For scientific information about Canine Separation Anxiety see my website http://dogpsychologyhelp.com/separationanxiety.aspx . Today I am going to be explaining separation anxiety bluntly and using analogies that are easy to understand.

I am also venting.

 

If your dog is destroying things, find out why. Millions of dogs live in homes and do not destroy things. If your dog has separation anxiety, he is suffering horribly. Get help for him.

Our society is on sensory overload. We keep making ourselves busier. We multi task more, we have more noise and clutter around us. We are stressed and most people cannot remember what it is to just sit quietly and look and listen and do noting in a really quiet place. Now add in a dog who is destroying your things, follows you all around when you are home, is overly excited at greeting you and cries and barks when you leave, pees on your new rug, drools excessively, shakes, shivers whines and howls and causes the neighbors to complain.

This dog was supposed to be your companion, your family member, your buddy. Now the relationship is deteriorating. So what do you do? You go to the pet store and ask a clerk what you can do. Put the dog in a kennel. Great! Why did you ask a store clerk about a problem you are having with your dog? Why didn’t you as your veterinarian or a behavior specialist?

Ok. What would you think about me if I told you my child had gang green on her leg and it really upset me because it was gross. It’s upsetting my environment. Oozing on my furniture and carpet, the bedding. It stinks. So I go to the local big box drug store and ask the clerk; what I can do to keep my stuff from getting ruined. She tell me to get some gauze and tape. I cover up the wound and now it is no longer a problem for me. Is that a reasonable solution to my problem. NO. Why. Because my child is still suffering. I feel better, it works for me but it does not work for her. She is getting sicker and sicker.

So is your dog with separation anxiety that locked in a box. So is your dog with separation anxiety that is not treated with medication and behavior modification. If you don’t believe me set up a video camera and tape your dog for the full day.

Did it ever occur to you that your dog may be claustrophobic? Some dog simply can not handle being in a small space just like some people. Would you put your claustrophobic friend in a small space? No? Why? Why is it ok to do that to your dog?

If your spouse or child were having such severe panic attacks and anxiety that they were harming them selves would you only treat the wounds?

I have seen dogs that were so upset trying to escape a kennel that they broke their teeth. Can you imagine how upset the dog had to be to go to the extreme that he broke teeth?

 

Here are some examples of what it is like for a dog with separation anxiety

Imagine you live in a really bad neighborhood, street gangs, shootings, child molesters the worst of the worst. I come along lock you either in a small closet or in the house and let your 5 year old sweet little girl go outside and I walk her down the street and out of your sight and leave her alone there. You don’t know where she is, when she is coming back, if she is ok.

We’ll take that same scenario and change it a little. Now lets leave your 6 year old in the house alone locked in a closet. She doesn’t know where you went, when you are coming back. She can hear the gun shots, the yelling, the sirens. She doesn’t know when she will eat or drink again. She feel like she will be alone forever, will never eat or drink and only lonely bad horrible things are going to happen.

 

It doesn’t take a lot of consideration to figure out what your dog is going through. What do whining and crying and excessive barking indicate? A happy dog? The dog is very very upset. Don’t be lazy and selfish when it comes to your dogs welfare. What is an easy solution for you may be a horrible situation for your dog.

Dogs don’t have to suffer with fear. I get so upset when people tell me that their dogs breed is naturally afraid or anxious. NO NO NO. It is not normal to live with generalized anxiety or separation anxiety. Rescued greyhounds, rescued puppy mill dogs, rescued shelter dogs, rescued beaten and neglected dogs do not have to continue to suffer. Honestly I have seen people make every excuse about their dogs anxiety. With some people it appears to be some sort of psychological disorder like Munchausen’s syndrome. They like the attention because they think they are special for having this dog with all this emotional background. It is selfish. They want to modify minor behaviors like leash pulling but not the dogs suffering. Or they only want me to stop the dog from freaking out during thunderstorms when the owner is home. Frankly I don’t get it.

 

You are exhausted, frustrated and just want a quick easy solution. Sometimes the quick easy solutions come with a very high price for your dog. Usually it will ultimately end in the death of the dog. You may not be honest enough to take the dog to your vet and stay with him while he is killed because he has anxiety, but instead will take him to the local shelter having created all kinds of excuses why this is the best thing. This is the demise of dogs with untreated separation anxiety.

 

The leading cause of death in dogs is euthanasia due to behavior. If you combine all of the other things that dogs die from for dogs die from euthanasia due to behavior.

DON’T KILL THE DOG – FIX THE BEHAVIOR

 

I get a lot of questions from clients about puppy’s humping and even adult neutered dogs humping. There is a lot of misunderstanding on the part of dog owners as to why there dogs are humping. As always, it is “What your dog thinks that matters.”

From your dogs point of view this is not a sexual behavior. This is a dominance behavior. If you, your family or your friends are being humped by your dog; it is because your dog is making the statement to that person that they your dog is in a higher place rank. (pack rank is NOT like the pecking order in chickens) Remember rank changes depending on place and circumstances.

