There are numerous behavior issues that can interfere with the special bond that exists between animal and human.

        Our goal at Chicagoland Veterinary Behavior Consultants is to diagnose these issues and educate you as to why they 

        are occurring and what we can do to improve the relationship with your pet. The links that follow will direct you to some

        articles dealing with various types of behavior problems. We hope that this information will give you an better understanding

        of your pet's behavior.

Canine Separation Anxiety
Primarily a problem afflicting dogs*, separation anxiety is a condition which is characterized by an intolerance on the part of the dog to being left alone. This can actually being left alone (as when owners are away from home) or if the dog perceives it is alone (for example, when the owner is in the shower). The resulting panic attack displays itself in the form of a)destructive behavior (particularly directed towards exit points from the home), b)excessive salivation (drooling), c)elimination of stool and/or urine when left alone, d)excessive vocalization (howling) when alone, e)intolerance to being away from owners when they are at home. This is displayed by "shadowing" of the preferred owner and not wishing to be left outside alone for very long.


Treatment of Separation Anxiety involves modification of the dog's behavior and environmental changes which both function to decrease the dog's dependence on the owner(s).Some techniques include:

  • Decreasing excitement directed toward the dog at departure and arrival. This is meant to prevent the dog from getting overly excited when the owners leave or arrive and thereby reduce the negative effect of the departure on the dog. Ignore the dog for 30 minutes at these times.
  • Immediately before departure give the dog a toy which it only has available to him at this time. The toy should be interesting enough to capture the dog's attention and decrease his focus on the departure. A good choice is a Kong Toy (a rubber, hollowed out chew toy) stuffed with something like peanut butter or Cheez Wiz.
  • Graduated Departure Exercises. This entails first teaching and rewarding the dog for a relaxed sit-stay near the area where you leave the house from. Then you gradually increase the distance from the dog, while rewarding him for maintaining a calm, relaxed posture. You increase the distance until you reach the door then open the door increasing amounts. At this point you briefly (a few seconds) leave the house and return (again rewarding appropriate behavior). gradually increase the time you are gone up to about 30 minutes. At this point you should be able to accomplish much longer departures since the anxiety usually manifests itself in the first 30 minutes of departure.
  • Unique Odor During SHORT Departures. ONLY during short departures you should utilize some type of unique spray which imparts an odor the dog will associate with short departures. In a sense you are telling the dog when he smells this odor, "I will only be gone a few minutes". You must never do this during normal (extended) departures or the association to the dog will now be invalid and unreliable.
  • Attention Seeking Responses.Dogs develop an array of behaviors meant to attain attention from their owners. In dogs with Separation Anxiety, they use these techniques to solidify the strong attachment they have developed towards their owner. When the owner consistently responds to these demands they are reinforcing the dog's reliance on them thus making departure more of a significant, traumatic event. Your goal is to not respond to these demands. When the dog approaches for unsolicited attention you need to ignore and walk away from him. When he is relaxed and non-attentive you can initiate the contact and use a treat reward to reinforce the desired behavior. Be forewarned. Your dog will accelerate this attention seeking behavior at first because it has ALWAYS worked in the past.Don't worry. Within a few days he will get the message of what the new rules are and will quickly learn what behaviors are required to receive a reward.
  • Frequently medication is needed to "buy time" to allow the steps outlined above to work. Your veterinarian can discuss these with you if he/she is well versed in behavior medicine.

* The overall consensus is that Separation Anxiety does occur in cats, though not as frequently. The primary sign in cats with Separation Anxiety is the tendency to eliminate on the bed of the primary attachment person in the household and it occurs when the cat is alone, or perceives to be alone. 


