As most of you are aware, one the primary struggles with Pia was the constant howling and scratching any time she was put in the hallway or bathroom. This was written off as a very bad case of separation anxiety. And a very large potential problem as this is supposed to be a notoriously difficult behavior to correct.
However, I am not entirely convinced that she is a high-level separation anxiety case after about a week and a half of getting used to one another and trying different things to see what would work best for us at this point. I believe that most of the behavior was triggered by a combination of post-kennel insecurity and the new environment, being unable to see me (sight specific) and a strong dislike for enclosed spaces. Separation anxiety may still be a factor, but I don't think, at this point, that it was a major point - I suspect that it's a relatively minor issue on the whole to be honest. Granted I've not left her on her own for prolonged periods of time in the more open space - thankfully I have plenty of food and understanding friends and very few errands to run in the interim. I have gone out for 20 or so minutes, and I usually stay around the house, so I'd have heard any howling. There is sometimes a little barking, but it's minimal. If this absence was extended, it's impossible to determine how she would react because I wouldn't be here. Anyway, the hallway had no windows. The bathroom window was too high for her to see out of - ergo, they were enclosed spaces. Very large enclosed spaces, but enclosed spaces all the same. Here is the thing with sight specific. When she first got here, she had to keep me in her line of sight at all times. When a friend came over, almost without fail, he could tell where I was unless I was in another room, because her head would swivel to find me. When she was sleeping, she wouldn't curl up but keep her head turned towards me. When I was still keeping her in the bathroom, I would sometimes work on reward based correction (thank you Peggy!). I was very, very close by. But she couldn't see me. The howling persisted even though she knew I was within ten inches of her. I can now move around the house with relative ease. Before, she'd get up and check to see where I'd gone. Then she'd look up to see where I'd gone. Now, she mostly ignores where I've gone, or perks her ears forward because moving about is noisy and goes back to sleep. I have also gotten to the point, after only a couple of nights, that I can more or less settle her in her bag, and leave the room for a few minutes to brush my teeth, let the other dog in, check the house is secured for the night, etc. I tend to throw a few pieces of kibble in her bag when she first goes in, and that's helped tremendously. However, she still tends to fuss some. A little whimpering, a few barks, minimal scratching. But nothing terrible like the bathroom serenades. But...again, it's a closed space. Based on what I've read, this doesn't seem like separation anxiety. Or at least not a severe case. I've tried to avoid doing things that might exasperate SA. Hopefully I'm doing them correctly. When I do have to go out to run a quick errand or do more time consuming work with the horses, no fuss is made. I just...go. No ceremony. No goodbye. No 'preparation' - eg. gathering keys, purse. That's all taken care of well before I leave, and it's left in the kitchen where she can't see so that I can grab and go without her associating the two. In other words, I'm ready to go before I actually go. The radio is turned on well before I leave, and the 'diversion toy' (which she gets if I'm going off property for more than 20 minutes) is provided 5-10 minutes before I actually leave the property. Therefore, there isn't a set 'going away now' routine. I also leave through a door that she can't see - the living room door - the one in her off limits room. When I come back, no fuss is made. I'm simply back and usually resume work. The same goes for when I move around the house. The general feeling is - this is my house, I can move around as I like. I do not have to tell you where I am going. Also, that is the natural progression of things - I'd go absolutely mental if I was always wondering where the dog was when I was in another room; actually, I was going mental for that very reason - if I leave, will the dog start screaming, etc. Not good. But as I said, things are much better than when they started and this little foster, while not the greatest joy in my life, has been quite pleasant to be with the past few days. And of course, whenever I go away, I always come back. Our routine isn't interrupted by my absences. She still gets cuddles. She still gets play time. She also seems to be less inclined to be constantly petted. Over the last couple of days, there's been a lot less begging for attention which I think has something to do with our routine - this is when we play, this is when you get affection, this is when I'm working, this is when you must keep yourself entertained. But the question is - does this sound like separation anxiety? I've read about dogs underfoot, dogs unable to be out of visual contact, dogs that can't be left alone at all, that start getting worked up at the slightest hint you might be going out. And then, they tend to be very destructive when you are out. She was always just very vocal. And she did eventually settle down. Again, I've been unable to test her with a prolonged absence. I predict that she'll be fine. At least I hope so. It'll be difficult to tell short of getting an audio recorder. ------------------------------------ We are now on Facebook! Join today! http://www.facebook.com/groups/chihuahuasclubYahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Chihuahuas/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Chihuahuas/join (Yahoo! 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