# Seperation Anxiety Issues ....



## Watson_Mills (Jun 11, 2012)

Hi there, our V Amber is just over 6 months old, and has picked up training (obedience, house training, gundog training, crate training) like a duck to water - she is bright as a button, however we have 1 BIG issue with separation anxiety.

My Partner and I both work shifts which can vary from day to day week to week so we have no set pattern or routine when we are at home or work .... and up to now one of us has usually been at home with her every day since we bought her home at 8 weeks old, however we are now at a point where we cannot even leave the room without her whinging and howling for us .....

We have tried leaving her in the crate and leaving the room for a few seconds and gradually increasing this but this doesn't seem to be working .....

She has now recently started whining in her crate in the middle of the night too (which is in the living room downstairs), and the lack of sleep is starting to take its toll .....

We are in dire need of some help so looking for any suggestions from any other V owners ???


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## Darcy1311 (May 27, 2012)

I have Darcy in a crate whenever we are out of the house, it took some doing but I put her bed,some toys and her food inside and it works a treat,but it does take time....at night Darcy comes up stairs and into the bedroom, I know some people wont agree with this, but we get a good nights sleep, and if you are sleeping well throughout the night it certainly helps you cope with the little monster during the day. My vizsla follows me all around the house,and I don't mind. really they are just like children......wail till your vizsla is 18 months old.....that's when they become like teenagers...and we all know what they are like...just enjoy!!!


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## pippylongstocking (May 21, 2012)

I feel for you. We also have problems with separation anxiety. Our V Ester is 4 months old. It took some time to crate train her at night, but she still has issues. We moved her crate from the lounge to the kitchen, and put some of her toys in. We also covered her crate to make it more den like. She will now go in at bed time and go straight to sleep, but only for a few hours. She generally wakes me up between 4-5am every day, barking and whining till I get up. I take her out and let her go to the toilet, then give her a treat when she gets back in the crate. I close the door and cover her up and then wait. I do not speak to her or make a fuss. I have tried this a few times, and have eventually managed to creep back to bed for up to 60 mins so far, which is precious when you are shattered! There has been someone with her everyday since we got her, and she is terrible to try and leave her. We had complaints from our neighbour the first time we left her, and since then, we daren't leave her. I am hoping to start gradually leaving her, but same as your dog, she makes such a racket as soon as we are out of sight. Your dog sounds so intelligent, I am sure you will get there, just keep going and post the cure if you find one!


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## Gingernutter (Dec 4, 2011)

Sounds like you are covering most angles... I posted this a while back... What worked for me may work for you or not! 

I'll start with crate training, a lot of people have lots of ideas, I'll explain what I did and what my breeder advised. I brought him home and from the first night he was in his crate which is in a room downstairs. He cried and whined and barked for a good hour for the first 4 or 5 nights. I was told to ignore completely and he would always settle in the end. If he awoke and started the same in the middle of the night I would go down and let home outside to pee or poop, the rule though! No eye contact and no talking infact no interaction at all,just out do his stuff and back to the crate. He soon worked it out and although horrible and to coin the phrase " cruel to be kind" it worked. He has slept since that first week every night until we get up....including late lay ins on a sunday. The only other rule I have with him is whenever we leave the house I never ever say good bye or interact, I just place him in the crate and walk away. I had it explained to me that this way he does not get separation problems as he does not know if your going out for 5 mins or 5 hours.


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## Angie NG (Jun 6, 2012)

We are getting our puppy in a few weeks and I have been told to do exactly the same thing Gingernutter, hopefully it will work for me as well as it has for you.


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## Gingernutter (Dec 4, 2011)

Hope it helps Angie and best of luck it is hard work but do ate kids and any other dog... All worth it though as I get so much pleasure back from him.


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## Watson_Mills (Jun 11, 2012)

Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions ...

Touch wood, we are now back to sleeping at night YAY !!!!! I invested in some earplugs + gave some to all my neighbours, let her whinge and moan on Monday evening, she gave up at about 3am when she knew she wasn't getting anywhere with us and surprise surprise she slept through the night Tuesday and Wednesday the little madam .... :

Now back to leaving her on her own during the day .....


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## jjohnson (Nov 9, 2011)

A kong or bone with peanut butter in the middle has worked wonders for us! Our Gus knows he gets one everytime we leave him alone in the house, and now when he sees his bone filled with peanut butter ready to go, he practically pushes us out of the house!


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## hotmischief (Mar 11, 2012)

You could try Adaptil - when you try leaving her during the day, it might help relieve the stress if she is used to one of you being there all day.

http://www.ceva.us/us/Products/Product-List/Adaptil-Formerly-D.A.P-R

Glad your getting some sleep at night.


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## ironman_stittsville (Oct 12, 2011)

jjohnson said:


> A kong or bone with peanut butter in the middle has worked wonders for us! Our Gus knows he gets one everytime we leave him alone in the house, and now when he sees his bone filled with peanut butter ready to go, he practically pushes us out of the house!


I do the same. Every night at bedtime I make Phoebe a peanut butter kong and take her up to her crate. She walks in and waits for her bedtime snack. I close the door, tell her she is a good girl and that is the last I see or hear her until the morning. Works very well for a food-driven V.

Rh.


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## Watson_Mills (Jun 11, 2012)

I will definately fill up Amber's Kong with Peanut Butter and give that a try !!

