Help! Extreme Separation Anxiety

[areias]

Here's a good link on seperation anxiety:
http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/ou...n_anxiety.html

I don't think it's possible for him to go to doggie daycare until his treatment is well over, if he gets overexcited he can actually go into cardiac arrest.

Good luck with him. We used to have a beagle that had SEVERE seperation anxiety to the point she was hurting herself trying to go through walls and windows. I was really young and my parents didn't have a clue...it wasn't a good ending for her, but hopefully with the more advanced knowledge of today and with someone willing to take the steps, it should work out okay.

[Giselle]

Giselle used to have mild SA. For the first few months, it was TORTURE. The key to handling SA is to gradually desensitize the dog to your departure.

During Giselle's first few months, I always had a stuffed Kong in the freezer. Mashed bananas, peanut butter, boiled chicken, canned food, etc. were excellent stuffings! Whenever I left the house (even if it was just to get mail), I'd place a frozen, stuffed Kong on her bed, turn on the TV/radio, close the blinds, and leave without a word. It is important to remember exactly *what* triggers the anxiety. For many dogs, that can include a view to the outside world. For Giselle, that was part of the anxiety. That's why we closed the blinds. The TV/radio serves as a "better", more calming distraction.

At first, I only left for 5 minutes. Then, after a week, I'd increase it to 10-15 minutes. After another week, we'd work up to 30 minutes. After that, I jumped up to 60 minutes. Once I knew she could handle an hour alone, I knew she could handle multiple hours alone. At this point, you can also phase out the good and bad distractions like the TV/radio and the frozen Kong.

And remember not to make a scene when you return. Enter as you left. Maintain a calm, non-chalant demeanor and Dasher will find no reason to get anxious over your departure and arrival. DAP and RR are nice accompaniments, but they won't get you far unless you use good ol' training

ETA: Be prepared for destroyed objects for the first few weeks. My tip is to keep the dog in an *entirely* puppy-proof room. Even then, you should expect a gnawed down threshold and table (been there done that ).