JANET'S POMERANIAN TIPS

"Rusty" Submitted by Michelle Gregorio

Have you ever wondered what your dog does when you're not at home? Perhaps he takes a nap on your bed, chews on your favorite pair of shoes, or even enjoys terrorizing the cat. People whose dogs suffer from separation anxiety are lucky if their house is still in one piece when they return home.

Separation anxiety is a form of mental illness which affects dogs. The second their owners leave, the dogs become extremely upset and anxious, they can then become frantic. At this point the dog is not in control of its behavior.

Separation anxiety is a panic disorder caused by overstimulation of the parts of the brain that regulate fear and stress in your dog, but the term is often misapplied. Like Attention Deficit Disorder in children, separation anxiety in dogs has become a trendy diagnosis. Not every dog that misbehaves when the owners are away has separation anxiety.

Dogs are pack animals. They are extremely social and form strong bonds with their owners. Most dogs do not like it when their owners leave and will exhibit mild forms of the behaviors associated with separation anxiety. A typical dog left alone may chew shoes out of boredom, but dogs with separation anxiety will almost chew the refrigerator.

The three main signs of separation anxiety are destruction, vocalization, and elimination. These dogs will bark and howl the entire time the owner is gone. The destruction these dogs can do is astounding.

There are several distinctions of separation anxiety. The first is the mass destruction when the dog is left alone. The dogs literally destroy the house, chewing through walls, doors, and even into the refrigerator! Exit points to and from the house are targets, maybe because the dogs think they may get outside to find their owners. Another distinction is that this extreme destruction normally occurs within the first 15 minutes after the owner has left.

Separation anxiety is not a problem which is commonly seen in puppies. It is seen in dogs that have been through trauma. Unfortunately separation anxiety is self perpetuating. These dogs keep getting more and more upset each time the owners leave the house. Having another pet does not help these dogs, as it is not boredom that is causing their behavior. These dogs are extremely attached to their owners, and are usually wonderful pets.

There is no quick fix for this problem. Anti-depressant and anxiety drugs alone are not enough to conquer this anxiety. Medication needs to be used in addition to desensitization therapy. Desensitization therapy involves having the dog sit and stay as the owner gradually steps away. Eventually the owner will step out of the room as the dog stays and learns that the owner will return. The goal is to take the "scary" factor out of the owner's departure and reassure the dog that the owner is coming back. This is time consuming work and takes a lot of dedication. -- Mark Woodcock

Learn more about Pomeranian Secrets here....

>