Separation Anxiety, Doggie Prozac - Does the Pet Industry Lack Ethics?

CAN SEPARATION ANXIETY BE SAFELY TREATED or EVEN CURED BY USING DRUGS (SSRIS)?

THE ANSWER IS NO!

I do not recommend the use of anti-depressant SSRIS (i.e. Reconcile) for dogs. Reconcile is actually Prozac. Prozac/Reconcile:

• Will NOT cure separation anxiety, or any other anxiety for that matter;
• Has many and serious, including lethal side effects;
• Actually induces many of the symptoms of anxiety, and;
• Can make the anxiety a heightened and chronic condition.

Separation Anxiety can be Summarized as Follows...

• The Root Cause of separation anxiety is insecurity;
• Provocation can be immediate or accumulated;
• The Source of the provocation is predominantly caused by inadvertent human-based influence;
• However the condition may also be triggered and/or exacerbated by a sudden traumatic event or an event in tandem with human-based influence;
• The Result of provocation without proper intervention is a destabilized physiological state - 'an altered normal' which when addressed properly can be reversed.

So, Lets Have a Serious Talk About Doggie Prozac

In 2006, thepharmaceutical giant Lilly (also known as Eli Lilly), decided to launch a new drug in its line of pharmaceuticals for dogs.

This new wonder drug was actually Prozac (generic name fluoxetine, also produced by other companies under the trade name Sarafem, Fontex, etc.) an anti-depressant which is used for humans who suffer from depression and other mental/mood disorders (anxieties). The drug company renamed Prozac in order to re-badge it as a canine drug - its new name was 'Reconcile'  

Prozac is an anti depressant and an SSRI - selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. SSRIs work by altering the action of the neurotransmitter serotonin.  Serotonin a) regulates aging, learning and memory; b) mood; c) sleep and other important functions. Unbalanced serotonin levels can play a role in anxiety problems, digestive and appetite issues. The range of common and rare side effects of Prozac are very extensive.

  

Lilly's pre-approval testing for human use, included testing of the drug on dogs. In one study,  six dogs were intentionally overdosed with oral fluoxetine (soon to be called Prozac). Five of these dogs experienced grand mal seizures. The study reports that 'the lowest plasma concentration at which a seizure occurred was only twice the maximum plasma concentration seen in humans taking 80 mg/day, chronically.' This means that in dogs, just a relatively small amount of Prozac is enough to create seizures and grand mal-seizures (lethal seizures) in dogs.

When Lilly decided to move forward with their new doggy Prozac drug 'Reconcile' they carried out additional 'testing' on dogs as part of the pre-approval process to obtain FDA approval to market Reconcile. In one such ‘study’ Lilly gave the drug to a 117 dogs. Three of the 117 dogs experienced seizures – for one of the dogs the seizure was fatal.   

In my opinion:

• 3 seizures resulting out of 117 dogs tested reflects a very high rate;
• 1 death out of 117 dogs tested is an unacceptable risk;

Another test of the drug was carried out on five beagles. Three of these five beagles either died or were euthanized due to severe damage resulting from the drug in the first six months of the study. Look at the numbers – that is a high incidence of serious side effects - including death.

In addition to the very real threat of seizures...

Doggie Prozac - Reconcile has More Side Effects

• Anxiety - ludicrous as Reconcile is marketed to resolve anxiety;
• Aggression;
• Brittle Bones - taking SSRIs may double chance of bone fractures (serotonin has a significant role in bone density);
• Excessive Panting;
• GI Tract disturbance - also ludicrous. 
• Consider the fact that the GI Tract health is indelibly linked to a healthy mind and balanced psychological state...the bodies second brain is the GI Tract.  
• When the GI tract is under assault:
• Your dog's immune system is suppressed leaving your dog susceptible to illness; 
• The gut - when healthy, actually produces more mood-boosting serotonin than the brain does. (Serotonin a}regulates aging, learning and memory; b} mood; c} sleep and other important functions. Unbalanced serotonin levels can play a role in anxiety problems, digestive and appetite issues).
• Hyperactivity;
• Hightened risk of heart problems;
•  Irrationality; 
• Increased risk of diabetes;  
• Pregnancy - dogs that are pregnant should not take Reconcile as it cases multiple serious complications.

