True Seperation Anxiety

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danhappy

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Our 5 month old Inuit has true separation anxiety with me and my husband. Ive just come off the phone with an animal behviourist who just gave me some advice, but cant see me as she doesnt deal with my area any more.

Does anyone know if using an animal behaviourist is expensive?? I feel quite down as she said he may need to go on medication and the problem wont go away. He has all the typical signs, he whines if he cant follow me into the next room, stays glued to my side, barks and defaces if I go upstairs without him or out of view, and never mind if I leave him, he tries to dig through our kitchen door, even if only left for the 15 min school run, and toilets everwhere.

We had to abandon crate training as it was causing him more stress and anxiety, which has probably made the situation worse.

She suggestions that I de-sensitise him to my leaving cues, such as putting shoes on buy putting them on but not actually leaving etc.... has anyone else got any advice or come through the other end of this particular 'recognised mental illness'? (Behaviourists words!)
 
Heres a piccy of the biggest baby in the world! Not even my 2 year old and 3 year old cry when I go upstairs!

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Poor you what a shame, and what a gorgeous doggie you have.

Not had any experience of this particular problem, but would suggest that as he is 5 months old, with considerate and careful training this could be overcome - I certainly wouldn't class it as a "serious mental illness" just yet
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The de-sensitising sounds like good advice. Can you not just try very small steps at a time, ie. leave the room for very short periods at a time, gradually increasing this in time and distance. Don't make too much of a fuss when you return, just a quick pat and a "good dog". This could start with say, the dog laying in the living room and you getting up off the sofa to leave the room (I assume doggy would immediately get up to follow) you put dog to sit and stay and just walk to the door, don't leave the room then return to sofa, tell the dog he's been a good boy but don't make a major fuss of him, if you make it no big deal then eventually he will feel the same.

Other tips I can think of, leave him with an old jumper with your smell on it, leave the radio on, favourite toys, chews etc.

I've no idea how much a behaviourist would cost I'm afraid, but young dog training classes may help him to feel a little more independant.

soory, I've babbled a bit, hope it makes sense and good luck.

J
 
We've had him from 11 weeks and he was still with his mum and sister. He does follow me from room to room (except when he's sleeping and doesnt notice!) Our neighbours have even reported us to environmental health because of his barking.
 
Saw a very clever thing the other day on Animal Planet.

A man recorded his voice - and every time he went out put the tape on for the dog.

The transformation was unbelievable.

Worth a try. He just said a few things directly to the dog - and then read from a DIY manual. I'm sure OK magazine or a good novel will do though!
 
Has he always behaved like this, or is it a recent development? How long is he usually left for? Where does he sleep at night? Do you make a lot of fuss of him when you are home?
 
He has always behaved like this. The past two months Ive been signed off work so Ive been at home a lot, but on the odd occasion I have gone out it has only been for a couple of hours or so (he's never been left longer than 4-5 hours) We had to resort to letting him sleep on our bedroom floor at night after two nights of constant howling and the environmental health complaint we had no choice, but the animal bahviourist said its not the worst thing we could of done as it was obviously stressing him out, not he just sleeps on a towel on the floor and we dont hear a peep out of him.

I dont make too much fuss of him at home, I usually have the kids sqwaking at me! We have started walking him a lot more, I know I should of never listened to my hubby when he said he would do the dog walks!
 
A good start would be to move the towel a little bit further away every night, so he slowly stops depending on being so close to you.
 
Thanks for the advice everyone, starting to feel a little down at the moment. We haven't got pet insurance (my hubby wanted the dog so I said he would pay it! Dont get me wrong I love him to bits, I just dont need all this when Ive been off with depression myself and I wanted the kids to at least be out of nappies before we got a dog, its a nightmare trying to potty train two kids as well as everytime I come home Im cleaning up the dogs wee and poo! I spend my day cleaning up poo!)

I dont know if pet insurance will cover any dog bahviourist bills, or medication as the lady I spoke to ealier said he may require some anti-anxiety drugs. I hope he doesnt.
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It sounds like he is becoming too dependant on your time whilst u are in the home with him, it would be best to start very gradually towards making him feel comfortable with his own company whilst u are in the house with him.

Could you try placing a baby gate on the kitchen, so when u do eventually venture upstairs or into another room he cannot chew or dig at the door itself.......Start by placing him in the kitchen and go into and out frequently but pay him no attention at all......no eye contact or voice recignition.....also wonder in and out the back door for about 20 seconds and gradually built the time up but again no attention.
Always leave the radio on and give him a kong filled with something really juicy to keep him occupied during the period of training.......Only offer him the treat when you are gradually leaving him......so he oly assosiates it with being left for these short periods.

Also if not already done so teach him some basic sit/down stay commands.....so that when he is in the room with you....can use the command to instruct him to go and lie in his own space.
Gradually build up more time for him being left in the kitchen and less time in the rooms that u are in......if you use the baby gate he will still beable to see and hear you.....and of course you will appear every now and then......so he knows u have not completley dissapeared.

You could also put your shoes and coat on/or anything he assosiates you with going out.......but stay in as to confuse him as to weather you are going or staying.

The whole family would have to be consistent in the reduction of attention,

As KIBOB mentioned it is very important not to fuss or greet him when he has been left for any period.....this just hightens the excitement of your return/presence to him.
Its best to walk in take your coat of and go straight to the back door and allow him to go out and pass a motion, then back in no fuss/maybe ofer him treat to reward the calm non attention seeking behaviour.

