ‘sit’.  You should only play with her when she’s calm and you choose to. It sets clear expectations for her.  Everyone needs to be consistent. She will learn much quicker if rewarded for the absence of unwanted behaviors than if punished or yelled at.  Distance and management are your friends.  You will need to be very aware of your surroundings while you are re-conditioning her to other dogs.  Additionally she needs to be trained at a distance she can be successful so she learns new behaviors in the presence of these stimuli.

Separation anxiety sometimes occurs:

• When a dog accustomed to constant human companionship is left alone for the first time.
• Following a long interval, such as a vacation, during which the owner and dog are constantly together.
• After a traumatic event (from the dog’s point of view), such as a period of time spent at a shelter or boarding kennel.
• After a change in the family’s routine or structure (such as a child leaving for college, a change in work schedule, a move to a new home, or a new person in the home).

Does My Dog Have Separation Anxiety?

Because there are many reasons for the behaviors associated with separation anxiety, it’s essential to correctly diagnose the reason for the behavior before proceeding with treatment. If most, or all, of the following statements are true about your dog, he may have a separation anxiety problem:

• The behavior occurs exclusively or primarily when he left alone.
• He follows you from room to room whenever you’re home.
• He displays effusive, frantic greeting behaviors.
• The behavior always occurs when he’s left alone, whether for a short or long period of time.
• He reacts with excitement, depression, or anxiety to your preparations to leave the house.
• He dislikes spending time outdoors by himself.

What to do

For a minor separation anxiety problem, the following techniques may be helpful by themselves. For more severe problems, these techniques should be used along with the desensitization process described in the next section.

• Keep arrivals and departures low-key. For example, when you arrive home, ignore your dog for the first few minutes, then calmly pet him. This may be hard for you to do, but it’s important!
• Leave your dog with an article of clothing that smells like you—such as an old T-shirt that you’ve slept in recently.
• Establish a “safety cue”—a word or action that you use every time you leave that tells your dog you’ll be back. Dogs usually learn to associate certain cues with short absences by their owners. For example, when you take out the garbage, your dog knows you come right back and doesn’t become anxious. Therefore, it’s helpful to associate a safety cue with your short-duration absences.

Desensitization Techniques

The primary treatment for more severe cases of separation anxiety is a systematic process of getting your dog used to being alone. You must teach your dog to remain calm during “practice” departures and short absences. We recommend the following procedure:

• Begin by engaging in your normal departure activities (getting your keys, putting on your coat), then sit back down. Repeat this step until your dog shows no distress in response to your activities.
• Next, engage in your normal departure activities and go to the door and open it, then sit back down.
• Next, step outside the door, leaving the door open, then return.
• Finally, step outside, close the door, then immediately return. Slowly get your dog accustomed to being alone with the door closed between you for several seconds.
• Proceed very gradually from step to step, repeating each step until your dog shows no signs of distress. The number of repetitions will vary depending on the severity of the problem. If at any time in this process your actions produce an anxiety response in your dog, you’ve proceeded too fast. Return to an earlier step in the process and practice this step until the dog shows no distress response, then proceed to the next step.
• Once your dog is tolerating your being on the other side of the door for several seconds, begin short-duration absences. This step involves giving the dog a verbal cue (for example, “I’ll be back”), leaving, and then returning within a minute. Your return must be low-key: Either ignore your dog or greet him quietly and calmly, but no positive reinforcement until he exhibits calm.   If he shows no signs of distress, repeat the exercise. If he appears anxious, wait until he relaxes to repeat the exercise. Gradually increase the length of time you’re gone.
• Practice as many absences as possible that last less than ten minutes. You can do many departures within one session if your dog relaxes sufficiently between departures. You should also scatter practice departures and short-duration absences throughout the day.
• Once your dog can handle short absences (30 to 90 minutes), he’ll usually be able to handle longer intervals alone and you won’t have to repeat this process every time you are planning a longer absence. The hard part is at the beginning, but the job gets easier as you go along. Nevertheless, you must go slowly at first. How long it takes to condition your dog to being alone depends on the severity of his problem.

