PREVENTING SEPARATION DURING THE CORONA VIRUS LOCK DOWN
by Friends of the Dog
by Friends of the Dog
Let's start with a definition: - Separation Anxiety is when the unacceptable behaviour, such as destructive behaviour, excessive barking, whining etc occurs ONLY when the dog is left alone. If the dog is engaging in these behaviour when owner is home, it is not separation anxiety.
We are all going through a turbulent anxious period and we tend to seek comfort from our canine companions. They are so very attuned to us and when things get back to a semblance of normality they may become anxious about their human being gone, and develop destructive harmful or nuisance behaviours which are not good for their psychological well-being and may result in noise complaints from owners and body corporate due to excessive whining, barking and whining. Destruction can occur by the dog chewing and destroying expensive items (remember that all the dog is doing is something natural, to help to ease its frustration - no dog is doing this to 'spite' their owners or because they are angry with them.
We have seen numerous cases over the years where owners spent their holiday at home instead of going away - separation anxiety suddenly started happening as soon as the owner went back to work. We are going to be spending at least 3 weeks in close proximity to our dogs - please do all you can to prevent this happening.
Dogs most of risk:
Additionally research was done overseas that shows that the following dogs are more prone to separation anxiety:-
We are all going through a turbulent anxious period and we tend to seek comfort from our canine companions. They are so very attuned to us and when things get back to a semblance of normality they may become anxious about their human being gone, and develop destructive harmful or nuisance behaviours which are not good for their psychological well-being and may result in noise complaints from owners and body corporate due to excessive whining, barking and whining. Destruction can occur by the dog chewing and destroying expensive items (remember that all the dog is doing is something natural, to help to ease its frustration - no dog is doing this to 'spite' their owners or because they are angry with them.
We have seen numerous cases over the years where owners spent their holiday at home instead of going away - separation anxiety suddenly started happening as soon as the owner went back to work. We are going to be spending at least 3 weeks in close proximity to our dogs - please do all you can to prevent this happening.
Dogs most of risk:
- Dogs that follow owners around the home - many people cannot even go to the toilet by themselves.
- Dogs that are over attached to their owners, and when at home want to be near them all the time.
- Dogs that excessively demand attention from their owners.
- Dogs that are totally over the top with excitement when you arrive home.
- Dogs that tend to be needy in general.
- Dogs with fear related issues.
- Dogs that are already exhibiting any existing signs of separation anxiety such as stressing when their owners go out, wont eat when owner out, even if left nice chew toy to get stuck into. Dogs that whine, bark etc when owners go out. Often this behaviour only lasts a little while and then the dog settles down - dogs such as this at high risk. Dogs that are already showing early signs of separation anxiety.
- Additionally, dogs whose owners work from home and don't go our often.
Additionally research was done overseas that shows that the following dogs are more prone to separation anxiety:-
- Female owner
- Dog was adopted from a shelter or pet store
- Male dogs are more likely to develop separation anxiety
- Single caretaker
We are extremely concerned about the amount of dogs that may develop separation anxiety over the next 3 weeks due to having their people with them 24/7. Separation anxiety is something which we absolutely hate. It is not that it is hard to change, rather that so much work is needed from owner, 100% consistency, and practising of the various modifications, and, most important aspect, dog should not be left alone longer than it can cope with - this makes the condition very difficult to change when people are working, and don't have either home help, or somebody to be at home with the dog and practice the modifications.
Another concern we have is where you have multiple dogs and as they are no longer able to receive their regular walks, stress levels could increase, and aggression (or reactive behaviour as we prefer) could occur. Also resource guarding between dogs could occur due to higher stress, plus other behaviour problems, due to the lack of walks, and also the stress levels of their humans - dogs pick up our stress and react to it, and this is not the most tranquil period of our lives at the moment!
In the event of behaviour problems starting to occur
Another concern we have is where you have multiple dogs and as they are no longer able to receive their regular walks, stress levels could increase, and aggression (or reactive behaviour as we prefer) could occur. Also resource guarding between dogs could occur due to higher stress, plus other behaviour problems, due to the lack of walks, and also the stress levels of their humans - dogs pick up our stress and react to it, and this is not the most tranquil period of our lives at the moment!
In the event of behaviour problems starting to occur
- Behaviour Assistance as soon as possible. Kathy Clayton, a senior Canine Behaviour Adviser (ABC of SA & SABCAP) is offering consults by Skype, phone and e-mail to help people. It is extremely important that when a behaviour concern does occur, that you get help as soon as possible. This makes it much easier to change the behaviour. The perfect situation is when you work with the client in the home, however at the moment this is not an option. You can get hold of Kathy at : -011 783 3042 082 454 1750 or [email protected]
www.kcdogschool.com
Tips for avoiding separation anxiety
Keep your routines the same!!!
