The Lonely Dog Home Alone

At least 34 million American households share their lives with one or more family dogs. The family of today, however, is more likely than ever not to consist of a two-parent family with children living at home.  The numbers of people living alone, single parent families, families in which both spouses work, and couples without children at home are all on the rise. Thus, it is likely that many family dogs spend a large part of their time home alone.

The Dog At Home Alone

One of the most common problems seen by animal behaviorists who specialize in working with problem behavior in companion animals is that of unacceptable behavior which occurs only when a dog is left alone.  These unacceptable behaviors include destructiveness, house soiling, excessive barking, digging, etc. Depression can also occur, in which a dog may remain in one place, and/or not eat or drink while the owner is away.

Because patterns of mutual understanding between a dog and its owner do develop in other contexts; it is easy for owners to anthropomorphize the causes of these unacceptable behaviors and misinterpret their dogs' motivation for engaging in them.
Many owners wrongly attribute these problems to:

1. "Spite," believing that their dog is attempting to "get even" with them for being left alone,
2. A lack of obedience or control over the dog,
3. The dog being "spoiled" or over-indulged.

These misinterpretations are likely to be based on inaccurate patterns of communication between dog and owner which occur when the owner returns home. Owners often describe their dogs as "looking guilty" when evidence of destructiveness or house soiling is discovered. At times, a dog may show this "guilty look" as soon as the owner walks through the door. The owner then concludes that the dog knows it did something "wrong" hours ago, and will therefore understand that this prior behavior is now about to be punished. The first step in resolving these problems is understanding the misconceptions about "guilt" and punishment.

Misconceptions About Punishment

First, dogs cannot look "guilty," as they do not have the moral code of humans. The cowering posture, lowered ears and tail, and the showing of teeth in a "green," which people interpret as guilt, are actually canine submissive postures. Dogs display submissive postures when they are threatened. A dog learns to recognize that certain tones of voice and physical gestures by its owner indicate that punishment is forthcoming. Some dogs even learn that punishment occurs only in the presence of their owners and when evidence of destructive behavior or house soiling is present. Thus, dogs show submissive postures because of the threat of punishment - they do not look guilty because of wrongful behavior. 

Secondly, dogs and animals in general, associate punishment with what they are doing at the instant that punishment is administered. Unfortunately, when an owner comes home and punishes a dog for something it did earlier, the dog won't associate the punishment with the prior misbehavior, but may think it is being punished for its exuberant greeting. Worse yet, as will be explained, punishment after the fact can actually make it more (not less) likely that the dog will misbehave the next time it is left alone.

Separation Anxiety

Based on research and clinical experience, animal behaviorists have found that these problem behaviors are separation-related. Separation distress is a normal response that many social species of animals show when they are separated from someone or something to which they have formed an attachment. In young animals, this distress is often manifested by repetitive, high-pitched barking. Some adult dogs, upon being separated from their owners, experience an intensified separation distress reaction. This anxiety is outwardly expressed by destructiveness, house soiling, and excessive barking, which are, understandably, problems for dog owners. IF these behaviors are motivated by separation anxiety they will occur primarily, if not only, when the dog is left alone, and will most often occur within 30 minutes of the owners' departure. If this characteristic pattern is not present, the problem may have another cause.

Treating Separation Anxiety

What Not to Do:
The mistake of punishment after the fact has already been discussed. In addition, when punishment is consistently administered to a dog as soon as the owner returns home, the owner's mere arrival can become another source of anxiety for the dog. As the dog learns to predict from environmental cues (e.g. day length, car noises, etc.) that the owner is about to arrive, it may become even more anxious, resulting in more unacceptable behavior, which elicits further punishment, and a vicious circle ensues.

The use of a crate or kennel physically prevents the dog from destroying property or house soiling but it does not stop the dog from experiencing anxiety. Thus, the dog may still urinate or defecate even when created, may continue to bark or how, and may injure itself attempting to escape. Although crate training a dog is an appropriate procedure for traveling and for short absences when separation anxiety is not involved, it is generally not recommended as a solution for separation-related problems.