Teaching Sit-Stay and Down-Stay

Another technique for reducing separation anxiety in your dog is practicing the common “sit-stay” or “down-stay” training exercises using positive reinforcement. Your goal is to be able to move briefly out of your dog’s sight while he remains in the “stay” position, and thereby teach your dog that he can remain calmly and happily in one place while you go to another. To do this, you gradually increase the distance you move away from your dog. As you progress, you can do this during the course of your normal daily activities. For example, if you’re watching television with your dog by your side and you get up for a snack, tell him to stay, and leave the room. When you come back, give him a treat or praise him quietly. Never punish your dog during these training sessions.

What Won’t Help

• Punishing your dog. Punishment is not an effective way to treat separation anxiety. In fact, punishing your dog after you return home may actually increase his separation anxiety.
• Getting another pet as a companion for your dog. This usually doesn’t help an anxious dog because his anxiety is the result of his separation from you, his person, not merely the result of being alone.
• Crating your dog. Your dog will still engage in anxiety responses in the crate. He may urinate, defecate, howl, or even injure himself in an attempt to escape from the crate.
• Leaving the radio on (unless the radio is used as a “safety cue,” as described above).
• Training your dog. While formal training is always a good idea, it won’t directly help a separation anxiety problem. Separation anxiety is not the result of disobedience or lack of training; it’s a panic response.

It’s important to recognize that this is a perfectly natural behavior for your dog – dogs are opportunistic scavengers from way back. This does not mean that we have to simply accept the thieving problem though. There are many strategies we can undertake to prevent items from ever being stolen or to rectify an existing thieving problem.

Apart from food stealing being an extremely annoying and frustrating habit for your dog to develop, it is also potentially a very dangerous one (thieving something poisonous, a sharp item or knocking over a boiling saucepan). My Whippet Pocky still has a nasty scar on her shoulder as a result of dragging a pot of boiling water down from the bench.

Why Do Our Dogs steal things?

There are many reasons why your dog may be stealing food and other household items. Take a look through this list to determine your dog’s specific trigger or reason for the counter surfing behavior:

• Stealing food and other items is a self rewarding behavior. What this means is that when your dog steals something the consequence is that something pleasurable/desirable occurs. This could be something like getting to eat the food he/she has stolen or receiving attention from you. This is a bad situation for us dog owners because the thieving behavior is being rewarded and therefore reinforced each time your dog steals something. This means that the behavior is highly likely to continue and will most probably get worse in the future.
• Some dogs steal items of food simply because they don’t know any better – they have never been properly taught that it is inappropriate behavior.
• The thieving may be a symptom of canine separation anxiety. Dogs will often steal things like socks or shoes which have the scent of the owner they are missing on them.
• Many dogs use their thieving as a tactic to receive attention from you. They learn that as soon as they pick up a shoe or cushion it gets you to chase after them – a fun game!
• If you don’t leave some tasty chew toys around for your dog it is highly likely that they will find something else to chew on – like your expensive rug.
• Obviously if your dog is hungry he is far more likely to scavenge (counter surf) for food on bench tops and tables.
• A lack of adequate obedience training can lead to this type of behavioral problem. Your dog may not respect you or may see himself as above you in the family pack hierachy. This means that he will feel free and even entitled to help himself to anything around the house.
• Boredom and a lack of exercise can lead to more thieving as well as many other behavior problems.
• A young puppy who is yet to learn proper household etiquette is not equipped to be left alone around food and other dangerous chewable items.

What to do…

The answer to this is not clear cut and you will probably need to implement more than one method. What you must to do is determine the reason for your dog’s stealing habit and then come up with an action plan to put a stop to it.

Here are some general tips to help stop counter surfing and other stealing behavior. You can put these general strategies to work right now:

¨       Keep food and other items out of reach – prevention is always the best option in dog training. This involves things like clearing all bench tops and locking garbage bins. By doing this you are removing the thing that is motivating and then reinforcing your dog’s stealing habit.

¨       Supervision is the key to correcting a thieving dog. When you are present you can provide your dog with instant feedback regarding his behavior. This includes both positive and negative feedback.

¨       Only ever feed your dog from his dinner bowl or as a reward during obedience training sessions. This means never throwing scraps to your dog from your dinner plate or when you are preparing your dinner. In fact it is a good idea to give your dog a stuffed kong toy when you are preparing your dinner.

¨       Provide your dog with loads of physical and mental stimulation throughout the day. Nice long walks on the leash, fun games like hide and seek and some obedience training are all great for this purpose.

¨       Never chase, yell, hit or give attention to your dog when he steals an item – this is the response he wants from you!

