Separation Anxiety Question

[SincereArtisan]

Could I possibly create separation anxiety?

 

I've been with Rune every day, and night, since after the first day I got her. She goes to work with me, out running errands with me, and her crate is right next to my bed.

 

She has only been apart from me for a 2 periods of 2 hours the other night...and we came back in between for a while, then put her up.

 

I was just wondering if I should be encouraging her to be on her own, crated, for at least one to two hours every day? Perhaps extending that time, as she gets older?

[Lunar]

Well, speaking from experience I do think it's important that a dog learn to be alone. I'm totally guilty of the same thing, beause I work from home, I spend nearly all my time with Zoe beside me. She would really freak out when left in her crate. In fact, she still whines a lot - but she doesn't panic anymore. I don't think it would necessarily have to be an every-day occurance... it really depends on how Rune reacts to it. If she really doesn't handle it well, it will take more time to acclimate her.

[RaisingRiver]

When I got River at 8wks. she went everywhere with me. She rode in the car with me to help condition her to it since she HATED it at first. I kept her with me all over the house for potty training purposes - but I work from home, so that's all the time. In the afternoons/eves when I drive my kids to their sports, she stayed with me (for potty breaks). I did and still crate her at night and the crate is in the living room.

 

Being a young pup that she was, she of course CRIED and CRIED for like a full week in the crate. Now she's totally quiet and even learned what the word 'quiet' means

 

Nowadays, if I go outside, or don't take her with me, etc, she's totally fine. No whinning, nothing. (whereas my other dog whines - doesn't have anxiety, but doesn't want to be separated - and Jaida didn't go with me EVERYWHERE when I got her at 5 mos).

 

I think I've created a very nice bond with River. I do want a dog that is me focused but can be away from me - ie. stay at a distance. I'm going to do agility w/ River and need her to be quiet in classes while I'm walking a course. I think she'll be fine when we start in a few months.

 

So, my advice, is keep loving that pup! Give her some opportunities for indepence, ie. off leash outside time to explore, but you are there. If she's not glued to you, I think you'll be ok. I'm not sure if crating next to you or in another room will make a difference or not.

 

I think if you can crate her and walk around the house doing chores, and she's quiet, it's a good indicator of SA or not.

 

River does follow me around the house - ie. when I get up to pee, get a drink, w/e. And she naps in my office with me of her own choosing. But when we go outside, while she is attentive and hangs around, she doesn't follow me around. And of note, Jaida who whines when left behind (in house or in car) doesn't follow anyone around the house. She sleeps and alert barks only) - and is independent outside.

[Dixie_Girl]

I've always thought of SA as a sign of INSECURITY not SECURITY. Cheyenne was raised on the truck with me. Other than picking up/dropping off loads and eating in the truckstops (which she liked cuz she knew she was getting something) she was always with me! That was the first 5yrs of her life! Not to mention the bottle feeding since she was 10dys old! Jackson has had someone with him since we brought him home. And now, we have left both dogs for up to 3dys at a time with no prob.

 

If I was a betting person, which I am, I would say SA is caused by 85% insecurity, and 10% dog personality, and 5% who the heck knows!

 

Good luck!

[urge to herd]

True Separation Anxiety is caused by chemical problems in the brain. True SA is characterized panic, injuries from efforts to re-unite with the pack, (human.) This includes breaking windows to get in or out, chewing wire crates until mouths/gums/teeth are bloody and broken, continuous panting and drooling, inability to eat when left, uncontrolled defecation and/or urination, etc.

 

SA is not a dog whining because it has not been trained or conditioned to be alone for periods of time. Yes, you can and should condition your dog to be comfortable left to it's own devices for a while, because that's a good thing to teach any domestic animal. No, you won't create SA in a dog who doesn't have that tendency towards chemical imbalance that will blossom from stress, but you will get a PITA pup who needs to be taught some independence skills.

 

Ruth n the BC3

[Meg's mum]

We were home with Meg her first week, but had to leave her three days a week in her gated kitchen the following weeks. Left in her crates by herself she would at first whine, chew bars but learned to be quiet eventually and at rest for reasonable amounts of time.

 

In the kitchen however, she would chew the entry walls, excavate the base cabinet and plot her escape. She became as skillful and willful as a Special Ops Commando. By week 12 we had to abandon the kitchen and take her to daycare.

 

Meg was the runt, she's a bit submissive, scared of power tools and is happier than the Flintstone's "Dino" to see us when we come home. We thought she had seperation anxiety issues too but realized that she loved to be with other people and dogs, and forgot us easily. She is also actually pretty happy left alone with free rein in the house and she will crate for up to three daylight hours and the entire night.

However, she LOATHES being confined unless she's tired. She ABHORES closed doors, outside or inside, and she really doesn't appreciate the fact that we are not outdoor exercise equipment available to her 16 out of 24 hours.

 

I no longer believe that her whining has to do with insecurity...but is instead...a temper tantrum to which I raise a definitive eye brow and turn my back. (Only to turn around and find her trailing my laundry around the house, or digging a hole in the yard....).

[BigD]

DH and I both work from home and did when we got Marzipan at 8 weeks. Since we DO work from home, our only escape is the lunch and dinner runs we do to get OUT of the house!

 

While it was tempting to keep Marzipan in our rooms with us, we wanted her to get used to her crate on her own. So we set up an x-pen in the living room. If she wanted, she could peak around the corner and just see the back of my head in my office. She was kept in her x-pen daily for many, many months. We took her out to play a few times during the day and for potty breaks (of course). But this taught her how to ask to go potty (something she still does at almost 3 yrs old) and taught her that we didn't have to be with her all the time.

 

We also had to do this for longer than most due to her kidney and UTI problems. She wasn't trustworthy until about 2 years old!

 

We also video taped her and told our neighbors that we were crate training her when we left. She would cry for 10 minutes or so and then go to sleep. Then cry again about 30 min later. Nothing major, no barking, chewing, digging, wigging out. She had more issues at night in her crate because she could NOT see us. We never crated her in our bedroom because the dogs sleep in the shop. That took about a month!

 

Friends and family are shocked at how much my dogs love their crates and how well Marzipan does at training class in her crate. She's content and happy to hang out and doesn't need to have me in constant eye sight.

 

So yes, I do think you should get Rune used to being alone. So that she's comfortable and doesn't rely on you for that comfort. You can't do it by leaving her home alone all day. It needs to be in small amounts, 20 min here, 30 min, 45, etc.

 

Good luck!

 

Denise