This is the number one most important aspect. Whatever you do with your dogs normally during the day, keep on doing the same. If they normally stay outside, leave them outside - if they normally have access to the house but you are not there - rather take yourself off to another room, or shut the door to the lounge or similar. Hard, I know as this is a wonderful opportunity to spend more time with our dogs, but it could be to their detriment.
By all means, spend the time with them you normally do, and instead of walks etc, we are giving you a lot of ideas to provide Mental and Physical in an article tomorrow.
Remember, this also includes weekends - keep your routines as close as possible to normal, with dogs being left alone as per what is normal.
If you do work from home, take yourself to another room and read a book at the times you would normally go out.
Be aware of how much you are touching and interacting with your dogs
When we are worried and upset, we do tend to touch our dogs more, and even cuddle up to them. This is understandable as they give us so much comfort, but please try to avoid doing more than you normally do. If other members in the family, tell them this as well and ask them to be aware if you are doing more than usual, and to point it out to you.
Watch your own stress levels
Dogs really do pick up on our own stress levels and when we are not well, and this affects them. This is a particularly stressful period for us all. Consider taking some Rescue tablets or similar if your doctor allows. Eat well, look after your health and stay as positive as you can. Consider keeping the radio on your favourite stations (we love Radio LM on- line - plays a lot of the golden oldies and very news on it) - sing along to your favourite tunes. Watch funny movies on TV or Netflix - rather not any on pandemics! Try to keep yourself positive - this will impact on your dog.
By all means listen to the news, it is important we keep in touch with what is happening and if more measures brought in, however, do not become obsessive about it.
Many people are alone at the moment, make sure you keep in touch with family and friends by phone or Whats App, so that you do not feel so isolated. If you feel you are getting very down, speak to family and friends about it and see if they can help you feel a bit better, or even your local doctor, as these feelings can impact on your dog.
Spend as much time outside in your garden as you can. It has been shown that being outside is helpful to stress, and you can spend more time interacting and playing with your dog, and we will give you some tips in the article tomorrow on Mental and Physical Stimulation during shut-down.
If your dog is already, or starts to following you around the home during the shut down.
A very common sign and one you want to stop happening. A simple exercise for this to change the behaviour is below, and start at whatever step you need too - dogs are all different, so we are giving examples right from the beginning with a dog that follows the owner the second they stand up - your dog may only start following you when you leave the room, just start at whatever stage your dog is.
What is vitally important is not to rush the process. In TTouch there is a saying 'you work with where the dog is at', so never push your dog. Also, you don's to keep on increasing the time in this exercise below. Work up to perhaps 30 seconds, then next time you do it, reduce to 5 seconds. This allows the dog to cope with that is happening and stress levels still low - when we are stressed, we simply cannot learn anything new.
Another aspect to take into account, is that when we are having fun, we learn quicker and we also retain more information. Have breaks often - play with the ball, have a game of tuggies etc. This makes it fun for both of you and your dog will learn easier.
Step 1 :
Step 2:
Once you have managed to walk to a closed door take it a step further as below, and we do not recommend doing this all at once, have breaks in-between and 'chunck' it down for the dog:-
Step 3:
Dogs do not generalise - this means that although you have been able to go into the kitchen for 2 minutes that you dog will accept you going into the bedroom for 2 minutes. At each and every door in the home, start at the beginning again.
If your dog demands attention from you
Dogs have various ways of doing this. They may come and put their heads in our laps and look at us with adoring eyes, and before we know what we are doing, we are patting them. They may stand and look at you and bark. They may sit on your foot. Another favourite is to drop a ball or toy on your lap so that you start playing. Here are some tips for this:
If your dog jumps up on top of you and insists on sitting on your lap
Another common one. If the dog jumps up and sits on other side of the couch that is fine, but if on top of you, do the following:-
An exercise to get the dog used to spending time sitting on its bed while you walk around the home.
As we have said previously all dogs are different, but if you do have a dog that cannot be away from you, then try the following - the exercise is prepared for inside the home, not outside, and we suggest starting this off in the late afternoon:
You are going to repeat part of the process above and then add on an additional stage.
Keep your routines the same!!!
This is the number one most important aspect. Whatever you do with your dogs normally during the day, keep on doing the same. If they normally stay outside, leave them outside - if they normally have access to the house but you are not there - rather take yourself off to another room, or shut the door to the lounge or similar. Hard, I know as this is a wonderful opportunity to spend more time with our dogs, but it could be to their detriment.
