Dogs are very social creatures. They find comfort and empowerment being with other dogs and people. Though they differ in their needs of pack unity, being separated from their family and friends has a profound effect on their psychological health. Separation anxiety manifests in many ways.

· Excessive barking

· Excessive whining and salivation

· Self-destructive behavior

· Destruction of items in the home, such as pillows, shoes, blankets, bedding or stuffed toys.

· Destruction of home features such as windowsills, walls, doors and flooring.

· Aggression toward others

· Excessive clinging

Causes of Separation Anxiety

The root of this behavior can go back as far as when your puppy was removed from their mother and siblings. It can be a result of moving from home to home. Or it can be a learned response.

When with their siblings they are near each other to feel the body warmth, vocalizations and odors associated with pack behavior. They are content as it is all they’ve known. Suddenly removed from this, when adopted, the sense of loss is palatable. This is why puppies cry a lot when taken to their new home. Strange sounds, odors and lack of other puppy bodies. Most dogs overcome this and adapt, especially with another dog or people who spend a lot of time with them.

Dogs who are ill can also have separation anxiety if the source of their comfort is absent. This is common in dogs with arthritis, seizures or Canine Cognitive Dysfunction.

Dogs who have been moved from home to home have no sense of security. This is not just a lack of having their siblings or other known companions nearby. It creates anxiety in the form of destructive behavior. Likely, the precise reason they have been repeatedly rehomed.

Learned anxiety has been taught. The dog was rewarded for the behavior at some point and believes it is expected to get attention. This can range from fussing in a crate until released, fear of storms or their pet parent leaves the room. Often, the dog and their pet parent feed these emotions to each other creating worse anxiety.

How to Prevent Severe Anxiety

The easiest type of anxiety to cure is the initial separation from the litter. Your puppy is still very impressionable and adaptable. There may be some distress, but this is easily handled by giving them a heartbeat puppy toy, warm blankets, and lots of attention. But, to start your puppy in the right direction, attention should be earned by rewarding appropriate behavior, such as your puppy being quiet or playing with a toy instead of attempting to climb the pen or scratching at a crate door.

Dogs who are in poor health may need a sedative, or pain medication to remain calm. Keeping their environment and daily schedule consistent is also helpful. Remaining nearby to respond to seizures quickly also offers comfort.

Dogs who have been moved from home to home often have severe separation anxiety. They have bonded with pet parents and siblings only to be moved into foster care or another home. This lack of permanence weighs heavily on their psyche. As dogs normally form strong bonds between two to four months, a change in their environment creates a lot of insecurity and vulnerability. The best cure is a long-term home that offers affection, patience and a training regimen.

As pet parents form bonds with their dogs, they also sometimes cause separation anxiety by rewarding anxious behavior.

· Letting the puppy out of the crate and bringing them to bed.

· Giving the pup attention immediately when hearing the slightest whine.

· Always keeping the pup with them, such as on the couch, on the lap, loose in the car on their lap, in bed, and always remaining outside with them even if they have a securely fenced yard. (Though this is an important part of housetraining, it needs to be gradually reduced when your dog has learned to potty outside.)

· When there’s bad weather holding them closely and using praise tones as the dog shakes or whines, instead of redirecting their attention.

The best means of addressing pet parent causes of anxiety is to give the dog time alone, away from their parent. Brief time in a crate, pen or outside, without their pet parent, may cause initial distress, but with consistency will decrease over time. It is often helpful to give your dog a high value chew toy when separated from their pet parent.

The most important part of this process is for the pet parent to learn to relax when separated from their dog.

Dogs have very keen senses. They can read body language, vocal tones and smell your emotions. You must learn to control your own separation anxiety before you can address your dog.

Suggestions to Reduce Crate and Pen Separation Anxiety

Dogs who are susceptible to separation anxiety often display their behavior when left home alone. Their pet parents may crate them as a means of reducing their destructive tendencies. Yet they display it in other ways such as excessive barking, whining, heavy salivation or chewing on their paws.

The best cure for these issues is to approach the problem using positive reinforcement. The cure will not happen overnight. It’ll require days to weeks of work.

Crate Up

Begin by teaching your dog to enter their crate or pen willfully.

1. Throw a treat into the crate as you give your dog a cue such as, “Inside, Crate Up, Bed.”

2. The moment your dog goes inside, praise and give another treat. Allow your dog to exit if they choose.

3. Repeat until your dog quickly rushes in.

4. Now close the crate door. When your dog turns to leave, praise, offer another treat, then open the door. Repeat until your dog patiently waits for their treat with the door closed.

5. Gradually increase the time the crate door is closed. Always praise your dog but begin holding off on the treat with ever greater time increments. If your dog gets anxious, shorten the time on the next repetition. Your dog must be perfectly comfortable and quiet before the next step.

Time Alone

Your dog must learn to relax when left alone. The process begins with seconds but ends with hours.

1. When your dog is resting peacefully with you near their containment area, stand up and take a few steps back. If your dog is quiet, praise, return and reward. If your dog isn’t quiet, take smaller steps and observe the point when your dog begins to react.

2. Each repetition, step a little further away, always returning with rewards and praise as your dog remains calm.

3. Eventually, you’ll be able to hide behind a door frame for a few seconds, still praising your dog as they remain calm. If your dog begins to whine, let them see you but don’t return to their containment area until they are quiet and calm. Then approach, praise and reward.

4. Gradually increase the time your dog cannot see you. Always return praising and offering a high value reward.

When you can remain hidden for 10 minutes, move to other parts of your home, always returning with praise and rewards with ever increasing time increments. At the point where you can remain away from your dog for 2 hours, go outside and peek in the window to see what your dog is doing. If they’re quiet, quickly return with praise and treats. If not, return to being just out of sight, but don’t go to your dog until they are quiet.

Always remember that you returning to your dog is a reward. Be sure that they earn it with appropriate behavior.

These methods can be used for any type of separation anxiety. You will be teaching your dog that remaining calm and quiet is rewarding.