Your dog is scratching at the door again. You've just let her out so you can attend to a visitor, and now he's having a major freak-out - whining and wailing and gouging up the doorplanks. It seems to happen every time you're out of your dog's direct line of vision. Bad enough she tears up the house while you're away at work; lately, she's started acting up while you're still getting ready in the morning, whimpering and barking as you pick up your keys. The poor dog is a nervous wreck, and frankly you're not feeling so hot either. What to do?
You are the most important person in your dog's life, and naturally your presence is a comfort to her. But if your dog is tearing the door apart to get to you on the other side, it may be a sign of anxiety. The protective instinct is strong in dogs, and when your dog is separated from you during your workday, she may be afraid that something terrible will happen to you.
Another occasion for anxiety comes when you shut the dog outside or into another room, as to deal with a deliveryman or visitor. In such cases, her concern is for herself and her place in the hierarchy of your little pack. She feels rejected; you've sent her away, banished her, and her status within the social structure of the family is suddenly uncertain.
Whatever the cause of her insecurity, your dog needs reassurance from you before the behavior can be resolved. Desensitization training can help her to understand that separation is temporary. Research indicates that dogs, like most animals, perceive time very differently than humans do, with little functional concept of "the future" and limited ability to plan; but they can learn to associate stimulus clues with events, and thereby anticipate coming events - as in Pavlov's famous experiment.
In a weekend of intensive training, you can start conditioning your dog to disassociate your departure rituals - e.g., gathering up your keys, or putting on your jacket - from the stress of separation, simply by performing those actions several times without actually leaving the house. By repeatedly going through the motions of departure while your dog is in a calm, submissive state, you are deactivating the triggers for her fear. When you do leave the house, don't make a big goodbye. You're not going to slip away unnoticed - your dog is far too alert for that - but by keeping the event low-key, you're sending her the message that this No Big Deal.
The same desensitization approach can work to calm your dog's fear of banishment when you isolate her. Open the door to her crate or play yard and, using a toy, encourage her to enter. Allow her to explore the environment, and walk away, all the while leaving the door or gate open. The idea is to get her used to the isolation space without anxiety. Once she's comfortable with being in the crate or yard by herself, you can close the door or gate for a short time. If she scratches at the door, ignore her until she settles. Repeat the process several times, leaving the door shut for a longer time with each repetition.
The end goal of the training is to have the dog focus on what's happening on her side of the door, rather than on your presence on the other side - so it's vital to have toys and comfort items in the space. And again, don't make a big fuss when it's time to isolate the dog. If you're calm and matter-of-fact, she will take her cues from you.
These conditioning techniques are the most certain way to alleviate behavioral problems. Keep in mind, though, that they will only be effective if undertaken while your dog is calm and settled; if your dog's anxiety is particularly intense - to the degree where she cannot settle even with you present in the room - these exercises may actually make the problem worse. If this is the case, it may be necessary to have your vet prescribe an anti-anxiety medication - at least as a temporary measure, to allow your dog to relax enough to benefit from the behavior-modification training.
With the proper mix of reassurance and training, you and your dog can get back to enjoying the time you spend together, rather than stressing over the time you spend apart.
Author Resource:
Jack Feerick is an editor for PurelyDogBeds.com – your source for dog beds and more
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