If Reconcile has an extensive list of interactions with other mendicants - so it is of the utmost importance to ensure that - if prescribed - all interactions are considered...for example - interference and serious side effects such as:

• Exaserbation of general side effects;
• Overdose;
• Rapid decrease on health;
• Death.
  

Note that Reconcile does not start to take effect until  it has been administered for 10 to 14 days. In addition, Lilly wants your dog to be on the drug for a minimum of 8 weeks - plenty of time for extensive damage to be done to your dog by a drug that is aggressively marketed to 'help' your dog.

Antidepressants such as Reconcile can actually turn the anxiety into a deeper and chronic condition as many of its side effects are the same as the symptoms of the anxious condition.

Despite the dangerous nature of the drug, Reconcile was approved by the FDA in April of 2007 – of course Lilly began to aggressively marketing Reconcile to veterinarians right away.  As part of their marketing campaign they created a website for the product. Much like the campaigns by *IAMS and *Ralston Purina (you know the cute TV commercials), Lilly's ‘Reconcile’ website is filled with pictures of adorable, HEALTHY dogs who are standing beside chewed furniture etc. In small print further down the web page Lilly states that the adverse reactions of the drug, include: seizures, weight loss, lethargy, depression, decreased appetite, vomiting, tremor, diarrhea, restlessness, otitis externa, disorientation, incoordination, constipation, excessive salivation. Lilly also states on marketing and labeling information that Reconcile should not be used on dogs with epilepsy or a history of seizures, and also states that ‘Seizures may occur in dogs treated with Reconcile chewable tablets, even in dogs without a history of epilepsy or seizures.’

The Reconcile site also says ‘The effectiveness and clinical safety of Reconcile chewable tablets for long-term use (i.e. for more than 8 weeks) has not been evaluated.’ Yikes! Then it says ‘It can take time to see improvement in your pet's behaviors. If you don't see immediate improvement, continue with Reconcile for as long as your veterinarian has indicated. Don't give up! It is important that you continue the medication as prescribed.’ Quite a sales pitch.

After Lilly launched Reconcile in April of 2007, they did what they know best – bribe Veterinarians to prescribe the product. When Lilly reviewed their sales later that year – their animal health care sales in the US had increased by 18%. Great marketing job of a lethal drug with at best serious side effects - all for something that can and should be cured via dealing with the psychology of the situation – the true root cause.

The Division of Surveillance for the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine sent a warning letter to Elanco – sighting them for suggesting (on their website and other marketing materials) that ‘the product is more effective than has been demonstrated.’ The FDA warned Lilly-Elanco to change its marketing materials and Web site text.  The FDA noted that Lilly had neglected to mention that simple behavior modification on its own – without drugs, worked nearly as well as their drug. Had the FDA seen what someone who understands dogs can really do they would have understood that b-mod accomplished with psychological intervention works many times better than any drug. 

In response to the FDA, Lilly developed a combo approach which they called the ‘BOND’ program – offering a several week ‘training’ course in combination with use of the drug. BOND stands for:

• Be positive;
• Only reward calm behaviour;
• No more drama when coming and going, and;
• Develop the dog's independence.

 On the BOND Training section of their website site Lilly notes ‘This process may take a week or more, depending on the individual dog.’ Yet Lilly also states that the drug should be used for 8 consecutive weeks or more – illogical? Nope, not if you are greedy. In the US alone it is reported that there are 10.7 million dogs with separation anxiety. Multiply that by the cost of a month’s supply of the drug and you have quite a profit for Lilly. What a racket – ethical, I don’t think so.

