Separation / Isolation Anxiety

Your dog might begin to feel anxious when you get ready to leave, as well as bark and destroy things when you are gone. Here are a few things that can help;

  • Put the crate in the bedroom, if possible, This will help everyone sleep at night as well as give you a way to practice having your dog away from you while you are home.

  • Feed all meals in the crate with the door closed as well as giving You can also give them tasty stuffed Kongs and chews in there as well.

  • Cover all sides of the crate, this can help create a more den-like environment

  • Play dog calming music, YouTube, Amazon Prime, and Spotify have a wide selection, here is my dog’s playlist, Start playing the music about 10-15 mins before you leave as well as when you are home, as not to form a departure cue.

  • Remote camera, I use the Google Nest Cam and another option many use is the Yi Dome Camera or using an app to monitor your dog during this period, and see how they are doing while you are away. 

  • A bark collar might be an option but I like to start with training first and then possibly adding one.

Practice "Graduated Departures"

Many dogs may start to feel anxious, with you just leaving the room they are in. To help our dogs we have to take small steps and slowly add distance and duration while marking and rewarding all good choices.

Phase 1

Start by having your dog in the crate in the bedroom and give them a stuffed Kong, Chew, or even their meal in an interactive feeder. Then sit or lay on your bed and let them be.

Next start walking around the room and see if they begin to get anxious and showing stress signals such as panting, pacing, whining or barking and pawing at the crate door or digging, Even starting to eat the food or chew faster can be a sign of stress. Go back to sit or lay on your bed and let them settle, once your dog is calm then you can let them out. But do not make it a big deal.

Next time you practice, have your dog in the crate in the bedroom, Then sit or lay on your bed and let them be until they settle for at least 5-10 mins. Then walk around the room and mark with a clicker or verbal “Yes" and reward by dropping the food in the crate, do not hand it to them, as long as they are quiet. If they start whining or barking ignore it, and once they are quiet mark and reward.

If your dog escalates the barking at any stage you can interrupt. Every dog is different, for some dogs a loud clap can be enough, or dropping a large book on the ground, and a “Shake Can” (a mason jar or can filled with coins). Louder options are devices such as the Doggie Don't or Pet Corrector.

Continue the process, and once your dog is calm with you walking around the room, walk towards the door, but don’t leave, mark and reward as soon as you get to the doorway. If all is good, then step out of the doorway, do not close the door, and if all is quiet mark and reward. Then walk just out of your dog’s site, then mark and reward. Repeat these steps until your dog is comfortable with you leaving the room.

 

Phase 2

Practice being in the living room and having your dog in the crate. If they start whining or barking ignore it, and once they are quiet mark and reward.

If your dog escalates the barking at any stage you can interrupt as explained in Phase 1. When your dog is quiet go back and mark with a clicker or verbal “Yes" and reward. Drop the treat in the crate don’t hand it to your dog,

The first main goal is going to be sitting on your couch and with your dog quiet in the crate in the other room for 45 mins, start with 10 -20 seconds, the few mins, then 5, 10, 20 mins until then letting them out with no big excitement.

 

Phase 3

Now, we will start the main aspect of "Graduated Departures". Just like in phase one, but now with your entire home, start walking around but not walking to the door to exit the home just yet. mark and reward at various intervals as the dog is quiet. Now start walking to the door, when you get there, mark and reward. Then go and unlock the door, go back mark and reward, turn the knob, while marking and rewarding all good choices.

Phase 4

Leave the apartment for, 5, 10, 20 then 30 secs, mark and reward. Leave and go just past the home, if you have a long hallway, walk a few apartments down, then to the elevator and just press the button and wait till it arrives and the sound/bell goes on While while marking and rewarding all good choices during each additional distance or trigger.

Next, go outside and down the street/corner each time mark and reward. Slowly adding more time out of the home. The goal again is to have your dog calm and quiet for 45 mins. Remember no big Hellos or Goodbyes

Change your "Departure Cues"

Dogs are great at reading the signs and patterns we make as we get ready to leave. Change up departure cues by doing what you normally do when you are getting ready to leave, then don’t leave. a few examples are grabbing your keys, putting on your shoes, or jacket, grabbing a work or shopping bag, and then such as sitting back down and don’t leave. Change up your routine and remember no big hellos or goodbyes. Make coming and going a non-event.

Separation Anxiety: The cure is straw?!

Another technique you can try is Marc Goldberg's Straw Technique, Download his PDF explaining how it all works.

Here are the tips from Marc's PDF:

Use an airline plastic crate and fill it hip-deep to the dog with a straw.

  • Don't use hay because that is dried grasses and dogs are more likely to eat it

  • Dogs don't normally eat the straw, but you can keep an eye if you're worried

  • You can use long strips of newspaper if you prefer, but it gets dirty and dusty

  • Put a sheet under the crate to make for easy clean-up. Straw is messy in the house

  • It works because it engages the dog's nesting/denning instinct

  • Many breeders keep puppies in some sort of organic bedding for a few weeks so the straw is likely home week

  • It is comforting to dogs to have something pressuring their body in the crate

  • Straw encourages some crate dirty dogs to be clean, but check for wet spots

  • Discontinue if you're getting more crate eliminating rather than less

  • Change the straw at least weekly. They like new straw. It's like getting clean sheets.

  • I use it more for crate anxiety rather than housebreaking

  • If the dog digs around and fluffs the straw, so much the better

  • Foraging in the crate is better than freaking out in the crate, so you can toss in some treats

  • Straw helps rest time be more restful for many crates anxious dogs, but they probably still need more exercise than they're getting

  • I'd give it at least a few weeks, but then you can remove handfuls of straw per day to wean off

  • Feel free to adapt any of these ideas as needed for your dog.