Archives 2024

What is separation anxiety?

Separation anxiety are behaviors that dogs exhibit when left alone. A more accurate term would be separation-related behaviors, as these behaviors occur exclusively or are intensified in the owner's absence. These behaviors can range from barking, whining, and pacing to destructive behaviors, inappropriate elimination, and even self-harm. Your dog is desperately trying to escape a perceived danger - which is being without you.

How to I know if my dog has separation anxiety?

If your dog exhibits any of these behaviors only or primarily when left alone, it is likely they are experiencing separation anxiety.

In separation-related issues, determining whether a dog feels fear or anxiety is difficult, as both trigger similar physiological responses. Luckily, the training method remains the same, focusing on increasing the dog's tolerance for being alone.

Is it my fault that my dog has separation anxiety?

It's common for owners to feel guilty about their dog's separation anxiety. It's crucial to understand that the cause is often multifactorial and not owner related. While genetics, early life experiences, and maternal influences play a role, an owner's actions do not directly cause separation anxiety. Instead of blaming yourself, focus on providing support for your dog and Contact us to get help implementing a training plan.

We will never suggest for you and your dog to train above your dog's threshold. Studies and learning theory tells us that it doesn't really work - It can create more fear and more anxiety without having an impact on your short and long term training objectives.

Aversive training methods, such as punishment or shock collars, are strongly discouraged for separation anxiety. These methods inflict fear and pain, potentially worsening the problem by creating negative associations with being alone as well as affecting your dog's memory, motivation and ability to learn new things.

What is desensitization, and how can it help my dog with separation anxiety?

Desensitization is a gradual process of exposing the dog to a low-intensity version of what it is afraid of - being home alone. By systematically and patiently working through a desensitization training plan that we tailor for your dog, you can help your dog build self-confidence and tolerance for being alone at home, while you can go out with a clear conscience knowing that your dog is fine being at home without you.

- and what can you do about it?

As dog Guardians we always want what's best for our dogs and we wish for them to have the best lives possible. We hope they're fine, we think they're fine - but how can we really know if they're okay?

Unfortunately, it is not always easy to see if our dogs are in distress. They are resilient, adapt to their life situation and are eternal optimists who always makes lemonade out of lemons - that's one of the reasons why we love them so much. Those same traits can also make their lives more difficult. Their ability to adapt can cause them to suppress and hide pain and illness so that it becomes even more difficult for us to detect that they are in pain.

Evolution can also get in the way ofour dogs welfare - it is not very smart for a dog in the wild to show weakness towards either friends or foes. In addition, the body, of both humans and dogs, has a number of mechanisms to try to compensate for injuries or weaknesses, and the brain helps as best it can to block pain signals – e.g. to send out dopamine or other substances that can relieve the pain. Behavior can be changed to adapt to pain, protect oneself, or perform actions that seek to distract oneself from the pain, or trigger dopamine, other hormones or signaling substances that can dampen the pain experience, put very simply.

Behavioural changes

This is often how we discover that our dogs are in pain - that they change their behavior - but unfortunately we don't always understand what we see. We notice that the dog is different but do not know why or what causes the change. Maybe the dog starts growling at the children in the house, snarls or shows aggression, they withdraw or are not as interested in having contact with us anymore, they start biting or licking their paws, or they get tired and rests more, becomes disinterested in playing, and perhaps no longer wants to go out for a walk?

But - they might also continue as before, be just as happy, love to chase after balls and Frisbees and defy their pain, seemingly completely healthy and pain-free until the pain becomes so great that they start to show behavioral changes. How a dog acts, how much pain they tolerate depends on many factors, age, stress level, resilience, bond with owner, degree of optimism in life and much more. There is no conclusive test to establish either IF the dog is in pain or HOW much pain they are in and HOW LONG it has been going on. We have to know what to look for and be detectives.

Many Guardians seek help from dog trainers when their dogs start to show behavioral changes, the focus is usually on getting rid of the unwanted behaviour. We want help to get the dog to stop growling at the children, to stop barking at other dogs we meet on walks (he didn't do that before...) or to get his appetite back - but we often don't realise that the behavior is a symptom - not the actual cause.