The sad thing is that many veterinarians don’t think twice about prescribing such drugs - they, like Lilly, are in for the profit and/or do not understand the severity of the side effects and/or would rather make the $ than recommend a reputable professional that could cure the separation anxiety without further harming the dog. 

I have worked with many clients who were told by a veterinarian, trainer and or behaviourist (yeap, in some cases all three) that the only solution (to their dogs anxiety) is doggie Prozac or euthanasia. Yet by utilizing my methods – which are humane – the separation anxiety is cured. I also address diet as nutrition is directly linked to mental health (as well as physical health). 

Some people try ‘Thunder Shirts’ and Flower Essence but it has been my experience and that of the people that come to me that such interventions are at best not so effective –we as humans have all we need within ourselves to effect a cure for things like separation anxiety…self-awareness, self-restraint, self-discipline used to enable truly aware communication. This is what I teach my clients. To train a dog you simply need to train the dog’s human. Humans create anxiety in dogs - surely as an intelligent species we should have the intelligence to de-create such conditions without further harming the dog. To understand separation anxiety  -  its cause and the proper way by which to resolve the condition you can read this.

Oh and about all those 'cute' adorable dog food commercials on TV curtsey of Purina and Iams...

Iams and Ralston Purina not only invasive and lethally test their products on dogs (and cats) they are also responsible for so many pets acquiring chronic health issues, from serious reoccurring ear infections to renal failure, diabetes, cancer etc. You can read more on that here. 

Equal or even worse than these products are many of the products sold in veterinarians offices. Two such examples-  the veterinarian line of ‘Royal Canine’ dog kibble and Hills Dog Kibble. Check out the ingredients and then go to my article on choosing a Good Dog Kibble. The number of clients I have worked with - who were advised by their veterinarians to place their dog on these costly but very damaging foods; is numerous. Many were paying $100 for a bag of food only to find that their dogs acquired chronic ear infections, renal issues and worse.

Did you know that Pet Smart does not carry one safe truly nutritious dog kibble among all the products on their shelves? 

Walmart supplies a huge percentage of the dog kibble to pet-owners in North America - all of the dog kibble products Walmart sells are seriously damaging to your dog's health.

Much like any sector of industry - ethics are not a strong feature in the Pet Industry. 

I will provide you with a very recent example – I received this yesterday…

Hi Karen,
Our 13 1/2 yr. old pitbull recently had a laryngeal tieback surgery that required her to be fed entirely differently than ever before. She had always been on Evo (grain free) and baked skinless chicken. Now, the doctors prescribed that she must eat wet food only and be hand fed in small meatballs. The surgery itself is quite intense but the rehab is even more so. Phoebe has always had a very delicate stomach. I noted that to the doctors. We tried every premium canned food , all with the same awful results...diarrhea. She was sick all of the time and loosing weight rapidly. Every time that her stomach sent acids etc into her throat, she would faint...it was beginning to be a daily occurance...her life was all day sick on the couch, not wanting to eat and needing to relieve herself every two hours. We were a nervous wreck about the fainting, as was she. The doctors finally agreed to allow me to make a gruel out of her kibble and process it together with her chicken and feed her in tiny meatballs, by hand. She remained sick to her stomach still. They then decided to put her on an antibiotic and two stomach meds...much to my dismay...but, I was desperate to make her well and felt completely out of control with the situation. Finally, I woke one morning 5 months had passed and I had had enough...I was reclaiming my dogs health and happiness that day. Period. Your recipes for homemade dog food had the exact same ingredients as the premium kibble only minus the elements that I long suspected had been a source of aggravation to her digestion. Anyway, the food had everything that she has loved all of her life! Well, I made the first batch and she went nuts...now, this is a dog who I was forcing food on...and it would come out just as fast. She has been on your recipe for one month now. She is gaining back the weight that she lost. Her brindle colors are bright again. She is perky...grabbing toys and wrestling with the other dogs and greeting everyone at the door as they come home at night. Her bowel movements are absolutely perfect...I mean PERFECT!! I cannot thank you enough...my family cannot thank you enough because you have brought joy and health back into her life. And, the best news, she is not on any stomach meds at all! Her doctors keep insisting that she would have been fine to stay on the kibble! NOT SO. She is a completely different dog today than she was a month ago and it is all because of the food. PERIOD. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you...by the way, the other dogs love it too! We all really appreciate you and your recipe more than you will ever know! Love, Phoebe and family
Debi Beno

