Dear Miss Paws: I know that some shelter dogs have separation anxiety problems when they are first adopted. Do you have any suggestions about how to handle this situation so the dog adjusts to normal family life? A. Since a dog is a social animal, it wants to be with its family and being alone is not a natural situation in its mind. Some dogs have trouble adjusting to this. A puppy learns that making barking, whining or crying sounds brings its mother to it. So these sounds are natural reactions when the dog wants to be with its family. He may also consider scratching at the door or window, digging or other behavior to be “normal” because it is designed to allow it to escape the house and rejoin its family. Dogs may become so anxious that they defecate or urinate without control or tear up objects indiscriminately. If a dog is punished for these actions, the resulting increase in anxiety can make the whole situation worse. If at all possible, it is best to ignore the destruction and set aside some time to figure out exactly what is happening so you can help your dog adjust to separation. The very first thing you need to do is spy on your dog and figure out how long he waits before tearing up stuff after you leave him. Some dogs start – literally – in one minute or less. Others wait a half hour or an hour or longer. Once you have some idea of this time span, you can begin to solve the problem. It is also necessary to teach your dog “sit” and, hopefully, “stay” before you start working on the actual “separation” problem. The ability to “sit” and “stay” are essential commands for a dog that is so nervous that it must be in the same room with you all the time. With these commands, you can gradually ease yourself out of the room and when it tolerates that – you can start working on leaving the house. It can help with these beginning steps to use an anti-anxiety medication such as amitriptylline (Elavil Rx) or buspirone (Buspar Rx) so talk to your vet about this. Then leave for short periods and come right back – sometimes all you will be able to do is stand outside the door for a few seconds. Don’t stay away long enough for your dog to get upset. The idea is to lengthen the time away gradually. It may also help to vary the times so your dog can’t keep track of a “routine”. Keep this up until your dog is comfortable with you being gone for a reasonable length of time. Don’t make a big deal over coming back in – it is best to greet the dog quietly or ignore it. Once your dog can tolerate you being gone for an hour or two, it should be possible to make the jump to longer durations without much problem. Also, about the time your dog is comfortable with being left alone, it is best to begin slowly tapering off any behavioral medications you have been using in the treatment of his anxiety. Abruptly stopping the medications can lead to a relapse, so ask your vet how to wean your dog off slowly and safely. Good luck!!
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