A dog trainer will often suggest training methods that can moderate the behavior, or make it stop, but mabey not address the underlying cause. We only achieve that the dog stops telling us what might be bothering them, we teach them that they are not allowed to let vocalize their concerns to us. The behavioral changes are the dog's way of telling us that something is wrong and that they need help. If we take away their voice and dismiss them by training it away, the dog can also become very frustrated in addition to the frustration they already feel because their body feels "wrong" or that they are in pain. Dog training at this point can ironically escalate the behavioral challenges.

So what should we do?

The first thing you can do if you see new behaviors and suspect that something is wrong is to write a journal write about what happens, where it happens, what situation and how often. It can reveal patterns that can help us work out what the behavior is related to – is it situational – is it happening more and more often? Are there any particular objects or people nearby, are there any common denominators? You can check if the dog has had a change in fur quality, has asymmetrical musculature - have they stopped eating chewing bones, or chewing in a strange way? Drinking more/less water than usual? Became afraid of things – sound and light sensitivity? All this may indicate that the dog is not feeling well - and then it is time to take a trip to the Vet's, even if you do not see concrete external signs of injury or pain. Bring the journal with you, it can help the vet with what to look for and even to set a diagnosis. Take note of anything out of the ordinary. Since your dog can't speak, you have to speak for your dog as best you can :-)

Take precautions in the home for the safety of your children, other animals and people, until the behavioral challenges are resolved. This could be the use of baby gates, pens or mesh doors, introducing rules for how the children need to behave around the dog, and teaching your kids the dog's signals to recognize when the dog wants to be left alone and seeks distance. Make ajustments in playtime, walks, activities that may suit your dog better at this point, maybe more low impact, more nosework and more time to rest and recover.

Don't yell at the dog or punish them, show that you understand that something might be going on, and have some patience. Always trust your gut. If you think something is wrong or seems off, it probably is. Even if the Vet doesn't find anything first time around, you know your dog best, don't give up, keep observing, keep making a journal of your observations and thoughts.

It can also be a good idea to contact a dog behaviorist if you want to get to the bottom of the behavioral challenges and help you systemize observations - We can teach you what to look for and give you tools in everyday life that you can safely use with your dog even if there is pain or discomfort . The goal for a behavior consultant is always to work with the Guardians, Veterinarians and possibly other dog professionals to ensure that your dog returns to a safe and comfortable everyday life without pain or discomfort.

Dogs are carnivores ( and omnivores) and need a varied diet to support a long and healthy life. Just like us they are curious and enjoy variation and new experiences.
Always monitor your dog when they are eating. NEVER take the food away from your dog when they eat, this may lead to resource guarding. Make sure that the bowls are placed in such a way that the dog is comfortable standing and eating. Vary the height until you find the height that your dogs seems the most comfortable with. Make sure the dog can stand on a non-slip surface while eating.
Make sure your dog isn't hungry when you're doing learning activities with them. Hungry dog = zero concentration and often increased frustration. To feed a dog its meals from a slow feeder or a LickyMat can increase frustration, especially in puppies and adolescent dogs, but also in adult dogs.

How to easily feed raw and fresh food to your dog

• Meat, fish, vegetables are good. Small amounts of eggs and some grains are okay.
• Feed Meat , chicken, turkey, pork (pork needs cooking).
• Game and beef in variation can be cooked and made into minced meat.
• All Innards are good for your dog - and cheaper too!
• Boiled fish of all kinds and boiled veggies
• Vegetables should not make up more than 10% of a meal - you can feed broccoli, spinach, carrot, sweet potatoes,
  seaweed, beans, pumpkin, blueberries - you can blend the vegetables into a pure and add some spices and herbs ( I add a little
  bit of meat fond that I get from cooking out the frying pan with
  water after I cook some meat. Add it to the purèe to make it extra interesting - you can keep a batch of purèe in the fridge for a few days, or even put it in the freezer if you make a bigger batch.
• Cooked eggs a few times a week (in some countries like Norway it can be served raw since there's no Salmonella in the eggs). Egg whites are best digested when they are cooked.
• Feed little or no grains to your dog, just a few crumbles or leftovers from your own food.