Today, Debi went to her veterinarian to inform them of the good news, this is what she wrote me after her visit…

Thank you for the links, I look forward to reading them today! Just wanted to share with you my experience yesterday...I have been so excited to share my news of Phoebe's progress with her doctor that I decided to give him a call yesterday...omg...one of his nurses is always very interested in asking about Phoebe so, when she answered the phone, I thought that I would also share my exciting news with her...she actually froze on the phone and, when she was able to recover her wits, she (in a whisper tone) relayed to me that the doctors are going to be "very upset" to hear of me feeding her this way! UPSET????? So, you are telling me that they will be UPSET that Phoebe is feeling GOOD ?( I said to her). Oh Debi, she said, there is NO WAY that you can be giving her all of the vitamins and minerals that she needs by making food for her...then, one of the doctors walked out (over hearing our conversation) and began to lecture me on my deciding to do this!!! I did not even wait for her doctor to come out, I simply looked at the room now bursting with staff and said, " If ANY of the doctors here had been able to make her feel this good, with all of their prescriptions and advice and medical expertise, we would not even be having this discussion"...and I left. Wow...when a caretaker is telling you that your patient is doing great for the first time in 6 months, I would have thought that they would have a way different response....how terribly disappointing. Thanks again for the links...maybe I will send them to the vets office :)

Trust not the pet industry, trust your instinct…which is what a dog does :>)

As an intervention coupled with effective training methods - ensuring that your dog has enough Omega-3 Fatty Acids in his/her daily diet is a safer, more effective way (than Prozac) to support your dog in over-coming anxiety issues - you can learn more about that here.

I advise my clients to get their dogs off of these toxic, carcinogenic, non-species appropriate diets ASAP and replace them with a:

• Grain-free;
• GMO free product, or make homemade dog food,and add
• Fresh-food to their dog's diet;
• Balance the Omega Fatty Acids in their dog's diet;
• And I may advise them  to add some other very beneficial food stuffs such as:   
• Garlic;
• Lemon;
• Turmeric;
• and/or other items depending on the individual case.

And that IS the honest truth - for the health of your dog.

DOGS AND SEPARATION ANXIETY

WHAT IS SEPARATION ANXIETY?

When a dog experiences anxiety upon being separated from it’s companions - in this case we will assume ‘companions’ refers to the dog’s humans. Separation anxiety is a psychological condition.

CAN SEPARATION ANXIETY BY TREATED/CURED BY DRUGS (SSRIS)?


The answer is NO! I do NOT recommend the use of anti-depressant SSRIS (i.e. Reconcile) for dogs. Reconcile is actually Prozac. Prozac/Reconcile:

• Will NOT cure separation anxiety, or any other anxiety for that matter;
• Has many and serious, including lethal side effects;
• Actually induces many of the symptoms of anxiety, and;
• Can make the anxiety a heightened and chronic condition.

To understand more about the seriously harmful effects of this SSRI drug you can read on here.

Separation Anxiety can be Summarized as Follows...

• The Root Cause of separation anxiety is insecurity;
• Provocation can be immediate or accumulated;
• The Source of the provocation is predominantly caused by inadvertent human-based influence;
• However the condition may also be triggered and/or exacerbated by a sudden traumatic event or an event in tandem with human-based influence;
• The Result of provocation without proper intervention is a destabilized physiological state - 'an altered normal' which when addressed properly can be reversed.

 IS SEPARATION ANXIETY EXPERIENCED BY ALL DOGS IN THE SAME WAY?

