Last week, a family brought in their three-month old male cross-breed puppy, Pluto, for his second round of shots.
During the discussion that ensued, I was asked how much time was OK to leave him home alone and what they could do to make the wait bearable for him.
Over the years, I have come across a range of situations whereby pets need to be left home alone. Each case needs to be considered on its own merit.
Some dogs do handle being left alone. Most will curl up and go to sleep until you return home. Others will happily entertain themselves.
Congo is a cheerful pitbull terrier who enjoys his own company and toys. He will spend hours sitting in the bath just waiting for a drop of water to fall off the dripping shower head and snatch it up before it hits the bath.
When he’s not playing in the bath, he enjoys his toys and will tear around the apartment just for the sheer joy of it. But not all dogs are so independent.
Elsa cannot be left alone for more than five minutes. No sooner are her owners out of the door that she starts howling in abject misery. Her howling then turns to angry barking and rapidly deteriorates to destruction of anything that comes within reach. Elsa suffers from separation anxiety.
I had briefly touched upon the subject of separation anxiety in an article in April of 2013 when I wrote about behavioural problems in dogs. However, a couple of recent cases I saw warrant a closer look at this problem.
When dogs exhibit different behaviour when left alone, and when this behaviour is destructive, the problem is very often separation anxiety. A dog that exhibits anxiety may howl, bark, pant, pace back and forth, salivate, urinate, defecate, vomit and/or eat its own poo. Typical behaviour will include attempting to dig or bite through cages, windows, doors and even walls.
In severe cases, these dogs end up with broken teeth, nails and claws and suffer injuries from broken glass, falls from heights and even accidental strangulation.
Some dogs will tear at their own fur or chew their own limbs or tail. In critical cases, the dog can suffer depression. But it is not only the dog that suffers.
Owners of such dogs usually start to feel anxious in anticipation of their dog’s suffering when left alone and, of course, the costly damage they will find when they return home.
Some dogs will tear at their own fur or chew their own limbs or tail. In critical cases, the dog can suffer depression
Such dog owners quickly learn to recognise the behavioural signs in their dog: a refusal to be petted or spoken to, whining or depression as they prepare to leave the house. Triggers such as picking up house keys, putting on outdoor shoes and even applying perfume are just some of the factors that will cause dogs to examine their owner’s movements with alarm in their eyes.
Some dogs will actually attempt to sit on their owners or grab their arm to prevent them from leaving the house. I have also had reports of dogs recognising the significance of travel luggage being taken out of its storage place.
Dogs that are at highest risk of developing separation anxiety tend to be rescue dogs that have suffered mistreatment in the past or dogs that have lost their owner through abandonment or death.
However, poor management of puppies can also bring about separation anxiety. It often happens that dog owners shower their puppy with so much love that it misunderstands its role within the family.
Whenever a puppy is welcomed into a home, it is only natural for everyone to cuddle, kiss and spoil the new arrival. During those first weeks and months of bondage, the long-term relationship between you and your dog begins to take shape. The way you and your dog interact is therefore of paramount importance to the future happiness of you, as a pet owner, and your dog. There are a number of factors to look out for.
If your dog follows you everywhere to the extent that it feels as if it is shadowing you, this is a signal that your pet is insecure about being left alone.
If it constantly wants physical contact with you by staying by your side on the sofa or sitting on your lap, this suggests that your dog is seeking continuous reassurance from your presence. And if your dog takes a long time to calm down when you return home, exhibiting confused enthusiasm and crying, this could mean that it is becoming too attached to you.
There are a number of solutions and products your veterinarian can prescribe that should reduce the effects of separation anxiety.
For those dogs already suffering separation anxiety, these veterinary products are certainly very valid but need to be coupled with a long and determined retraining of your dog. I would strongly recommend that you first seek the advice of your vet to make sure there are no underlying physical causes for your dog’s anxiety (such as allergies to food) and then of a qualified canine behaviourist who has been recommended by your vet.
For new puppies, this is one of those situations where prevention is certainly better than cure.
It is a big moment for puppies such as Pluto when they are removed from their mother and siblings and taken to a new home.
Our natural instinct is to pick them up when they cry. Unfortunately, puppies understand this to be a reward for when they cry when in fact they should be rewarded when they are quiet.
It is also very important that you give your dog regular daily exercise, as this reduces its mental and physical stress levels. When you walk your dog, it is important that you walk ahead of them, for example when passing through a doorway, in order to clearly establish in the mind of your dog that you are the pack leader. This leadership must be extended to all members of your family.
You can establish this hierarchy by feeding your dog at particular times rather than leaving food available at all times. Any suggestion of dominance from your puppy or dog, for example, nudging with the head or pawing for attention or food must not be rewarded with a pat on the head or indulgent cuddles, as this misleads the dog into thinking it is the leader of the pack. The more dominant a dog, the more stressful it feels when it is left alone because it is then unable to understand why its pack followers have left the house and left him, the leader, behind.
When you have a new puppy, you also have a great opportunity to create that bond where you not only have a new pet but also a new friend. Yet, to do this, it is extremely important that this relationship is well balanced.
Understanding that problems can arise is already a good step ahead and Pluto’s owners have done well to seek timely advice. I look forward to seeing if Pluto will become another Congo, at least from a home alone point of view.
thisweekwiththevet@gmail.com
Dr Martin Debattista is a veterinary surgeon.