So what is going on with the puppy in this video? He is fairly new to our “pack” which contains members of humans, dogs, cats, a miniature horse, a rooster and two hens.(the rooster and the miniature horse play and interact with the dogs). My cats have been given the highest pack rank in the house (they don’t go outside) through training the dogs and the cats. So in the house the rank order is People then cats then dogs. Out side the pack order is People  - dogs – rooster – horse. At certain times and places the rooster and the horse have a higher rank then the dogs.

If there are no people outside the pack rank is : the bull mastiff/ choc lab mix, the great Pyrenees – the rooster then the miniature horse. (the puppy is not allowed out side with out supervision).

This “rank training” has left the puppy completely at the bottom. For 3 days he tried fervently to increase his pack rank. He was unsuccessful. No pack either canine or human/canine should have a child in a high position. He was particularly interested in “dethroning” my bull mastiff /choc lab mix. In most situations she is second only to people. She is the alpha. She also took it upon herself to “guide and instruct the puppy about places and rules” She had been policing him pretty intently.

Why did the puppy choose to hump the recliner? The recliner is the preferred spot in the living room. It allows views out several windows the front door, the back door, the living room, the stairs where the cats go up and down and part of the kitchen; most importantly the path to the food and dishes. Because this is such a highly important spot the bull mastiff has charge of the recliner. It is where she spends much of her rest time. She will allow the cats to be in the recliner but the other dog is not allowed there and she had been keeping the puppy away from it. She will only accept the cats in the recliner if a person is sitting in it.   

The puppy in frustration and anxiety decided that the only way to relive the stress of the pack order and being on the bottom was to be in charge of the recliner. Hoping to leave his scent and send a message to the bull mastiff. The physical activity of humping was a stress reliever. He had to get rid of the anxiety.

What you need to watch for with any dog is that humping behavior that is also related to stress does not become a compulsion. Also watch for excessive licking of the genital area or biting of the penis. This could be an indication of infection or some irritant. If you notice licking or biting, have your veterinarian examine your dog to be sure there is not a medical component to the behavior. Humping may also provide relief to itching or an irritated feeling.

If you need help restructuring your pack to stop the humping go to www.dogpsychologyhelp.com/default.aspx

 

Some times we all have those really funny moments at work. Even the most serious carriers have those moments you just can't help laughting. It is important when you are dealing with stressful behavior problems to also keep a sense of humor. My son recently adopted a Bernese Mountain Dog puppy. I have been spending some time puppy sitting and training. I wanted to share a funny moment with you. Check out the youtube link below. Laughing is good for your brain and your body.

Share a funny pet moment you have had.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zD3bwB5KQDA I would appreciate it if you could leave a rating.

Thanks enjoy

Happy Tails Dog Behavior & Training

Dog Psychology Help www.dogpsychologyhelp.com/default.aspx

 

 

Dogs become aggressive for many reasons. If your dog has always been friendly and then suddenly becomes aggressive, suspect a medical reason for the aggression. The very first thing you should do is get your dog a thorough checkup with his veterinarian. There are many medical causes or contributions to aggression. Pain is very common.

I recommend that you keep a journal of aggressive episodes to help clarify what is causing the aggression from the dogs’ point of view.  Write down who is present, the time of day and the circumstances in detail.

If you decide why your dog is aggressive and you are wrong it could cause more problems. Our relationship the dog/human bond is greatly affected by how we view the dogs’ motivation for behavior. This will in turn effect the reaction you have when your dog misbehaves. It is important to your relation ship and your dogs’ happiness that you get a qualified opinion from a dog behavior specialist as to what the dog is thinking.

 

I know I say this often here and on other blogs and articles, but dogs will never think the way people think. Moreover, what you interpret the dog to be feeling can be very wrong. For example, I had a client that was bitten by their dog and interpreted the response as being vindictive. That was not the case. The owner was sure he was the pack leader. He was not. The incident happened at the door. The owner was talking to an annoying sales person at the door while holding the door open. The dog was barking behind the owner. The owners’ frustration continued to escalate. When the stranger reached and opened the screen, the dog lunged and the owner grabbed the dogs collar. In that moment the owner was fearful the dog would escape. He was also worried about the stranger. In those few minutes the owners pheromones, heart rate, respirations and voice pitch changed. The dog interpreted the smells and sounds coming from the owner. The conclusion the dog came to was that the owner was in danger.

So if the dog thought the owner was in danger why did he bite the owner and not the stranger?

 

Post your thoughts. I'll give you mine in the next blog.

 

Happy Tails

Dog Psychology Help

http://www.dogpsychologyhelp.com/default.aspx

is no place that I can see for people to submit trainers this list  your site.

In NY Happy Tails Dog Behavior & Training http://dogpsychologyhelp.com/default.aspx

Most often I see a lack of self confidence, anxiety, insecurity or fear as a psychological basis for a dog urinating or pooping in the house. For example, when a dog greets someone and the dog squats and pees a little, they are trying to say “please be kind, I will be submissive, I will behave as a puppy”.