No, just as we humans react in various ways to stressors, so too do dogs. If your dog has separation anxiety he may have a very mild case of anxiety and just gets into little things like tissue boxes…or if the anxiety is more severe may destroy couches, walls, crates. Dogs with extreme anxiety can really harm themselves as they chew on things that can cut their mouths, or they may get tangled and trapped trying to escape confinement.

CAN THE BEHAVIOUR GO FROM MILD TO EXTREME?

Yes, if left untreated the behaviour can escalate over time. Depending on the dog, escalation may be slow, for others dogs it may occur rapidly.

SYMPTOMS DON'T USUALLY EXIST IN ISOLATION
Separation Anxiety is usually a symptom of a bigger issue...
- the issue for the dog is usually insecurity;
- enabled (unintentionally) by lack of leadership from the human.

Usually symptoms do not exist in isolation but are fed and supported by other symptoms. Treating an issue really requires a holistic approach. A dog usually has other symptoms, for example, exhibits nervousness, fear when encountering:
- garbage bags;
- construction vehicles;

- flags;
- loud noises, etc.;

In order to successfully eradicate the issue (insecurity), all of the symptoms must be addressed. I never allow a dog to flee or avoid something that they fear. With patience, calm confidence, respect, understanding, determination and persistence I coach and mentor the dog through each and every situation. In so doing I ensure that the dog leaves each situation it (formerly feared) with a new association - an understanding that it is safe and will not be harmed. By employing this methodology the dog learns confidence, over time insecurity fades away...and so to do the symptoms of insecurity.

HOW DOES A DOG END-UP GETTING SEPARATION ANXIETY?

Well, just like humans, every dog has their own natural pre-dispositions. Some of us are born with a greater tendency to be anxious and insecure while others are calmer - this is true for dogs as well. Just because we have that pre-disposition does not mean that it will ever come to the foreground. But, if environmental influences (such as incidents that happen to us on a regular basis or as a one-of occurrence, people, places and things that we encounter) spark our discomfort and become a stressor we can develop anxiety.

When I am explaining to my client’s how a situation or circumstance may impact their dogs, I ask them to think in human terms. That way the human can grasp the relativity of the situation with greater ease and speed

So if we think of a child…were we to leave a young child (with no experience of being left without companionship) alone in our home, most children would panic. Some would be curious about the experience and seek something to play with or get into. Then they would eventually become bored. Once boredom sets in and the novelty has worn off, they will recall the lack of companionship and become unhappy or indeed distraught.

Other children would weather the experience in complete contentment…this though would be rare.

If you plunk an adult down (alone) in a space that they are unfamiliar with…we will see the same pattern emerge. Some will become agitated and nervous, others may become bored, and some will be completely comfortable. And thus it is for dogs.

However - it can be even worse for dogs if we first wind them up with all of our human emotions, and then leave them! And then when we come back more emotion as we greet our dog in a frenzy of excitement and/or guilt at having left them alone. The human unknowingly reinforces the dog’s anxiety by making such a big deal of leaving and returning.

LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT HOW THIS CONDITION PROGRESSES…

So you go out for a few hours, or for the day leaving your dog alone in the house. Your dog may have ‘the run of the house’ or you may have shut a few doors so he can’t go everywhere.

At first your dog may be fine with this - as far as you can tell. Then one day you come home to find something chewed - nothing important just a tissue box. You think, 'well that is odd' or may even think 'that is kind of cute'. The next day everything is OK. But the day after you come home to another mess. So you decide to get him some chew toys. The next day you come home and more mess and the nice chew toys are sitting just as you left them.

Well, your dog is insecure and finds that having all of that space to himself is daunting. He is unsure what to do, where to rest...how to rest without his human companions to provide structure, direction or just companionship...so he starts to feel anxious. He gets nervous...nervous energy must have an outlet...any unspent energy must have an outlet or frustration and anxiety increases.

