Separation Anxiety For Dog

limestonekid · October 2007

Back in March of this year we took in a little cocker spaniel that we found roaming about our neighborhood. After trying to place him with a rescue service (who left him with the ACC for 3 weeks) we eventually welcomed him on a permanent basis.

His transition into our family has not been without issue but for the most he has made a great deal of progress as we've really stuck to the exercise, discipline, then affection mantra.

The one remaining issue is that he still seems to have some separation anxiety issues. They happen on both ends - our coming home and our leaving. Fortunately they're not always present but we can't seem to figure out the pattern that sets him off.

Coming Home - even though he's house broken there are times when he still gets so excited to see us that he pees. How the heck do we stop this?

Going Out - It doesn't happen all the time but if my wife leaves for work before I do he really gets aggressive with his barking and he will also try to nip at her heels. Again, he doesn't always do this. As of yet we haven't been able to make a connection between the amount of exercise he gets in the morning and his aggressive behavior. There are times he does it with me but those occassions are quite rare. Still, no matter how rare they are we would like to eliminate them. Suggestions?

opossumqueen · October 2007

Good job on helping the dog! I miss having one so much (our current landlord doesn't allow them and our place is too good to give up at present).

Are there other behavior issues? The problems you listed here don't sound like separation anxiety in any of it's forms I know.

The excited peeing isn't something I've dealt with a ton, but I don't think of it as a hard to handle issue. Dogs feed off of us a lot more than most people realize. Using an excited voice and making bouncy movements can make the dog more excited and can lead to excitement urination. Have you tried ignoring the dog when you first come home? Don't talk to it or pet it at first. Come in, put your stuff down and don't give the dog attention until it sits calmly. Then just give it some calm attention.

I'm not totally clear on the barking and nipping situation, but it could be that the dog isn't seeing both of you as being in charge. To be vague

, it's all about your body language, tone of voice, consistence, and learning to recognize the little cues that the unwanted behavior is brewing so it can be corrected quickly.

These issues don't sound extreme right now but hopefully you can get #2 under control as it could escalate into something worse. Good luck!

FWIW, I'm NOT a certified dog trainer, but I did work a ton with my local dog trainers (in another state) before moving to NY and have had my share of foster dogs placed with me for behavior mod. Mostly, I'm a dog person who's had lots of dogs and put in many hours with shelter dogs and helping with training classes.

dakotas way · November 2007

Subject: Excitable dog

Excellent tips from OpposumQueen. Do you ever watch Caesar Milan the "Dog Whisperer?"
He addresses issues like this and the nipping may be because your wife unknowingly is anticipating the nips and shows it with her body language. She should begin a new trend with making the dog sit, facing her before she leaves, and if it sits quietly she can give it a treat just before going out the door.
She has to be the pack leader and if she is trying to run out the door ahead of the dog it's probably getting the wrong message. It may take it as a game or as a sign that the dog is in control and not your wife.
She has to stand strong (never hitting or yelling) but be confident and direct in her commands with the dog.
The idea of coming in and not paying attention right away to stop the peeing is an excellent one.
This is something I think you'll overcome quickly.
Bless you for taking her into your home 8)

quijibo · November 2007

get a trainer to come into your home and view first-hand, the behavior,
what's causing it and how to resolve it

limestonekid · November 2007

Thanks for the tips folks.

Indeed, we do watch The Dog Whisperer and we've found a lot of the tips quite helpful. The little guy has come a long way so we'll just have to keep working with him.

Ignoring the little guy when we get home has, so far, curtailed his excited peeing. He knows he needs to sit but he just so darn happy to see us that it makes me laugh. I figured this one was going to be the easier of the two to fix.

I think what we'll have to do is spend some time randomly coming and going at various times. Actually he's usually okay it's just the mornings when he has the greatest reaction.

opossumqueen · November 2007

Glad to hear things are progressing. Real separation anxiety can be a nightmare to deal with (and heartbreaking) and it sounds like you're not dealing with that, so <big>

I hear you on how it can be hard to ignore something that makes you smile. For me, it's easier to be consistent with a dog I'm not as attached to. I knew my fosters would be going to new homes and the quicker I could deal with their issues, the faster they would get into a permanent home. When it's my own dog (sadly none right now) it can be harder to do the right thing

Keep us posted.

caseopele · November 2007

Making them sit is a great tool also, I don't mean just occasionally but any time he does something you don't like. Another great show to watch is It's Me Or the Dog on Animal Planet. The trainer on there is a bit different from Cesar but I like her methods. She also drives a pretty awesome car and wears riding boots everywhere.

Separation Anxiety For Dog

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