Another example is a dog who urinates near windows or doors when the owner isn’t home. The dog is trying to place his scent to let what ever monster is outside know that this is his territory in the hopes that the monster won’t try to come in.

Dogs will do a similar thing with poop. If your dog is pooping multiple times during a short period of time he has some very serious anxiety going on and is suffering. Your dog should probably only have 2 BM’s a day. If they have the consistency of wet sand, or have mucous your dog is using a lot of energy to make the poop. If  this is the case with your dog, get the dog to a veterinarian to rule out medical problems and then seek the help of a professional in the dog behavior field. The dog will use it as sort of an ultimate marker. Poop has both visual and scent attributes in the dogs mind. The potential invader can both smell and see it as it clearly marks the boundary limit.

If your dog is having these problems, don’t punish him; you will make the anxiety worse. Ignore the messes, just clean them up. Seek professional help for your dog so that neither of you have to suffer anymore.

We love our dogs very much, many times as if they were children. Dogs however do not think like humans. They think like dogs. They have what is commonly called pack mentality. (from the dogs point of view whoever is living together in an environment is a pack member)They are pack animals and make decisions and choices that they view as best for the pack. Dogs care about 5 things.
Establish and protect the territory
Find food and water.
Court and mate.
Raise young.
Play.
Pack structure is very important to dogs. Pack structure how ever changes from location to location. Whoever is pack leader in the living-room may not be pack leader in the back yard. It also changes with environmental circumstances. For example if you have a dog with storm phobia that is pack leader; during storms that dog will move to the bottom of the pack. You can’t have an unstable pack leader and ensure the safety and survival of the pack. This effects how we view living with our dogs in a pack. The popular belief is that whoever the pack leader is; is always the pack leader; but that is not the case. Who ever is the best pack leader in a given set of environmental circumstances is the pack leader. For example, if you live in the burbs and there are a lot of nearby packs, plenty of food and water and no predators then you want and older more experienced negotiator as a leader so that you are not fighting with other packs.

What are the qualities of a pack leader? Despite popular belief pack leaders are not aggressive. It doesn’t make sense for pack members to be aggressive with each other. The passing on of genetics and the survival of the pack are put in jeopardy if a pack member is injured. Canines (wolves, coyotes, feral dogs, domestic dogs etc) do not injure pack members, that would be a serious crime within a pack. Why? Because now the pack is down a hunter or a nanny or a guarder, and also the resources of other pack members must be used to take care of the injured pack member. The pack now is at more risk from predators and hunger.
In order to be a pack leader you must be: mature, loyal, consistent, fair, just, and most importantly calm and confident and in some environments you must have a good sense of humor and play. How does your dog view you? Who has more of these qualities, you or your dog? Who do you think is the leader in your pack?

A lot of clients contact me for what they believe is an inability on either their part or their dogs to achive or maintian going potty outside. What appears on the surface to be a stubborn, vengiful, or stupid dog may in reality be a dog that is sick, confused or having some serious psychological problems. Konwing how to tell when your dog is urinating or deficating in the house because he is sick is very important for every dog owner to know.

The signs of a medical problem when your dog pees in the house are: small amounts of urine. Peeing on the floor, area rugs, towels, personal items, or furniture such as beds or sofas. A loss of appitite is sometimes present, and also sometimes lower energy or vomiting or diahrrea. Most commonly though the only sign an owner will notice is that the dog is peeing where he sould not be. If you have a dog that was previously house trained and he starts to pee in the house, get him checked out by your veterinarian for a bladder infection. Many veterinarians will let you drop off a urine sample to be tested. Call you veterinarian first and be sure to follow their instructions and recomendations. Bladder infections in dogs are very common. About 98% of the clients who call me with a dog that was previously house trained and is now peeing in the house end up only needing antibiotics for their dog.

 

If your dog was previously house trained and you have ruled out bladder infection, than what might be some of the other reasons he is peeing in the house now? You need to do some investigative thinking. Is he afraid to go outside? Did he have a scary or painful experience while he was peeing outside? Could he have been stung by a bee? Did his feet or private parts get too cold and they hurt? Did he get yelled at while he was outside peeing? Did he hear a car backfire or some other fightening sound? Remember you are trying to see things from your dogs point of view not yours.

 

What about your dog being vengiful?  This is a misconseption by many dog owners for a wide variety of behavior problems. Your dog does not experience vengince. That is a human trait. Dogs live in the moment. They don't lay around planning out how they are going to get even with you for something that happened in the past. I will go deeper into this topic in antother blog. If your dog is peeing or pooping where he should not be it is for some other reason, he is not tring to get even with you.

 

Is your dog confused? If you are not being very consistant with house training, your dog will become confused. Some dogs also develop a preference to certain surfaces. If you get a dog that was living on cement in the past, he may not like to use the grass. You will need to be consistant and patient to teach him to use the grass. If there is no cement or hard surface availbale outside, he may decide he is has to use the tile floor. Its just that he never learned to go on the grass, be patient.

 

The next blog will be on psychological problems.