Separation Anxiety
Byron's Dog Blog
For Everyone
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Separation anxiety is an issue that many dogs face, and this post tracks how I am dealing with it, as I attempt to remove the anxiety and replace it with calmness. If your dog doesn't respond to this method, talk to your vet. Medication is not the answer, but they may have some alternative suggestions that could help.
One of the problems that van-life can present to dog people is that you can't very well leave your best pal in the van, on his own, for any period of time, without something bad happening. It might be the danger of excessive temperatures, or of someone hearing the noise of what appears to be a dog in distress - possibly leading to broken glass or worse.
If you're in this situation, as I often am, you might fin yourself figuratively, if not literally, tied to your dog, all day long. And while this might seem fine, during your van time, when you are out together, exploring the world, new towns, and so on, it can lead to a serious case of separation anxiety that might only manifest much later, when you are back home, and want to do things that don't include your furry buddy.
Personally, this has become an issue here, at the Burt-Cave, only recently, as I have found myself unable to attend my local Shaolin school, due to the exceptional level of trauma that my not being home appears to cause. Now, dogs can be sneaky, and it's not uncommon for them to play tricks on you, claiming to be upset, only for as long as they think you can hear them, and then settling down quite happily. But they are also very sensitive creatures, and your suddenly not being home, after a long period together, can be genuinely traumatic for them.
Emotional trauma is bad news for anyone. Dogs are no exception. Leaving the lad home for a long period, when he hasn't been more than a room away for a long time, can cause intense stress and panic, which can lead to eating disorders that can become serious. The stress they experience can also cause stomach problems and other behavioral issues. Add to that the fact that prolonged stress is known to cause cancer and brain problems, and you have an issue you really can't afford to ignore.
So what to do?
That's what I've been asking, and my research has backed up my common sense. The answer is actually simple, but it needs to be taken in steps.
Each day, you just need to leave your pooch on his own for a short period of time. The first day, it should be very short, especially if the problem is severe (severity = time spent together per day * number of days without a break).
Day 1
I've starting with five minutes. On day one, five minutes was too much. My GoPro revealed that the howling and panic began just seconds after I left the house, and persisted throughout the five minutes, until I returned. The greeting I received was as I would expect after a long period away - running to the door, ears back, head down, jumping up and trying very hard to lick my face. Although a nice greeting for me, it displayed the intensity of his need to be accompanied, which saddened me, and I realized it was a real problem.
Day 2
Since the problem is severe, I tried three minutes. I went to the garden, and heard the heartbreaking howls of a desperate, abandoned creature. So, I came to the window, so he could see me, and then went back to the garden. It was the smallest of baby steps. But to my surprise, after repeating this only twice more, the time I could be away without issues rapidly increased to 10 minutes.
Day 3
By day three, we were already up to 10 minutes, consistently, and the greeting I was getting on my return was much calmer. The second time I came back, Byron didn't even bother to get off the bed. He just wiggled, a little. It was a much better reaction. So far, so good.
Day 4
I went out to the garden for about 15 minutes. There was howling, but it didn't start until I'd been gone for a few minutes. This is a good sign. Better, the howling only lasted about three or four minutes. After that, I didn't hear a peep. Step by step, I can see a lot of improvement with his tolerance of alone time.
Days 5 & 6
Great improvements have come! Although day five wasn't particularly better than day four, day six has been vastly superior - I'm talking big steps. First, I went to Burt to collect some shopping. Taking my time, in order to not feel rushed by his nibs (the whole point of this training), I sauntered in and out, and got a bit carried away, organizing the workshop. There was no howling, at all. I came in for a short while, then decided to take my archery gear for a short session in the garden. It's been a while since I had any archery time, so I stunk, at the beginning. Forgetting about Byron's training, I got right into it, and, while there was a bit of howling in the first five minutes, it stopped, never to return, and I had myself a good hour in the garden. An hour! This hasn't happened since the day Byron came along. I'm thrilled!
IMPORTANT:
If you are facing this issue, don't make a fuss of leaving and returning, because this tells your dog that something significant is happening, heightening anxiety (since he doesn't know what it is). Just casually come and go, as you would hope to be able to do, and when he greets you, only pay minimal attention to him, as though you were just in the other room. Only give him attention once he's completely calm, so he doesn't associate high levels of excitement or anxiety with reward. If he gets the idea that howling and scratching the door is why you came back or why you gave him love, you'll be reinforcing that behavior.
Update
It's been a few months since the week I described here, and Byron's so much better with being left alone. Although I haven't left him for long periods on a regular basis, since this work, when I do go out without him, he is calm and relaxed about it. He doesn't howl and he doesn't freak out when I return, like I've left him on a desert island.
Dogs can get used to a lot of things, but they need to be exposed to them, in order to do so. Once a suitable period of time has passed, the new situation is just normality, and normal behavior often returns. If you've had this problem with your dog, leave a comment and tell me how your training went. :)