Dogs may experience distress and engage in problem behaviours related to the absence, or perceived absence of family members. Common manifestations of separation anxiety (SA) in dogs include destruction of objects (pillows, carpets, doors, windowsills, crates, etc.) with or without self-injury (usually in an attempt to escape), excessive vocalisation, inappropriate elimination (urination and/or defecation) and excess salivation. For most dogs with SA, these behaviours occur 5-30 minutes after the departure of the owner. An important question to ask when taking the behavioural history is: 'What is the shortest time you have been gone and returned to find the problem behaviour?' Dogs with SA often act with great excitement upon owner return: jumping, running around and vocalisation. While many dogs without separation issues may act in this manner, dogs with SA engage in these behaviours for a long time.

The most common and most erroneous misconceptions that owners have is that their dog is being 'spiteful', 'ungrateful' and/or 'angry' at being left alone. They will often say that their dog 'knows that it did something wrong'. This is NOT the case and it is imperative that owners understand that SA is a distress response specifically related to being separated from social group members. These animals are in panicked distress, not angry. The dog's apparent 'knowing it did something wrong' behaviour can be explained, however. In cases where there is destruction and/or inappropriate elimination, the dog is often punished by an angry and frustrated owner. The dog is aware of the owner's anger and of the urine, faeces and destruction. The dog does not associate the punishment with the act of creating the mess, but the dog does associate the punishment with the combined presence of the owner and the mess. So, when these conditions are met (owner + mess), the dog will act to appease; crouching down with tail between its legs. Owners mistake this behaviour for 'knowledge' of an inappropriate act, and believe that the dog is 'guilty' or 'sorry'. These misconceptions can hinder treatment and are counterproductive for a healthy human-animal bond. Also, inappropriate punishment may result in fear-motivated and defensive aggression. Videotaping is a great diagnostic tool. It allows the owner to see exactly what the dog is doing. They can see the 'panic'. It helps to explain to the owner what is going on, and it is useful in monitoring the effect and extent of treatment.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of SA involves the history of one or more of the 'distress behaviours' occurring in the owner's absence and/or excessive excitement behaviour when the owner returns. There may or may not be evidence of a strong attachment to the owner. Also, if these behaviours occur when the owner is with the dog, then other differentials must be considered. For example, destruction can be an element of play or exploratory behaviour. It can occur in the course of territorial displays at windows and doors, and can also occur during phobic episodes related to noises or storms. Excessive vocalisation can be in response to provoking stimuli outside, social facilitation with other dogs, part of a territorial display, or part of play behaviour. Inappropriate elimination can be indicative of incomplete house training or urine marking. It can also be a sign of a medical problem or cognitive decline. Knowing when the behaviour occurs, again using a videotape, can help to rule out these other differentials.

Treatment

The goal of treatment is to teach the pet how to be calm and relaxed during the owner's absence. It involves changes in pet-owner interactions, changes in leaving and return protocols, decreasing the anxiety associated with owner departure, teaching the pet how to be left alone, environmental changes and management and sometimes the use of psychotropic medication.

Changes in Pet-Owner Interactions

The goal here is to facilitate the dog becoming more independent and less anxious. It involves ignoring attention-seeking behaviour and rewarding the dog for being calm and relaxed. This behavioural therapy is vital to the treatment of separation anxiety.

Changes in Leaving and Return Protocols

In an attempt to decrease the level of anxiety that these dogs exhibit prior to owner departure, it is recommended that the owner ignore the dog 15-30 minutes prior to leaving. Upon return, they are to greet the dog softly and quietly, and attend to the dog only when it is calm and quiet.

Decreasing the Anxiety Associated With Departure

This involves changing the predictive value of pre-departure cues and re-teaching the dog that the 'routine' no longer predicts departure. This is accomplished through habituation, counterconditioning and desensitisation.

Habituation is a decrease in response as a consequence of repeated exposure to a stimulus. The goal is to disassociate the predeparture cues from the actual departure. Examples include picking up keys, putting on shoes, packing briefcase, etc. Using the picking up keys as an example, through habituation, the owner picks up the keys, the dog alerts, becomes anxious and comes to the owner; the owner ignores the dog and goes about routine; the owner does not leave the house. Consequently, the dog learns that the keys mean nothing. This is done with all of the pre-departure cues so that they no longer predict departure, no longer lead to an anxious response, and become less important to dog and easier to ignore.

With counter-conditioning a response is elicited that is behaviourally and physiologically incompatible with another response. A dog cannot be anxious and relaxed at the same time. In the case of SA, the dog is rewarded for relaxation and the technique is used to decrease the response of the dog to departure cues. For example, the dog is taught to sit/stay near an exit. If the dog is calm and relaxed, it is rewarded with a yummy treat. This process is usually used in combination with desensitisation.

In desensitisation, the dog is exposed to a low-level anxiety-causing stimulus. This low-level anxiety response can be easily interrupted and diverted. Gradually the intensity of the stimulus is increased, ideally without eliciting the anxious response. In the example of the owner getting closer to the door, eventually the owner steps outside the door, but returns quickly. As the dog learns the task, the owner can increase the time away.

Teaching the Dog to Be Left Alone at Home

This involves the implementation of graduated planned departures (GPDs), which use short absences to desensitise the dog to the owner leaving and being gone. Prior to this part of the treatment, the dog must have already been habituated to departure cues and desensitised to approaches to the door, etc.

GPDs are like real departures with two exceptions: initially the absences are very short and, as the owner departs, he/she leaves a new and consistent 'safety cue' or signal for the dog. Classical conditioning is used such that a neutral stimulus is paired with a conditioned stimulus and results in a conditioned response. In this case, the neutral stimulus, NS = owner departure; the conditioned stimulus, CS = 'safety cue'; and the conditioned response, CR = good behaviour, feeling relaxed. The safety cue can be auditory (bell), visual (a towel or rug that is put down just prior to departure), or a combination of auditory, visual and olfactory, such as spraying a can of potpourri.

Environmental Changes and Management

Suggestions include increased play and exercise, 'Doggie Day Care', gradual conditioning to crate (can be good with some dogs, disastrous with others...), 'mixing up' departure cues, masking departure with noise while dog is busy with toy in another room, use of the Anxiety Wrap (see http://www.anxietywrap.com/), and use of the Gentle Leader® head collar to help decrease the dog's overall level of anxiety. This collar is used on walks and during desensitisation and counter-conditioning; it is not to be left on the dog when unattended.

Pharmacological Intervention

Keeping in mind that the goal is for the dog to not experience anxiety, use of a daily 'maintenance' medication along with a fast-acting, short-duration medication may be warranted.

'Voo-Doo'--The DAP® (dog appeasing pheromone) diffuser is reported to 'mimic the properties of the natural pheromones of the lactating female'. It may help to decrease the dog's overall level of anxiety.

Another dog may work. However, the dog with SA may be attached to one particular human, in which case the presence of another dog won't help. There is also the risk of the new dog developing SA.

Separation Anxiety in Cats

There has been one retrospective study in cats looking at 136 medical records of cats that displayed 'typical' SA behaviours. 75% urinated on owner's bed. Other manifestations of SA in the cat include psychogenic grooming and destructiveness.