¨       Always reward desirable behavior. If your dog is sitting calmly on his bed while you are preparing your dinner praise and reward him with a tasty treat. This is really an obedience training exercise so it’s ok to give your dog a reward in this situation. When a dog is rewarded that behavior is reinforced and is likely to continue in the future (which is what you desire in this example).

Proven Strategies to Stop Your Dog from Thieving

Depending on the specific thieving problem you and your dog have you can pick out one or more of the following methods to help. Continue to implement the general points listed above and then add one or more of the specific strategies listed below. Good luck – I’m sure you’ll get the results you are after.

1. Obedience training is the key to preventing and solving most behavior problems – including counter surfing and other thieving behavior. Some basic obedience training will also build respect and strengthen the bond you and your dog share. Try this dog obedience training command to help stop the stealing in its tracks – leave it!.
2. Set up a “booby trap” for your dog. This method is designed so that your dog learns to associate stealing with an unpleasant consequence (not cruel or painful). This method works best for dogs who steal from one place in particular – such as your coffee table. You can achieve this unpleasant consequence through the following strategies:

• Place some tasty meat on the kitchen bench. Tie some cord to the meat and at the other end tie some empty tin cans with some pebbles or coins in them. When your dog counter surfs to grab the meat he will get a nasty surprise when the tin cans come crashing down. Ideally you will be there to witness this happen. You should immediately say “ah ah!!” and snatch the meat away before your dog eats it (most dogs drop the meat when the cans come crashing down).
• You can also buy some foul tasting substances at your local pet store for this purpose. Put some of this liquid on the “bait” and wait for your dog to try to steal it. The idea is that the food from benchtops will become unappealing to your dog and therefore he will discontinue his thieving as there is nothing in it for him.
• Another method I have used with success with my cheeky whippet “Pocky” involves a water pistol. This method requires you to spy on your dog and then provide an unpleasant consequence to any thieving behavior – the instant it happens. If you spot your dog counter surfing the bench give her a shot of water to the face and a stern “No!”. Once again this will stun your dog (not hurt her). The idea is to jump out from around the corner and surprise your dog just as she is in the act of counter surfing – but before she actually eats the food.

1. Ask for an alternate behavior from your dog in situations where he may be tempted to steal. Use a command such as this – go to your spot to occupy your dog’s mind and behavior. Make this spot the most special and appealing place in the whole house. If you get this one right your dog will spend a lot of time in this spot!

Dogs who bark when they are bored may be similar to dogs seeking attention or those that are lonely. Dogs who are bored need something to do besides barking. We need to give them a more stimulating environment and usually a lot more exercise. A tired dog is less likely to be bored. Toys such as Kongs and Buster Cubes that can be filled with treats can get your dog’s brain, as well as his body, working.

Lonely/anxious barkers

Dogs who bark when they are alone may be showing a symptom of their separation anxiety. As we mentioned, these dogs are in the midst of a vicious circle – the more lonely they are, the more they bark, the more upset they get, the more they bark, the barking gets them more upset and they bark more – and the cycle continues.

We need to work with the dog on the underlying behavior of separation anxiety. We can do this several ways. As in alert/warning barking, we need to be able to teach the dog simple obedience and how to relax. Then we can work on the problem of the separation anxiety.

We can start out by leaving or acting like we are leaving for a short time – and before the dog starts getting nervous and barking (this may be one second at first), we come back. This way, we are not rewarding barking, but rewarding relaxation and silence. We gradually extend the time we are gone and return before the dog gets anxious. If your dog is anxious even if you leave the room, then you will need to start by just taking several steps away from her while she remains relaxed. While going through this behavior modification, you cannot go too slow – you can go too fast.

We often need to change our habits too. Often the dog starts getting nervous when we go through our routine of leaving. Maybe you are like me, and the last thing you do before you leave is put on your shoes and pick up the keys. Vary this and put on your shoes and pick up your keys – but do not leave. Go to the couch and read a book. If you only play the radio on weekends when you are home, turn it on during your workdays. As hard as it may be, set your alarm on weekends, get up, but stay home. Continue these changes in routine until your dog does not pay attention to your cues anymore. It is also very important to not give your dog a lot of attention when you leave.

When you are gone, make sure your dog is comfortable – light, warmth, a radio playing, toys. If your dog is outside, a doghouse may help her feel more secure. Some indoor dogs will be more content if they can watch what is going on outside, be it traffic or chipmunks. Others may be more anxious if they can look out and do better with the drapes closed. You will need to decide what makes your dog less anxious. Make sure you give your dog a lot of exercise a half hour or so before you leave. As with boredom, tired dogs are less likely to become anxious.