By all means, spend the time with them you normally do, and instead of walks etc, we are giving you a lot of ideas to provide Mental and Physical in an article tomorrow.
Remember, this also includes weekends - keep your routines as close as possible to normal, with dogs being left alone as per what is normal.
If you do work from home, take yourself to another room and read a book at the times you would normally go out.
Be aware of how much you are touching and interacting with your dogs
When we are worried and upset, we do tend to touch our dogs more, and even cuddle up to them. This is understandable as they give us so much comfort, but please try to avoid doing more than you normally do. If other members in the family, tell them this as well and ask them to be aware if you are doing more than usual, and to point it out to you.
Watch your own stress levels
Dogs really do pick up on our own stress levels and when we are not well, and this affects them. This is a particularly stressful period for us all. Consider taking some Rescue tablets or similar if your doctor allows. Eat well, look after your health and stay as positive as you can. Consider keeping the radio on your favourite stations (we love Radio LM on- line - plays a lot of the golden oldies and very news on it) - sing along to your favourite tunes. Watch funny movies on TV or Netflix - rather not any on pandemics! Try to keep yourself positive - this will impact on your dog.
By all means listen to the news, it is important we keep in touch with what is happening and if more measures brought in, however, do not become obsessive about it.
Many people are alone at the moment, make sure you keep in touch with family and friends by phone or Whats App, so that you do not feel so isolated. If you feel you are getting very down, speak to family and friends about it and see if they can help you feel a bit better, or even your local doctor, as these feelings can impact on your dog.
Spend as much time outside in your garden as you can. It has been shown that being outside is helpful to stress, and you can spend more time interacting and playing with your dog, and we will give you some tips in the article tomorrow on Mental and Physical Stimulation during shut-down.
If your dog is already, or starts to following you around the home during the shut down.
A very common sign and one you want to stop happening. A simple exercise for this to change the behaviour is below, and start at whatever step you need too - dogs are all different, so we are giving examples right from the beginning with a dog that follows the owner the second they stand up - your dog may only start following you when you leave the room, just start at whatever stage your dog is.
What is vitally important is not to rush the process. In TTouch there is a saying 'you work with where the dog is at', so never push your dog. Also, you don's to keep on increasing the time in this exercise below. Work up to perhaps 30 seconds, then next time you do it, reduce to 5 seconds. This allows the dog to cope with that is happening and stress levels still low - when we are stressed, we simply cannot learn anything new.
Another aspect to take into account, is that when we are having fun, we learn quicker and we also retain more information. Have breaks often - play with the ball, have a game of tuggies etc. This makes it fun for both of you and your dog will learn easier.
Step 1 :
- Stand up, as your dog moves to follow you - sit down. Totally ignore the dog, don't look at him, don't interact with him in any way. Do this over and over - as Gary Player once said "the more I practised, the luckier I became!"
- Do this over and over until the dog no longer reacts when you stand up.
- Next step is to stand up, take a step and casually glance at your dog to see if getting up to follow you - if he is, turn around and sit down again. As above repeat this over and over until you dog no longer reacts.
- You will gradually work until you can walk all the away to where a closed door is.
Step 2:
Once you have managed to walk to a closed door take it a step further as below, and we do not recommend doing this all at once, have breaks in-between and 'chunck' it down for the dog:-
- start to open the door and if your dog jumps up to follow you, pull the door closed again and go and sit down again. Remember you are not paying any attention to your dog at all.
- Repeat until the dog ignores you doing this.
- Next, walk through the door and close behind you. Wait about 5 seconds, then go back through the door and sit down. Keep on doing this until the dog ignores this.
- Now, go through the door, count to ten seconds and repeat as above. Keep on doing this over and over until no reactions.
- Now, gradually build up the time period, remembering to stagger the time. If you have built up to 15 seconds for example, next time do only 5 seconds. As mentioned above, this will keep stress levels down. Remember to always close the door behind you.
- We would advise working up to about 2 minutes. If you are going into the kitchen for example, then you could practice making a cup of tea. Go through the door and turn on the kettle, go back to the lounge. Go back into the kitchen after boiled and make the tea and come back, closing the door behind you and drink your tea. Now get up, go through the door, close it, wash the cup and then come back and sit down. You can even do this as you are making supper, but always make sure that the dogs stress levels do not get too high.
Step 3:
Dogs do not generalise - this means that although you have been able to go into the kitchen for 2 minutes that you dog will accept you going into the bedroom for 2 minutes. At each and every door in the home, start at the beginning again.