Although the behaviourist mentioned no harm in letting him in your room/and the noise left you with no choice.....it is another situation where is in your company....which is what he seeks and as a result he is getting what he wants.....this makes it harder to de-sencatise him to your constant presence.
I would as TGM suggested gradually try and move the towel towads the door in preperation to move it out of the room and maybe on to the landing in future.

You could discuss the use a temperory medication whilst working on the seperation issue in mind to reduce and re-move the use of them altogether....there is mild/herbal meds that u could look into.....ask your vet or check the internet for details and look up some seperation problems and advice.....as there are different theories and resolutions to the condition.

You could also try using the baby gate to place on yourbedroom door when u eventually/suceed to get him out on to the landing so he can see you but cant get in.......if he settles on the towel on the landing.......after a few months change the gate to the landing to he gradually ends up at the bottom of the stairs.
It will take patience and time to undo the anxiety and de-sencatise.....but you will get there.

We re-home hundreds of dogs and you would be suprised how many sleepless night we get
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trying to undo this type of behaviour.........its will get easier as long as you stick with it
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GOOD LUCK
 
Thank you for the advice... we have a baby gate on the kitchen door as I have to seperate him from the children when I have a shower or go upstairs, we swapped our wooden one for a metal one as he chewed the wooden one, and he's started on the metal one, we found four of him first teeth when we first put it there! I have a puppy kong, but he tends not to eat or drink anything when I leave him, Ive put pigs ears down for him which usually he loves only to return to find them still untouched.

I leave the radio on for him as well. The only thing that concerns me is that I start back at work tommorow and he's been spoilt with me being around, Im only working 10-2 and I can walk him up to the school in the morning with me so he gets a walk before I go out.
 
Will look into the DAP diffuser, hopefully I can make some money back off my citronella anti-bark collar (which doesnt work now, just barks through it!) to buy one so I can try it!
 
Hi there, I've not read everyones replys, so i'm sorry if i'm repeating someone else!
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i'm about to graduate from a BSc degree in animal behaviour and welfare. One of my lecturers is a renowned pet behaviour councillor and a member of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors. Members of the APBC only work off vet referrals and are highly trained to deal with problems such as the ones you're having. So if you were to take your dog to the vet, they could refer you to a councellor who will not rip you off.
Or click on this link to see who's in your area. Good luck! And dont worry - there's loads of help and treatment out there now for seperation anxiety.
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http://www.apbc.org.uk/clinic_region.php
 
OK, just found this in my notes:

* Identify the person(s) who is the subject of the hyper-attachment
* Re-distribute care routine among other members of the household
* Increase the dog's activity, exercise and interraction with other dogs and people
* Identify all departure cues to which the dog responds; desensitise and counter-condition these
* Reduce the dog's ability to monitor the person's movements; encourage it to sleep away from the person and not in bodily contact with them
* Ignore ALL attention-seeking behaviour
* Measure the time period between departure and the dog becoming distressed
* Begin to practice multiple (as many as possible) unannounced departures that are shorter than this duration. The duration of each departure should be random and may be increased as the dog appears to cope
* The daily routine should be inconsistant every day.
* IGNORE the dog for at least 10 minutes after returning home, until he has fully calmed down
* Leave food, chews and other distractions for the dog while the owner is not around so that, if it does calm down, it may find relaxation in these
* Make the environment as appeasing as possible; use DAP, leave items of the owner's unwashed clothes, isolate external noise, give the dog a comfortable den area, leave classical music or radio chat shows on
* Consider the use of anxiolytic medication.

Hope some of that will help to get you started.

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ETS: If you use a DAP plug, they take a while to build up in the atmosphere, so give them time. And dont turn them off overnight or when the dog's not there. Plug it in a low socket, where the dog can lie next to it. Dont plug it at waist-height or behind furniture. Dont plug it near windows or doors. And you may need 2 or 3 DAP's around the house to gain maximum benefits!
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Hiya, yes Sally Sandford and Trudi Atkinson are both on there. I spoke to Trudi Atkinson this afternoon, this was the lady who gave me the advice at the beginning of the thread, but doesnt deal with Weymouth anymore.
 
Brilliant! Will give all the advice Ive been given by everyone a go... Im going to see this through, I just hope he's a happier dog at the end of it. The general picture I get from reading on the net is only give attention when the dog is behaving the way you would like, ignore at all other times... and that is hard when you've popped to the shop for 10 mins to come back and find poo all over the kitchen floor and half your vinyl missing! But I have been trying to ignore him the last couple of times Ive been out. When hubby gets home from work I have to remind him to blank the dog who is in climbing up his back, barking at him and generally going over the top when he sees him.

We tried to identify which one of us was the one he was most attached to, but it appear to be both of us. We tried it at the weekend, went I went upstairs (dog in the kitchen behind stairgate) he cried, when hubby went upstairs he cried?!?
 
Just in case it's not been said - however bad the mess/destruction when you return do not tell him off! Wait til he is calm, stay positive and relaxed when you do interact, ignore the mess (well clean it up but don't scold the dog). If the dog thinks you'll be upset when you get back he gets more anxious.

Also important not to make a big deal about going out, just leave like it is something that is normal that you are totally happy about doing (which it should be of course)

It can work - my dog was a rescue and she used to leap into my arms if we were seperated for a minute, a rather large whining heap of saliva and anxiety. Now she sleeps while I'm out and greets me happily when I get back
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What should I do if I get back and he hasnt made a mess and has been good.... can I give him attention then? Even though he's giving me the 'over-the-top' greeting??
 
If he's been good, still wait for a bit of calm - just stand there quietly until he's less hyper, then be very happy to see him
 
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