Mary Allen
Many dogs suffer when their master or mistress leaves the house. This can express itself in loud howling or degenerate into devastation. To avoid separation stress in the first place, you should get the puppy used to being alone from day one.
Whining, howling, howling, barking – when the front door is closed, it starts. The sight when you return home is often just as depressing: the sofa cushion is torn to shreds, the rubbish bin has been emptied out or there is a wet pee stain on the living room carpet. A nightmare for every dog owner – and for the affected dogs! “In the absence of their owner, they suffer from massive separation stress,” says Brigitte Bärtschi from Zuzgen AG. The qualified dog trainer and psychologist specializing in dog behavior know that it almost breaks the heart of many dog owners when their dog whines after them. “Most of the time, everything revolves around not leaving the dog alone.”
Because dogs are highly social creatures, being alone for long periods of time is not in their nature. They need family connection and security. The crux: “On the one hand, we want to have a good, intimate bond with our dogs,” says the dog psychologist. On the other hand, he must also be able to stay alone for a few hours without attracting attention. We can’t take the dog with us to talk to parents or to the dentist.
How well a dog can endure being alone depends on the character of the four-legged friend. Hungarian scientists recently found out that dog breeds that work independently take the separation from their owners far more calmly than breeds bred for cooperation with reference persons. On the other hand, upbringing plays a role. “The dog has to learn from an early age to be alone,” says Bärtschi. You should start early and take small steps. First, you only leave the room for a few seconds with the door closed. Later you repeat this in other rooms, varying the time intervals until you finally leave the house for a short time. It is important not to say goodbye to the puppy when you leave, nor to praise it when you return. Ideally, the dog should hardly notice that its caregiver leaves the room. The older a dog is, the longer it will take until it learns to be relaxed and alone. Also, many old dogs no longer like to be left alone, despite good training.
Last but not least, the previous history of the four-legged friend is decisive. “A dog that has been abandoned or treated badly tends to be much more stressed about separation,” says Bärtschi. This often affects dogs from animal shelters abroad.
Recognize the First Signs
According to Hungarian researchers, barking and howling is the number one response to separation stress. This is how the dog tries to get its bonding partner back. Destructive reactions, in turn, bring Halter to the brink of despair. “Some dogs scratch furniture. Or they contaminate the apartment with urine, feces or vomit », the dog trainer knows from many years of experience.
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter how a dog shows stress. “It’s bad that a dog gets into such a state at all,” says Bärtschi. This is because dog owners often do not recognize the start of separation stress as such. “Often, a slight nervousness when the caregiver gets dressed is the first sign.” Some dogs run after their owner. Rarely, however, does he start to whimper. The owner often only notices something when the neighbors complain, the front door is scratched from the inside or the dog has rampaged in the apartment.
“Unfortunately, the situation continues to be misunderstood,” explains the expert. “The signs are often misinterpreted as defiance or cheeky behavior.” If the dog is punished for soiling or destroying after the separation, this can further increase the separation stress. Bärtschi, therefore, advises getting help from a professional, because there are no general training tips.
Separation-related stress behavior is too complex and manifests itself differently in each dog. The animals only have one thing in common: They have to learn a coping strategy in order to be able to deal with stressful situations. This takes patience and time. “Until success occurs, you could hire a dog sitter,” says Bärtschi. Experience has shown that a second dog rarely helps. “It’s more like they infect each other and then both cry.”