If your dog happens to not only bark, but destroy things while you are gone, a crate may be necessary. Never punish your dog when you come home and find something chewed or torn. If you do, your dog will soon associate your return with being punished. That is going to make her even more anxious. If you videotape these destructive dogs, you may see the dog is anxious when the owner leaves but anxiety also increases just before the owner’s usual time of return, when the dog becomes anxious about the owner’s impending return and punishment.

Just as you should not punish your dog on your return, do not give her a lot of attention either – then your returning home will not be such a big deal to her. Instead, come in the door, say “Hello” and go about a household task. Once your dog has settled down and is quiet, then you can spend some quality time with her.

Initially, while you are working on behavior modification it may be helpful to get a neighbor or pet sitter to come in once or several times during the day. This will help break up the long hours the dog has without you.

Finally, if the separation anxiety is severe, medications are often needed during the behavior modification process. Medication alone will not solve the problem, but it can be a useful adjunct to the process. Consult with your veterinarian to determine which medication would be most appropriate.

SIGNS

Separation anxiety describes dogs that usually are overly attached to certain family members. They become extremely anxious and show distress behaviors of vocalization, destruction, house-soiling or inactivity when separated from the owners. Most dogs with separation anxiety try to remain close to their owners and become increasingly anxious the greater the separation. They may follow the owners from room to room and begin to display signs of anxiety as soon as the owners prepare to leave. Some of these dogs crave a great deal of physical contact and attention from their owners and can be demanding. During departures or separations they may begin to salivate or pant profusely, vocalize, eliminate, refuse to eat, become destructive or become quiet and withdrawn. Most often these behaviors occur within about 20 minutes of the owner’s departure. While typically the behavior occurs each and every time the owner leaves, it can only happen on selected departures, such as work-day departures, or when the owner leaves again after coming home from work.

SOLUTIONS

Many dogs, especially puppies enjoy chewing and engage in the behavior when they have nothing better to keep them occupied. House-soiling may be due to medical problems, leaving the dog alone for longer than it can control its bladder, or inadequate house-training. Vocalization may be due to territorial intrusion by strangers or other animals, and can be a rewarded behavior if the dog receives any form of attention when it vocalizes or rewarded by the stimulus leaving.

Some dogs will attempt to escape or become extremely anxious when confined, so that destructiveness or house-soiling when a dog is locked up in a crate, basement, or laundry room, may be due to confinement or barrier anxiety and associated attempts at escape. In addition, noise phobias such as a thunderstorm that passes through during the owner’s absence, may lead to marked destructiveness, house-soiling, salivation and vocalization. Old dogs with medical problems such as loss of hearing or sight, painful conditions and cognitive dysfunction may become more anxious in general, and seek out the owner’s attention for security and relief. While giving attention to help calm your dog may seem to be the best alternative, this may greatly increase your dogs need to be with you and around you at all times.

WHAT TO DO FIRST

The goal of treatment is to reduce your pet’s level of anxiety by training it to feel comfortable in your absence. This can be a long intensive process. Yet, most owners will need to deal with the damage or vocalization immediately. During initial retraining its usually best to hire a dog sitter, take the dog to work, find a friend to care for the dog for the day, board the dog for the day, or arrange to take some time off from work to retrain the dog.

Crate training or dog proofing techniques may work especially well for those dogs that already have an area where they are used to being confined. Crates should be used with caution however, with dogs that have separation anxiety and/or also have barrier frustrations because they can severely injure themselves attempting to get out of a crate. It is important to choose a room or area that does not further increase the dog’s anxiety. The dog’s bedroom or feeding area may therefore be most practical. Booby-traps might also be used to keep the dog away from potential problem areas.

For vocalization, anti-bark devices may be useful, but the dog will continue to remain anxious, and the motivation to vocalize may be too strong for the products to be effective. Tranquilizers and anti-anxiety drugs may also be useful for short-term use, until the owner has effectively corrected the problem.

Lastly, punishment for destruction or house-soiling when you return is contra-indicated (see our handout on ‘Canine punishment’). The destruction or house-soiling is a result of the pet’s anxiety, not “spite” or being “mad” that you left. Punishment will only serve to make the pet more anxious at your return.

