Is it really Separation Anxiety?

A Guide to Alternative Assessments

The impact of Separation Anxiety

Do you have a persistent barker and worry about complaints from neighbours? Or a dog that destroys shoes, furniture, doors, or even plastered walls? Do you dread discovering what you will return to when you get home? The emotional and financial impact of these behaviours can create problems within relationships between human family members as well as the bond with the dog. Sadly, many dogs that suffer from separation anxiety end up being surrendered to rescue centres[2].

If you are in this situation, my first words of comfort are that you are not alone, no pun intended! The Dog’s Trust reported that 13-18% of owners had problems when their dogs were left [5], although it could be as many as 50-56% of dogs affected at some time in their life [3]. Separation anxiety is the second most common behavioural issue faced by dog owners after aggression [4]. Owners with dogs struggling to be left alone make up a large proportion of my behavioural clients.

You should also take comfort: the prognosis is good. With a behavioural modification plan (sometimes supported with medication), rates of improvement could be over 70% [1].

A word of caution, though: there are no quick fixes. If it is separation anxiety, it isn’t as simple as exercising a dog more or giving them a chew toy when they’re alone. Significant patience, planning and persistence are needed.

Correctly diagnosing Separation Anxiety

Common signs that a dog is not coping alone include persistent barking, destructiveness, and toileting indoors. Don’t be too hasty in labelling a dog with these symptoms as suffering from separation anxiety. There could be medical or behavioural explanations for your dog’s behaviour.

Correct diagnosis will provide the most appropriate treatment plan.

Some undesirable behaviours can be readily resolved through simple changes to the quantity or quality of mental and physical stimulation. Other behaviours may require adjustments to restrict access to sources of frustration.

Alternatively, the cause could be a complex problem, such as a phobia, cognitive dysfunction, or compulsive disorder. These issues would not be remedied by a behavioural plan aimed at modifying separation anxiety.

Seek Veterinary Advice First

Always get a thorough veterinary check-up for your dog. There are many health conditions with similar clinical features to separation anxiety [1].

• Urination indoors may be due to diabetes, cystitis, or other urinary tract problem.
• Defecation could be a dietary issue, due to parasites, or colitis.
• Destructive behaviour has been linked to hepatic encephalopathy (decline in brain function that occurs as a result of severe liver disease).
• Excessive barking could also be suggestive of dementia.
• Excessively licking (acral lick) could be dermatitis.

This is why I always ask for a vet referral and history before taking on a separation anxiety behavioural consultation. The process is simple, I supply clients with a link to an online form which their vets complete and return to me.

Case Study: Jack, 12-year-old Weimaraner

My dog is healthy, what next?

The next task is to make sure there are no other explanations.

Take careful notes of your dog’s behaviours. Exactly what is going on, when, where and how often. These are the questions you can expect from a behaviourist when they take on your case:

1. Exactly what is the problem? Is it one issue, or multiple?
2. Is the problem behaviour occurring only when you are absent?
3. When you go out, when does the behaviour begin – as you are getting ready to leave, immediately after you leave, or sometimes afterwards?
4. How long does the behaviour continue for? E.g., if it is barking, is it continuous, just after you leave, or in short bursts but throughout your absence?
5. Where does the dog perform the behaviour? Are they always destructive near the door? Do they stay near the front door to bark? Or perhaps they sit in the middle of the room and bark/howl?
6. Does the behaviour happen every time you go out? 
7. Is the behaviour linked to who goes out? If there are other family members at home, does the behaviour vary depending on who goes out?
8. Make a note of the time of day (daylight hours?). Are there external noises (passers by, post delivery, delivery vans, newspapers, dustbin lorries, birds).

The list of information can go on!

Alternative diagnoses: toileting issues

If the main symptom is frequent toileting accidents, perhaps toilet training is incomplete?

• Some puppies take longer than others to become fully toilet-trained. Go back to basics with their toilet training. A puppy training session could help.
• Adult dogs that have been rehomed from a shelter may have used a concrete run as their toilet, and not previously have been house-trained. Dog training sessions could cover this.

There may be health-related reasons:

• Elderly dogs may not be able to hold on to their bladder contents for as long as they once did. Urinary incontinence is often a part of the aging process; seek veterinary advice.
• Is your dog on any medication? Some medicines change urgency and frequency of toileting. Again, this is one to check with your vet, along with giving additional toilet breaks throughout the day.

Or diet could be a factor.