Chewing helps him release the anxious energy. Chewing the toys is not resolving his issue - anxiety...so he moves onto another object to try to solve his dilemma. He starts to chew on the couch!

The longer you leave your dog’s condition untreated the worse it will get - exponentially so! To help your dog to feel comfortable and safe you need to reduce the space he has access to while you are gone. This will be a temporary measure until he learns to have more confidence. You can either use a crate or baby gate or dog playpen to confine him to a smaller space - what you use will depend on the dog, its size and the intensity of its anxiety. Then there are some dogs who will do anything they can to escape confinement - they will chew there way out of metal wire crates, chew through drywall - open windows, we will speak of that later.

SO NOW LETS’ TAKE A LOOK AT HOW THE CONDITION CAN BE FIXED…

STEP ONE

First of all we need to make sure you understand how to avoid enabling you dog’s anxiety. The first place to start is with you! Take a minute to read these two articles - they are short but the information in them is profound and forms the foundation for curing your dog’s anxiety…these are your first building blocks.

Sensitivity of Dogs

The Art of Greeting in Silence

So, having read those two articles you now understand that the first thing you are going to have to do is prepare yourself. You need to reset expectations, forget what has happened in the past and disengage all of your emotions. You need to view working with your dog as 'work'. You are going to need extreme patience, you will have to strengthen your will so it is stronger than your dog's will. You are going to have to be incredibly calm and confident. You are going to have to completely change your dog's association with crating - it is a negative association right now.

STEP TWO

If you haven’t already done so…you need to normalize the experience of leaving and returning to your home.

When Leaving Your Home
…if you feel guilty about leaving your dog alone - your dog senses this, it can make them anxious as they feel you are not comfortable with the situation. Instead clear your mind of any emotion and calmly, confidently go out with the understanding that leaving is normal, with the expectation that your dog will relax.

…if you are always in a big rush, stressed and tense, your dog learns to associate your leaving with stress, tension…anxiety. Take a few minutes to calm yourself - this is essential! You must lead by example - be calm so your dog can be.

…direct your dog as to what you expect it to do…go lie down…and make sure you correct and follow thru if he does not. If you leave and he is barking and agitated he will stay that way. More on that later.

…if you leave and make a fuss, you teach your dog that leaving is not common place, it is instead an exception. Many people make a fuss over their dogs when they leave and when they arrive back home. This creates intense excitement and destabilizes the dog. It can also overwhelm their senses. When you go outside and your husband/boyfriend etc is inside do you go up to him and make an excited fuss? Or do you calmly, naturally just give a kiss and say I’ll be back? Well with dogs you do not even (should not even) say I’ll be back - they can feel your intent - no words required.

When Coming Back Home

No talk, no touch, no look…and do not anticipate excitement…relax, be calm and walk in with confidence…

When dog pack members great each other in their natural state they are calm and simply use their nose to sniff each other to understand where each has been. Normalizing, making common place the action of coming and going.

We humans do not think to honour the dog in our dogs and instead impose on them a human greeting. This is unfair to the dog. Dogs have a +300 million olfactory sensors in their nose, we have only 3 million. Please, when you greet your dog - honour him...no talk, no touch, no look, just let him quietly sniff you - this is like a beautiful glass of wine for your dog. Later when you have put your briefcase down and gone to the bathroom, come out and quietly touch your dog. Following this procedure normalizes the coming and going experience and removes the excitement associated with your absence...it deflates the anxiety.

So to recap Step two…DO NOT feel sorry for your dog, do not talk, do not touch...allow him the grace to just relax. If you leave in a hurry and are stressed or anxious - those are the feelings that you leave your dog with! Be calm, take a few extra minutes to ensure that when you leave you are relaxed in mind and body - this gives a very different message to your dog. THIS IS LEADING BY THE RIGHT EXAMPLE! This is coaching and mentoring your dog. THIS IS TRAINING YOU!