RETRAINING

Since the underlying problem is anxiety, try to reduce all forms of anxiety, prior to departure, at the time of departure, and at the time of homecoming. In addition, the pet must learn to accept progressively longer periods of inattention and separation while the owners are at home.

Before any lengthy departure, provide a vigorous session of play and exercise. This not only helps to reduce some of the dog’s energy and tire it out, but also provides a period of attention. A brief training session can also be a productive way to further interact and “work” with your dog. For the final 15-30 minutes prior to departure, the dog should be ignored. It would be best if your dog was trained to go to its rest and relaxation area with a radio, TV, or video playing, as the owner could then prepare for departure while the pet is out of sight and earshot of the owner. The key is to avoid as many of the departure signals as possible, so that the dog’s anxiety doesn’t heighten, even before the owner leaves. Brushing teeth, changing into work clothes, or collecting keys, purse, briefcase or school books, are all routines that might be able to be performed out of sight of the dog.

Owners might also consider changing clothes at work, preparing and packing a lunch the night before, or might even consider leaving their car at a neighbor’s so the dog wouldn’t hear the car pulling out of the driveway. The other alternative is to expose your puppy to as many of these cues as possible while you remain at home so that they no longer are predictive of departure (see blow). A few minutes prior to departure the dog should be given some fresh toys and objects to keep it occupied so that the owner can leave while the dog is distracted. Saying goodbye will only serve to bring attention to the departure.

As you depart, the dog should be kept busy and occupied, and preferably out of sight, so that there is little or no anxiety. Giving special food treats that have been saved for departure (and training) times can help keep the dog distracted and perhaps “enjoying itself” while you leave. Dogs that are highly aroused and stimulated by food may become so intensively occupied in a peanut butter coated dog toy, a fresh piece of rawhide, a dog toy stuffed with liver and dog food, or some frozen dog treats, that they may not even notice you leave. Be certain that the distraction devices last as long as possible so that the dog continues to occupy its time until you are “long gone”.

Frozen treats placed in the dog’s food bowl, toys that are tightly stuffed with goodies, toys that are designed to require manipulation and work to obtain the food reward, toys that can maintain lengthy chewing, and timed feeders that open throughout the day are a few suggestions. Determine what best motivates your dog. For example, if a particular toy is highly successful provide two or three of the same type rather than toys that do not maintain your dog’s interest. It may also be helpful to provide some or all of the dog’s food during departures with a few special surprises in the bottom of the bowl. On rare occasions a second pet can help to keep the dog occupied and distracted during departures. Food will not be of interest to dogs that are too anxious.

At homecomings, ignore your dog until it calms and settles down (this may take 10-15 minutes). Your dog should soon learn that the faster it settles the sooner it will get your attention. Exuberant greetings or any type of punishment for misbehavior will only serve to heighten the dog’s anxiety surrounding homecomings.

There are a number of activities that we do consistently prior to each departure. The dog soon learns to identify these cues or signals with imminent departure. On the other hand, some dogs learn that certain other signals mean that the owners are staying home or nearby and therefore the dog stays relaxed. If we can prevent the dog from observing any of these pre-departure cues (discussed above), or if we train the dog that these cues are no longer predictive of departure, the anxiety is greatly reduced. Even with the best efforts, some dogs will still pick up on “cues” that the owner is about to depart. Train your pet to associate these cues with enjoyable, relaxing situations (rather than the anxiety of impending departure).

By exposing the dog to these cues while you remain at home and when the dog is relaxed or otherwise occupied, they are no longer predictive of departure. This entails some retraining while you are home. You get the items (keys, shoes, briefcase, jacket etc.) that normally signal your departure, and walk to the door. However, you do not leave, just put everything away. The dog will be watching and possibly get up, but once you put every thing away, the dog should lie down. Then, once the dog is calm, this is repeated. However, only 3-4 repetitions should be done in a single training session. Eventually, the dog will not attend to these cues (habituate) because they are no longer predictive of you leaving and will not react, get up or look anxious as you go about your pre-departure tasks. Then, the dog will be less anxious when you do leave. This often allows the next step in re-training, planned departures.

The most important aspect of retraining is to teach the dog to be independent and relaxed in your presence. Only when you have taught the dog to stay in place in its bed or relaxation area, rather than constantly following you around, will it be possible to train the dog to begin to accept actual (or mock) departures.