Treating separation anxiety

 

If your dog has separation anxiety, it's because your dog is extremely attached to you. In fact, it's over-dependant.

 

Separation anxiety should be treated like any other fear, that is, working slowly. This is done by leaving the dog alone for very short periods of time and gradually working to longer periods, taking care to never allow the dog to become anxious during any session. 

 

When you must leave your dog for long periods during the conditioning program, leave him/her in a different part of the house than the one in which the conditioning sessions take place.  This way you won’t undo all of your work if he/she becomes overstressed by your long absence.

 

To keep your dog entertained whilst you are away, provide plenty of toys, or perhaps a bone to chew on.  Leaving the radio on may also help, as dogs can often find the presence of a human voice soothing.

 

When you return home, no matter how horrified or relieved you are at the condition of the house, greet your dog calmly.  Then have him perform a simple trick or obedience exercise so that you have an excuse to praise him/her.  In severe cases, your veterinarian can prescribe anti-anxiety medications to help your pet deal with being left alone.  It will take a lot of patience, and often a whole lot of self-control, but it’s not fair to you or your dog to let this situation continue, as it will only get worse.

 

Jumping Up

 

Jumping up to greet you is a normal canine behaviour, but it can be an irritating or dangerous one.  Teach your dog to sit and stay so that you can kneel down to his level for greeting.  When he does jump up, simply say “No” and step backward, so that his/her paws meet only air, or lift your leg to block his approach.  Teaching your dog a special command (such as “jump up”) that lets him know it’s OK to jump can actually help him discriminate the difference.


You may be lucky and your rescue dog may already be house-trained, however, it may take a while for your dog to realise where he can and can’t relieve himself.  With some concerted effort, you can speed the process along.  Follow these rules for saving your carpets and creating a fully housetrained dog:

Restrict your dog’s unsupervised freedom in the house (at least initially).  All dogs have a natural desire to avoid soiling their den area.  The problem is your dog may only consider his bed to be the equivalent of the den, so he walks a few feet away and relieves himself in the house.  Restricting your dog to a smaller room, such as the laundry or bathroom whilst you are away may help, so that he won’t soil in the house in your absence.

Don’t let accidents happen.  When your dog has to go, they often have to go right now, especially puppies as they have less control.  When the dog soils in the house, he labels that area as his toilet and is likely to go there again.  If your dog does have an accident inside, clean and deodorise the spot thoroughly and block his access to that area for a while.  Learn to predict when your puppy will have to relieve himself and looks for the signs:

• Immediately after awakening, and soon after heavy drinking or playing, your dog will urinate
• Right after eating, or if nervous
• Car rides often tend to elicit the urge to go to the toilet (even in the car)
• Circling, whining, sniffing, and generally acting worried usually provides a signal that your dog needs to go outside
• Take our dog outside every few hours until they learn where is an acceptable toilet
• Take your dog out before bedtime as they may not be able to hold it throughout the night

Punishment does not help.  Rubbing a dog’s nose in their mess does not work.  Punishing a dog for a mess he has made earlier is completely fruitless.  It only succeeds in convincing the dog that every once in a while for no apparent reason, you are apt to attack!  It is the perfect recipe for ruining a trusting relationship.  Even if you catch your dog in the act, overly enthusiastic correction only teaches the dog not to relieve himself in your presence.  You can, however, yell “No! Out!” and hustle him outside, and then reward him for going outside, as long as you catch him in the act.

Reward correct behaviour. When your dog does relieve himself in the appropriate area, heap on the praise and let him know how pleased you are.  Adding a food treat really gets the point across.

 

Barking

 

A dog stuck alone in the backyard will bark. Isolated dogs will often bark through frustration or as a means of getting attention and alleviating loneliness.  Even if the attention gained includes punishment, they continue to bark in order to obtain the temporary presence of their family.

 

The simplest solution is to move the dog’s quarters to a less isolated location.  If the barking occurs when you put your dog to bed, move his bed into your bedroom, or condition your dog by rewarding him for successively longer periods of quiet behaviour.  The distraction of a special chew toy, given only at bedtime, may help alleviate barking.  Remember, a sleeping dog doesn’t bark, so exercise can be a big help.

 

Escaping

 

Jacks are very smart dogs.  Combine this with their innate ability to squeeze through narrow spaces and go underground and you have the perfect escape artist.  Ensure that all possible escape routes are secured – this includes weak fencing, spaces under gates, chain link fence or trees for climbing, low walls or loose bricks, etc.  Jacks generally try to escape because they want to be with their people or pack.  Providing companionship (another dog) and/or entertainment when left for long periods of time, can help stop escape attempts.

 

Never have your Jack come to you and then scold him for something he's done.  In his mind he is being scolded for coming, not for any earlier misdeed.  Nor should you call your dog to you at the end of an off-lead walk.  You don't want him to associate coming to you with relinquishing his freedom.  Call him to you several times during a walk, reward and praise him, and then send him back out to play.

 

Digging

If your Jack is a natural born digger, the best you can do is provide him with an acceptable place to dig and direct him to it when he begins to dig in an off-limits area.

 

Noise Phobias

 

Fear of thunderstorms is a common problem, especially in older dogs.  To avoid fostering these fears, act cheerful when a thunderstorm strikes, and play with your dog or give it a treat.  If you can, find a recording of the noise and play it at a very low level, rewarding your dog for calm behaviour.  Gradually increase the intensity and duration of the recording.  A program of gradual de-sensitisation, is the best way to alleviate any fear.