STEP THREE

Make sure your dog has had sufficient exercise

Before you leave make sure your dog has had enough exercise. Dogs need to expend their energy to feel relaxed and calm. You cannot expect a dog with unspent energy to be content left alone or contained in a crate if they have not first run down their energy level. Remember, dogs have two types of energy;

…their daily quota of energy, and

…if they have not had enough exercise on a regular daily basis they can have stored energy in addition to daily energy.

Just as we would find it difficult to settle down if we were revved up, so to do dogs - even more so. Unspent energy can lead to frustration and anxiety too!

STEP FOUR

If you are crating or otherwise confining your dog…

If a dog has separation anxiety a crate can be an important tool in their rehabilitation. Like people who have a phobia of large open spaces, a dog left alone in a home can feel overwhelmed. Crating is not a cure, but it can be used to support the rehabilitation process. Crating coupled with good leadership including a structured approach to coaching/mentoring the dog to navigate through all situations that it fears, etc. will help the dog become a secure, confident, well-balanced canine. Again your state of mind is very important. If you feel bad about using a crate for your dog - the dog knows and will learn to associate the crate with discomfort and unease. If you feel confident about using the crate your dog will too.

Introduce your dog to the crate in the right way

If you introduce your dog to a crate the right way– in almost all cases the dog will not fear or dislike the crate. Once a dog has found a crate to be a calm and comfortable place to be, the dog will often choose to use the crate as a place to go and rest. As long as you leave the crate door open when not in use, the dog can choose to use it when he/she pleases. When first introducing your dog to a crate, leave the door open and let your dog use it’s noise to explore the  outside and inside of the crate. You can direct your dog to lie down in the crate and relax - stay with the door open. You can feed him a treat while he is lying in the crate. Foster good associations.

Once your dog is comfortable with the idea of being in the crate, close the crate door and let him stay in it for a bit. Normalize the experience for your dog. When you go to let you dog back out of the crate, make sure he is relaxed, not excited. If he is excited just keep the door closed, be calm. Turn your body so you face sideways to the crate. Do not talk to, look at, or touch your dog. In this way you disengage and do not enable your dog’s excitement. When your dog is calm, open the door, and at your request he can come out of the crate. Do not allow him to bolt out of the crate. Use your body to block the door and when ready step aside to allow him out.

I have ten dogs in my dog pack and they all enjoy going off to lie in their crates when they feel like it. They are allowed to lie down wherever they like in the house – including on couches. Sometimes they prefer a crate. No one dog in my pack owns a crate – they all share the spaces in the house including crates. For example, when I am preparing their food, my smallest dog (a four-pound Pomeranian) will sometimes go to lie down in a large crate located in the kitchen and share the space within the crate with one of my German Shepherds or with my Australian Shepherd. There are other places in the kitchen they can ‘hang-out’, but they often choose the crate. Why do they choose the crate? The crate is a space of comfort and calm and all of the crates in my house are comfy – they are lined with dog beds and some have pillows too!

Even dogs who are capable of escaping any crate – like my dog Sarah (German Shepherd X Husky) will accept being in a crate as I have coached & mentored her in the right way. She is a wily, intelligent and resourceful canine who spent the better part of her first year as a stray – wiliness meant survival!

Make sure the crate is the right size for your dog

Make sure you get the right size crate for your dog; a dog should be able to stand up & turn around in its crate.

Never place a crate in a location that gets overly warm or where theair quality is very poor. We humans don’t appreciate such conditions neither do our dogs! Remember that cold air stays close to the ground. If your dog is not great with cold temperatures make sure the crate is not located where there is a cold draft.

STEP FIVE- for those with dogs who try to escape crates/confinement

You will have to work in baby steps. You are going to have to take the time to teach your dog that the crate is a place of comfort and peace rather than dread and stress. You need to get your dog accustomed to using the crate when you are in the room. Your dog will need to learn to relax in the crate - sit and lie down. Then you build up over time the periods he spends in it - while you are home. Dogs like people shut down when they are in a state of panic. It takes great determination, presence of mind and patience to turn this around.