• Is the diet suitable for your dog’s age and lifestyle?
• Have you changed brands recently?
• Has the manufacturer altered the ingredients (check for a “New and improved recipe” label).

Alternative diagnoses: barking

Consider the triggers for the barking – post delivery, passers by, birds or other animals in the garden, dustbin collection? Pinning barking down to a specific trigger could show that excessive barking is caused by external stimuli. Maybe the trigger only happens when you are at work, so your absence is coincidental rather than being the cause.

Boundary barking is common. Initially, a dog may curiously watch the world go by. However, this can swiftly escalate. A dog may become obsessed with scanning outside their front window, actively seeking something to alert bark about. It becomes a habit, and one that keeps the dog on high alert and in a state of high arousal. They may only get the opportunity to repeat the behaviour when alone; when you are home, you prevent access to the window and provide other distractions.

Control and management of your environment is effective for boundary barking: ensure that your dog does not have access to doors/windows to conduct their surveillance. Make sure they have the opportunity to rest while you are out, rather than being permanently and exhaustingly on sentry duty all day.

Noise phobias can also trigger barking. Fireworks are obvious triggers. Stormy weather (e.g., thunder, high winds, or heavy rain on the patio) can cause fear in dogs. By gathering information about exactly what else is going on at the time of the barking, you may be able to pinpoint external factors. Phobias and separation anxiety often go hand in hand [6], so it is going to help your dog enormously if you can identify what is really worrying them – your absence, a noise, or both.

Alternative Diagnosis: Play

Coming home to carnage is a huge source of stress. The damage isn’t limited to your furniture or property. The dog can cause themselves damage too. Chewing inappropriate items can damage teeth. Consumed items that cause obstructions in the gut can require extensive surgery and can even prove fatal.

Case study: Aero, 5-year-old Greyhound

In this case, we had a dog that was not used to her new home environment. In part, the behaviour was play-based; she was having fun throwing the books around, chasing and shredding them. However, she had never been taught appropriate play, so she did not know her behaviour with the books was undesirable. She may also have not liked Jamie Oliver’s recipes! However, after allowing her time to properly adjust to her new home, and using a crate (she was used to kennels previously, so felt comfortable in her crate), plus ensuring she had a great selection of Kong recipes, she settled in very well.

Case study: George, puppy Sprocker Spaniel

The kitchen roll ‘attack’ happened when the puppy was on his own. However, had the owners been in, he may just as likely have grabbed to kitchen roll holder – it’s just that they would have been in situ to prevent the subsequent shredding. Providing a Kong Wobbler and appropriate chews by his owner, and conscientious “puppy proofing” ensured this little chap didn’t get up to too much mischief.

I’m still sure it’s Separation Anxiety. What now?

The alternatives to separation anxiety aren’t a conclusive list. The purpose of this blog is to encourage a deep dive into what is really going on. Gather your data. Get your dog thoroughly vet checked. Rule out other explanations. Armed with this information, a behaviourist will be able to complete an assessment.

And then the carefully planned process to resolve separation anxiety can begin.

References

1. Sherman, B.L. (2008) Understanding Behaviour Separation Anxiety in Dogs http://www.vetfolio.com/behavior/understanding-behavior-separation-anxiety-in-dogs .
2. RJ. Sargisson (2014) Canine separation anxiety: strategies for treatment and management. Vet Med Res Rep. 2014;5:143–151.
3. Karagiannis, C. I., Burman, O. H. P., and Mills, D. S. (2015). Dogs with separation-related problems show a “less pessimistic” cognitive bias during treatment with fluoxetine (ReconcileTM) and a behaviour modification plan. BMC Vet. Res. 11:80. doi: 10.1186/s12917-015-0373-1
4. Simona Cannas, Zita Talamonti, Silvia Mazzola, Michela Minero, Anna Picciolini, Clara Palestrini (2018). Factors associated with dog behavioral problems referred to a behavior clinic. Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 2018;24: 42-47
5. https://www.dogstrustdogschool.org.uk/behaviour/separation-anxiety/how-common-is-separation-anxiety/ .
6. Overall, K.L., Dunham, A.E., Frank, D. (2001) Frequency of nonspecific clinical signs in dogs with separation anxiety, thunderstorm phobia, and noise phobia, alone or in combination J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2001 Aug 15;219(4):467-73. https://www.avma.org/News/Journals/Collections/Documents/javma_219_4_467.pdf .