Household schedule changes can cause separation anxiety

Dear Dog Talk: My husband and I recently had to put down our golden retriever of 10 years. He was a very good dog and was registered with Therapy Dogs International.

Well, of course we wanted another golden. I contacted a golden rescue organization in our area, and we have now adopted a new dog. Tazz is 4 years old. He was at the rescue location for about a month before we adopted him.

Before coming to the shelter, Tazz spent most of his time in a 10-foot-by-10-foot chain link enclosure. He only got out when he was needed for breeding or when he was able to chew his way out, which was quite often. This is one of the reasons that he was turned over to a shelter. As a result of his chewing, all four of his fang teeth are completely flat on the ends.

One of Tazz's problems is that he has separation anxiety. When I leave the house, he barks and jumps up at the door. I have no idea how long this goes on, although I have not left him longer than four hours. When I return he is very excited to see me.

If any paper bags or cardboard boxes are left in the garage, he chews them while I am gone. Now before I leave I make sure the place is cleaned up. I also give him a treat, but he will not eat it until I return.

Tazz is not housebroken, but we're working on that. I have your book, 'Dog Talk,' but I'm not using a crate. I take him out often, and growl 'Nhaa!' when he has an accident in the house. Will we be able to housebreak him without the use of a crate•

We have a beautiful 70-foot-by-50-foot chain link pen that we installed for our previous dog. Tazz does not like to stay in the pen alone. He chewed through the gate the first time we put him in it. We now go up to the pen with him, and as long as we're in there, he is content. As a matter of fact he will go directly up to the pen as soon as we go outside.

Well, what do you think• Tazz is very loving and follows me everywhere. I'm even hoping to have him become a therapy dog. One of my big concerns is that on Monday I start back to school teaching first grade. Do you have any suggestions for us• Will he get over this•

Dear Golden Fans: I receive a tremendous amount of mail on the subject of separation anxiety. I try to avoid too much repetition in my 'Dog Talk' column, but I know some problems are very common. Since many readers and their children are now back in school, household schedules have changed, and dogs with separation anxiety may be suffering. So I will again cover this important topic.

I believe that all dogs become anxious when their owners (pack members) leave them alone. However, with proper training dogs can become confident that their pack will return. They also can be conditioned to relieve whatever anxiety they are feeling in a nondestructive way.

One of the major reasons that separation from the pack makes some dogs overwhelmingly anxious is because they have been socially isolated. When dogs are sequestered away from their human families and other dogs, such as being exiled to a pen for long periods of time, they feel that their pack has abandoned them. From a dog's point of view, this is disastrous.

Dogs try to relieve the stress that they are feeling by chewing, barking, howling, and self-mutilation. If confined, they often try escaping to find their pack.

Humans view all of these actions as canine behavioral problems. All too often, the owners decide to give up their 'problem dog.' Then when the dog is turned over to the shelter or dropped off on a backwoods road, his worst fears of abandonment are realized and his confidence is destroyed.

This is what has happened to Tazz. Fortunately, most dogs are resilient and adaptable creatures. With proper handling, the prognosis is good for resolving Tazz's problems.

Keep in mind that golden retrievers are extremely social creatures. They truly suffer when isolated from their families. Goldens thrive when they are an integral part of a family.

When you leave Tazz, you need to provide him with a structured environment where his only options are to chew on appropriate dog toys or curl up and go to sleep. By repeating these behaviors, Tazz will eventually form a habit of doing them. That's much better than trashing your garage!

I recommend that you start by leaving Tazz for short periods of time. When you are not in school on weekends, go off for 10 to 15 minutes. When you return, give Tazz a treat. Doing this will help build his confidence that you will always return. Also, giving him food when you return is a natural canine thing to do. In the wild, pack members often share food with individuals that stayed behind at the den.

Since you are away much of the day during the school week, you will need to arrange for Tazz to have some midday relief. Ask a neighbor or hire a pet sitter to take Tazz for a walk. This midday break is essential and will also help with his housebreaking.

I would forget about the pen in the back yard. Leaving Tazz out there alone is only going to bring back bad memories and reinforce his anxieties. You need to teach him to be completely confident that he has a secure and lasting place in your pack.

Get started with an obedience-training program. Training will help Tazz feel useful and necessary to the pack. I highly recommend that you pursue your goal of working Tazz as a therapy dog. Doing so will not only help other people, it will also be great therapy for Tazz.

As far as the housebreaking goes, yes, you can probably succeed without using a crate as a training tool. You can also probably change a tire on your car without a tire iron! But using the right tools for the task at hand makes the job a lot easier.

John Ross writes the Dog Talk column for the Tribune-Review. He has been training dogs professionally for more than 25 years. He is the author of 'Puppy Preschool: Raising Your Puppy Right - Right from the Start!,' 'Dog Talk: Training Your Dog Through a Canine Point of View,' and 'Why Does My Dog Drink Out of the Toilet• - Answers and Advice for All Kinds of Dog Dilemmas,' all published by St. Martin's Press. The books are available in all major bookstores. You can mail your questions to John Ross at P.O. Box 1062, Norwich, VT 05055 or e-mail Ross at dogtalk@nantucket.net .