 

Animal News

animal behavior news from mongabay.com
  • Coral reef survival depends on the super small, an interview with Forest Rohwer
    If you take a teaspoon and dip it into the ocean what will you have? Some drops of lifeless water? Only a few decades ago this is what scientists would have said, however, the development of increasingly powerful microscopes have shown us a world long unknown, which has vital importance for the survival of one of the world's most threatened and most treasured ecosystems: coral reefs. A single milliliter of water is now known to contain at least a million living microbes, i.e. organisms too small to see without a microscope. After discovering their super-abundant presence, researchers are now beginning to uncover how these incredibly tiny life-forms shape the fate of the world's coral reefs.
  • A slow comeback for the endangered Eurasian otter in France
    In the late 1970s, the fate of the Eurasian Otter (Lutra lutra) in France was very gloomy. By just looking at the otter's range map, one could see that most of the country was left with vast regions devoid of a species that was once found in every region. Estimations barely reached 1,500 otters left in the wild for the whole country. Today, 2,000 to 3,000 individuals are believed to room in creeks and rivers mostly in the Massif Central, the Atlantic side (Bretagne) and western area, in particular in the wetland of Poitevin. The upward trend in population size is good news and a step towards reconstituting sustainable populations, however, the overall population is still critically low. By contrast, in the early 1900s otters were quite abundant in France with over 50,000 wild animals.
  • The biology and conservation of declining coral reefs, an interview with Kristian Teleki
    Coral reefs are often considered the "rainforests of the sea" because of their amazing biodiversity. In fact, coral reefs are one of the most diverse ecosystems on earth. It is not unusual for a reef to have several hundred species of snails, sixty species of corals, and several hundred species of fish. While they comprise under 1% of the world’s ocean surface, one-quarter of all marine species call coral reefs their home. Fish, mollusks, sea stars, sea urchins, and more depend on this important ecosystem, and humans do too. Coral reefs supply important goods and services–from shoreline protection to tourism and fisheries–which by some estimates are worth $375 billion a year.
  • Stunning monkey discovered in the Colombian Amazon
    While the Amazon is being whittled away on all sides by logging, agriculture, roads, cattle ranching, mining, oil and gas exploration, today's announcement of a new monkey species proves that the world's greatest tropical rainforest still has many surprises to reveal. Scientists with the National University of Colombia and support from Conservation International (CI) have announced the discovery of a new monkey in the journal Primate Conservation on the Colombian border with Peru and Ecuador. The new species is a titi monkey, dubbed the Caquetá titi ( Callicebus caquetensis). However, the announcement comes with deep concern as researchers say it is likely the new species is already Critically Endangered due to a small population living in an area undergoing rapid deforestation for agriculture.
  • Hunting threatens the other Amazon: where harpy eagles are common and jaguars easy to spot, an interview with Paul Rosolie
    If you have been fortunate enough to visit the Amazon or any other great rainforest, you've probably been wowed by the multitude and diversity of life. However, you also likely quickly realized that the deep jungle is not quite what you may have imagined when you were a child: you don't watch as jaguars wrestle with giant anteaters or anacondas circle prey. Instead life in the Amazon is small: insects, birds, frogs. Even biologists will tell you that you can spend years in the Amazon and never see a single jaguar. Yet rainforest guide and modern day explorer Paul Rosolie says there is another Amazon, one so pristine and with such wild abundance that it seems impossible to imagine if not for Rosolie's stories, photos, and soon videos. This is an Amazon where the big animals—jaguars, tapir, anaconda, giant anteaters, and harpy eagles—are not only abundant but visible. Free from human impact and overhunting, these remote places—off the beaten path of tourists—are growing ever smaller and, according to Rosolie, are in danger of disappearing forever.
  • Captive orangutans: enriching bodies, minds, and lives
    Visitors to the Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine (OCCQ) are always delighted by the sight of playful young orangutans. Hairy orange youngsters swinging through the branches or tossing balls around always induce fits of cooing and camera clicking. These activities appear to be so natural that it is easy to forget these are orphans in rehabilitation school and one of the main classes is Enrichment. The term enrichment has become a catchword in the world of captive animal husbandry in the past few years and for many organizations, enrichment has become a new focus as more and more research reveals how critical enrichment is to the physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing of captive animals.
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