Put all the ingredients in your dogs bowl and feed 2-3 times a day as follows:
Puppies: 3 times a day
Adults = 1-2 times a day

How much food does your dog need?

Puppies: up to 10% of their bodyweight a day reduce slowly as
they grow older
Adult dog: ca 1,5 - 2,5 % of their bodyweight a day
Add some nuts and seeds and herbs if you like - be sure to check first - as some nuts are poisonous to dogs!
You can add some spices for flavour - I like to add a little bit of turmeric to the meat and fish when I cook
meat for my dog, it's great for joint health and also helps reduce inflammation (for humans
as well).
The key is variation - add cartilage and bone like chicken feet, duck neck,
ox tail (for bigger dogs), rabbit ears (with fur if you can) - for small dogs, chicken
neck and feet, and rabbit ears, are an appropriate size. For big dogs - make sure you don't have a dog
that gobbles things, or eats inedible objects that can be unsafe. and no antlers! Ever!
How to feed raw bones to a dog:
https://dogsfirst.ie/raw-faq/how-to-feed-a-dog-bones/

There's a reason why Safety, Curiosity and freedom is our Dog training Caveat and at the core of our business philosophy . All dogs need to explore, experience and learn in a safe environment - just like us humans.

Safety for dogs - What does it take?

We're not listing all the factors needed to make a dog feel safe - but here's a few we think are really important:

• A safe spot to sleep where no one can bother your dog
• Feeling safe about getting the basic needs met like food and water, not worrying about being hungry or thirsty
• Predicatability about the owners state of mind - a dog should be able to predict how you will react in any given situastion, and not worry about being exposed to irradic, uncomfortable behaviours on your part
• Never having to fear that anything the dog does will be punished, verbally or physically (off course you can say no to your dog - just don't be a jerk)
• Stress free everyday living - a dog should not have to be confronted with their fears or triggers on an day to day basis (if your dog is fearful of skateboards, don't go past the skating park), make ajustments when you can
• Felle seen and understood - a dog should feel confident that the owner understand basic dog language and signals, and not feel constant fear or worry because the owner does not understand whaat they're trying to say (don't worry, we can teach you the language)
• A dog should feel safe to say no, and be respected
• Physical safety in everyday life - A dog should be able to feel safe moving on the surfaces in your home and avoid injury and pain (put down rugs to avoid slippery floors, elevate the food bowls, well ajusted harness, ramps and steps to couches and beds)

Curiosity and Freedom - how do we support the dog's needs?

Dogs are curious by nature, and they love to explore when they feel safe to do so, and given the opportunity. Dogs are scavengers and omnivores (omnivores) and need to be able to display these natural behaviours. Norwegiandogtrainer can show you how - but a small tip could be to start by placing some unfamiliar objects on the floor in your livingroom for your dog every day - something they're not familiar with. Let them sniff potty plants, tea bags, the items in your shopping bag - it's exciting to experience and discover new things.

Many dogs lack freedom and autonomy in their lives, they are used to you deciding everything for them and perhaps you use a lot of commands in everyday life? Commands and tricks are not necessarily wrong - but when was the last time your dog was allowed to just be a dog and do something he wanted? Choose right or left, sniff as long as he wanted on a plant you passed by on the walk, not have to wear the rain cover on a short peeing expedition, or choose whether he wanted a chew bone or a licky mat? It is possible to give our dogs more freedom and choices - it just takes a little ajusting of habits. It's great fun watching your dog think hard about something and make a decision - and see how happy he gets when you let him choose. It's just as much fun as any other day on the agility course :-)

Thriving and better cooperation

When we help our dogs n\meet their needs, we also increase the dog's subjective sense of well-being as well as it is stress reducing. Exploration, freedom and choices also build a stronger bond between you and your dog - the more they get the opportunity to choose, and say no - the more likely they are to say yes!