Prepare yourself - you need to reset expectations, forget what has happened in the past and disengage all of your emotions. If you anticipate trouble you will get trouble, if you believe in what you are doing and forget the past it helps your dog to move forward. 

Helping your dog return to a normal state (not ridden with anxiety) means that you have to think and move in a deliberately calm fashion. Your dog did not get to this state overnight so it will take time to change his state.

 
Get yourself in the right mindset and then start to work with him/her.

IS SEPARATION ANXIETY A PERMANENT CONDITION? 

No, it is very rare for a dog, who has been coached and mentored properly through this anxiety to remain anxious. Depending on your dog and the severity of their anxiety...they will eventually get over this condition and learn to normalize being alone. For some dogs it is a relatively short process - requiring weeks or several months. For other dogs the path to normalization can take a year or more. My Australian Shepherd Tasha had a bad case of separation anxiety...curing her took around a year! 

Remember patience and calm confidence is key to success. Tasha can now be left out all day free in the house with my other dogs. At one time she would pee and poo in the house, chew furniture, shred whatever she could get her teeth into!. 

You can read her Bio if you are curious...Tasha, my Australian Shepherd
 

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• Training;
• Behaviour Modification;
• Rehabilitation;
• Nutrition;
• Health

Whether you are experiencing dog behavior problems and would like assistance, or just want to bring your dog up to be a well-balanced canine -  I offer both a local and international service for people with one or multiple dogs. 

I work with all breeds - from small (i.e. Yorkie, Pomeranian, Chihuahua, etc.), medium breeds size (including Pit Bulls) and large breed dogs...

 

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Sessions, Advice via email for National and International Clients - Dog Training, Puppy Training, Behaviour Modification, Nutrition, Health 

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Notes:

Please note - this article is for information purposes and is not a substitute for an in-person Session with me. When working with dogs I use many techniques - it is important to note that this article may touch on one or several techniques but not all. I select the technique that I use for a particular dog based on my observations of the dog and an intuitive, instinctive assessment of that dog's and its human's individual requirements. For example when I am working with a dog that is hyper sensitive and very physically reactive I will not use voice or touch. I use a lot of therapeutic touch on some dogs, others require the use of herding techniques and so on. Each and every technique must be combined with:

• an understanding of the real intelligence, sensitivity and capability of dogs;
• an understanding of how to read a dog's face and a dog's overall body language;
• an understanding of the full spectrum of ways that humans communicate and dogs communicate; 
• understanding and recognition of the individual that is each dog - no two dogs are the same...taking a 'cookie cutter' approach to techniques is not the way to work with a dog;
• a complete recognition and understanding of all the elements that feed a behaviour and create an issue:
•  the vast majority of people can only identify one or two elements...which vastly inhibits the ability to resolve behavior issues;
• behaviours do not exist in isolation - there are always many elements that feed a single behaviour, there all always multiple behaviours that create a behavioral issue;
• self-restraint and discipline on the part of the human who is directing the dog;
• sensitivity, awareness, intuition, instinct and timing on the part of the human who is directing the dog;
• to understand, connect with and adapt quickly and effectively to a dog's learning requirements you must be able to employ the same tools a dog uses - acute sensitivity, awareness, instinct, intuition and timing;
• kindness, endurance, consideration, patience, persistence, perspective, the ability and know how to let the past go, the ability to set realistic expectations at any one point in time;
• the creation of structure, rules, boundaries and limitations for each situation at the macro and micro level;
• understanding of all the elements that make up an instruction and direction to a dog...there are multiple steps involved in an instruction - not just one!
• absolute honesty - if you cannot be honest with yourself you will not be able to communicate clearly with a dog.

These are just some of the techniques that I teach my clients - it is a holistic, all-encompassing approach. If you are missing any one element of the above mentioned your success rate will be affected to one degree or another in implementing the techniques offered in the article presented above.