Its amazing how much better everything seems after a few good nights sleep !!!!


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## jld640 (Sep 29, 2010)

And now that you are on a path to success...

I highly recommend practicing alone time EVERY SINGLE DAY. Even at 21 months, if I miss giving Savannah alone time one day, I can tell the next.


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## redbirddog (Apr 23, 2010)

*Separation related behaviour: a serious but often hidden welfare issue for domestic dogs *
Dr Rachel Casey 

"What is separation related behaviour?
Separation related behaviours are sometimes known as ‘home alone’ or ‘owner absent’ behaviours, and describe the range of undesired behaviours which dogs may show when left alone in the house by their owners. This might include howling, barking, destruction or toileting. Dogs usually show these behaviours soon after they are left. 
Separation related behaviour (SRB) is a very common problem in the dog population: for example a longitudinal study of Labrador Retrievers and Border Collies, found that over 50% of dogs had displayed SRB by 18 months of age. Questionnaire surveys of dog walkers carried out in different locations in Southern England revealed that 13% of dogs from the general population were currently exhibiting SRB and a further 11% had done so at some time in the past. 

Why do these behaviours develop? 
‘Separation related behaviour’ is a descriptive term: it groups together all undesired behaviours which occur when dogs are left alone. However, not all dogs show these behaviours for the same reason. For example, some dogs may be destructive when owners are out because they are inhibited from playing and chewing when their owners are present, because of punishment. These behaviours may also arise where dogs anticipate an aversive event, because something has previously happened whilst their owners were out (e.g. a loud noise) and they have associated this with being alone. However, the majority of dogs develop these behaviours as a result of not learning to cope with social isolation whilst puppies, resulting in anxiety when left alone throughout life. 

Why is this issue relevant to dog breeding? 
The Advisory Council is highlighting this problem because it is common, generally arises due to early experiences, and significantly compromises the welfare of dogs over long periods. Prevention of the problem lies in adequate habituation of puppies early in life to separation from people. 

Why are these behaviours so common?
The dog has changed significantly from its ancestral species, behaviourally as well as physically, over the process of domestication. This means that many of the ‘traditional’ interpretations of dog behaviour based on models of wolf behaviour are no longer considered applicable. However, dogs have retained a fundamental characteristic of the wolf; their highly social nature. It is normal for dogs to spend their time with other dogs, engaging in social activities, and it is not a natural occurrence for members of the species to be socially isolated. 
When isolated, puppies will naturally show behaviours in order to regain social contact, such as vocalising or trying to escape. These behaviours are motivated by anxiety about being separated from their mother, siblings or human family and can continue for a long time. Behaviours which are ‘successful’ in preventing owners leaving, or getting them to return become reinforced: in other words they are more likely to be used by the animal again the next time it is in the same situation. For example, if a puppy barks when it is first left alone, and the owner returns, the puppy is more likely to bark next time, because this previously worked to ameliorate its distress. With repetition, this behaviour can become established such that dog may bark for prolonged periods whilst owners are out – eventually the behaviour ‘works’ for the dog when owners return. 
Because returning to puppies reinforces behavioural responses which are undesired, it has previously been suggested that puppies should be left alone and ignored if they show signs of distress. However, this approach is no longer recommended as it can lead to prolonged periods of distress for puppies. These puppies may remain anxious throughout life when left alone, even though they do not show any ‘problem’ behaviour for their owner, such as destruction or vocalisation. Indeed, although undesired responses such as barking and destruction are common in dogs, even more dogs are distressed when left alone but do not show ‘problem’ behaviours. Rather, these show more subtle signs of anxiety, such as pacing, restlessness or repetitive behaviours, which the owners may not recognise or seek help for.

Recommendations

1.	The risk of separation related behaviours can be substantially reduced by starting the process of habituating puppies to social isolation in the breeder’s environment. This should be achieved by a programme of initially momentary separation of each puppy from its mother and litter mates in the presence of people, building up to gradually longer periods of separation from other dogs, and ultimately brief separation from dogs and people. Such programmes prepare puppies for experiencing separation from littermates when homed, and start habituating them to cope with the periods of complete social isolation which are a common element of domestic life for dogs. 

2.	On homing, owners are encouraged to gradually accustom their new puppy to social isolation. This may be achieved, for example, by gradually moving the location where the puppy sleeps away from owners, such that the puppy does not become anxious in this situation. 

3.	Further research is required to understand the extent to which anxiety associated behaviours are influenced by genetic factors, and the Advisory Council suggests that research is needed into the identification of characteristics which influence behavioural styles and potential genetic markers, for these are important in selecting dogs best suited for the domestic environment.

4.	Owners need to be aware that dogs showing separation related behaviours are distressed, rather than ‘naughty’ or ‘dirty.’ These behaviours can be successfully treated, and owners should seek advice from a qualified behaviourist* when they see signs of separation behaviours. 

*Veterinary Behaviourists or Clinical Animal Behaviourists as defined by the Animal Behaviour and Training Council (ABTCouncil.org.uk) have standards of qualification and experience for animal behaviour modification,"

http://www.dogadvisorycouncil.com/resources/8-may-master-priority-problems-revised-080512.doc

Full article from the UK's Dog Adviory Council above.

RBD


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