What to Do:
Arrivals and Departures
Dogs quickly learn their owners' daily routines. Based on owner behavior, a dog can often accurately predict whether the owner is leaving for work, or getting ready to take it for a walk. Thus, a dog's anxiety in response to being left alone begins when the owners' behavior indicates that he or she is about to depart without the dog. Common features of owners' "getting ready" routines, include picking up the keys, getting a coat out of the closet, picking up a briefcase, and often saying a long good bye to their dog. In order to decrease a dog's separation anxiety, discrete parts of these routines should be repeated without the owner actually leaving. These repetitions should not occur so close together that the dog becomes increasingly anxious. Many repetitions will be needed before the owner can pick up keys, put on a coat, etc., without the dog displaying signs of anxiety.

Actual arrival and departure times should be kept relatively quiet. A quick pat on the head and a brief verbal greeting or good bye should take the place of excited, frantic behaviors on the part of both the dog and owner. Exuberant displays of affection are fun for both dogs and owners, but should not be associated with arrivals and departures.

Getting Accustomed to Separation

By use of a series of planned absences, owners can help decrease their dogs' anxiety when they are left alone. An owner should begin by leaving the house for a time so brief that it does not elicit the dog's anxiety (usually less than five minutes). No preparation or "getting ready" should precede this absence. If the dog has not shown any problem behavior while alone, upon returning the owner should greet the dog briefly, and return to normal activities. If any evidence of unacceptable behavior is discovered, the duration of the absence was too long, and should be shortened considerable for future practice sessions.

A series of planned absences of gradually increasing duration should then be planned around the owner's daily schedule of activities. The duration of these planned absences should be increased so gradually that separation anxiety behaviors are never elicited. When the dog no longer displays any problem behaviors during an absence of 20 to 30 minutes, discrete parts of "getting ready" should then precede the absence.

If at any time the dog displays any separation-related behaviors, the duration of the absences should be temporarily shortened, and less preparation should precede the absence. Most dogs, after learning to be alone in a non-anxious state for about an hour, will usually then tolerate much longer absences.

This same routine of planned absences of increasing duration can be used to prevent the development of separation anxiety in a newly adopted dog, be it puppy or adult.

In the Meantime

Separation anxiety problems can be resolved while still maintain a regular schedule of work school. However, if options are conveniently available such that the dog does not have to be left alone for full days while working with these procedures, progress may be faster. In extreme cases, owners may want to consult their veterinarians for information about short-term drug therapy - this option should not be considered as a long-term, permanent solution to the problem. Obtaining another companion animal to keep the dog with separation anxiety company is not recommended. It is the absence of the owner, not the lack of another animal, which is the basis for separation-related problems.

If the Problem Persists

It is not uncommon for any companion animal to develop a behavior problem. Most behavior problems can be resolved with commitment from the owner, with behaviorally accurate information, and with the help of knowledgeable experts. The procedures explained here have been successful in resolving separation anxiety problems when properly implemented. If they are not successful, the techniques may not have been implemented properly, or further assistance using more complex procedures may be necessary. Veterinarians will often be able to refer pet owners to experts who can help.

Summary: What can you do?

• Don't punish your dog. Animals associate punishment with what they are doing the instant it is administered. Your dog will not understand that you are mad about actions earlier in the day. 
• Change your behaviors or routine. To get your dog accustomed to your leaving, pick up your keys and walk toward the door; but don't leave the house. Do this several times until your dog no longer exhibits anxious behavior. 
• Leave the house for a few minutes at a time. Gradually increase these planned absences so that your dog never has a chance to show any separation anxiety. 
• When you return, greet your dog briefly (don't gush) and return to normal activities. This training may take some time, but it's a worthwhile effort.   
• Give your dog something to do while you're away. For example, stuff a "Kong" toy with biscuits and peanut butter for an interactive treat. Many dogs will work tirelessly to empty the toy and not even notice that you've left for the day

Information provided by American Humane Association