If your dog demands attention from you
Dogs have various ways of doing this. They may come and put their heads in our laps and look at us with adoring eyes, and before we know what we are doing, we are patting them. They may stand and look at you and bark. They may sit on your foot. Another favourite is to drop a ball or toy on your lap so that you start playing. Here are some tips for this:
- If the dog is putting head, paw on lap for example, totally ignore the dog. Do not look at him, talks to him, even turn your head an body away.
- Once he gives up and starts to walk away, wait about 5 seconds, then call him back and give him all the attention he wants. We are now giving attention on our terms, not our dogs.
- The reason for the initial 5 seconds, is so that the dog figures out what behaviour works, and what does'nt.
- Gradually increase the period of time before calling him back, remembering to stagger the period as above.
If your dog jumps up on top of you and insists on sitting on your lap
Another common one. If the dog jumps up and sits on other side of the couch that is fine, but if on top of you, do the following:-
- As your dog jumps up (and we hope it is not a Rotti!), gently pick it up without talking and interacting and place him gently on the floor.
- Keep on doing this until the dog no longer jumps up.
- At this stage, wait for 5 seconds and then invite the dog onto your lap.
- As in exercise above, you will gradually build up this time period.
An exercise to get the dog used to spending time sitting on its bed while you walk around the home.
As we have said previously all dogs are different, but if you do have a dog that cannot be away from you, then try the following - the exercise is prepared for inside the home, not outside, and we suggest starting this off in the late afternoon:
- Stuff a favourite chew toy or even use a safe bone.
- Offer it to the dog on a bed or blanket which is situated in the middle of the home, where you can walk back and forwards past it. Let him chew on it for about 5 minutes, then take it away. If the dog takes it off the bed, pick it up and put it back down again. The dog will quickly realise that the only place he gets this is on the bed.
- If you have a dog that resource guards toys or you cant take the chew toy away from him, then don't do this exercise until this problem has been solved, and Kathy can help you with this.
- About ten minutes later take the chew toy out again, direct the dog to the bed and again let him chew for about 5 minutes and repeat the process. Do this about 5 times in a row, then put the chew toy away completely.
- The following morning, take out the chew toy/bone again and give to the dog on the bed. You cannot believe the excitement they show with this - we have frustrated them to a degree by taking it away!
- As he is busy chewing on it, walk out the door, walk back past him, perhaps walk into another room. Do this relatively quickly and if your dog shows signs of following you - you have done too much, try again and do slower.
- This forms a positive association that good things happen when chewing on the bed, and allows the owner to gradually build up the time they can walk past the dog.
- A good idea is to do this after you have finished ironing (which we are all going to have to do ourselves over the next few weeks!). Take an item of clothing which has been ironed and walking past the dog, go and put it away. Carry on this way, putting items away one at a time.
- What is important, is that is is you that says when this great game is over.
You are going to repeat part of the process above and then add on an additional stage.
- Stuff a favourite chew toy or even use a safe bone.
- Offer it to the dog relatively close to the door to outside garden. Let him chew on it for about 5 minutes, then take it away. If the dog tries to move away from this area, take the chew toy and place it back close to the door to the garden again. The dog will quickly realise that the only place he gets this is on the bed.
- If you have a dog that resource guards toys or you cant take the chew toy away from him, then don't do this exercise until this problem has been solved, and Kathy can help you with this.
- About ten minutes later, take it out again and repeat, Do this about 5 times in a row, then put the chew toy away completely.
- The following morning, take out the chew toy/bone again, open the door to the garden and give it to the dog, just outside the door. Allow him to chew again for about 5 minutes and take it away.
- In this section we are going to work with two important aspects - duration and distance and work with one aspect at a time.
- A bit later, repeat and slightly increase the time period. What is very important is that you take the chew toy away, before, the dog has had enough.
- Gradually over a few days even, build up that the dog can spend about ten minutes outside the door by itself.
- Now we are going to start on the distance aspect.
- Place the chew toy outside again, and this time about a foot away from when previously placed. This time because we are changing this a bit, and as dogs don't generalise as we have mentioned before, we go back to the beginning and only leave the dog for about five minutes, following procedure above.
- Gradually build up the distance until the dog a good way from the house and can stay outside for about 20 minutes. Remember to always take the chew toy/bone away before the dog has had enough, and only give this particular chew toy/bone when engaging in this game.
- You can now start again from the beginning, right from just outside the door, and this time close the door so the dog is outside alone.
- You will gradually build up first the time at the short distance, and then start to work with the distance.
This gives you a good idea as to how stress can impact on our dogs.
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