• Separation Anxiety is Treatable
  
  
• How Do I Know if My Fox Terrier Has Separation Anxiety?
  
  
• What Causes Separation Anxiety?
  
  
• What To Do If Your Fox Terrier Has Separation Anxiety
  
  
• In the Interim
  
  
• What Does Not Work
  
  
• Exchanging Ideas With Other Owners of Dogs With Separation Anxiety

This guide cannot cover every eventuality or situation. Each person, dog, family, and situation is unique. There may be another cause for your Fox Terrier’s problems. If you are in doubt if your Smooth or Wire Fox Terrier actually has Separation Anxiety or feel that you have having serious problems rectifying the problem, please contact a fox terrier expert. They will be happy to help you. If you have another breed, please contact an expert in your breed or contact:
The American College of Veterinary Behaviorists at this e-mail address: bbeaver@cvm.tamu.edu

If you don't have someone near you to talk to then email the following:

Pam Bishop at: vp@foxterrier.com

Separation Anxiety is Treatable

How Do I Know if My Fox Terrier Has Separation Anxiety?

When you are “absent,” the Fox Terrier:

• Barks, whines, howls, or screeches in an attempt to get their owner to return
  If your dog is howling or barking during the day, first talk to your neighbors and be sure that some events or noises in the neighborhood are not causing this behavior. (Cats, strange dogs, or children in your yard, or maybe a neighbor working on cars and constantly revving the engines, etc.)
  
  
• Frantically digs, chews, and scratches at gates, doors, walls, or windows in an attempt to escape and reunite with its owner
  
  
• Urinates and defecates, even if it is housetrained
  
  
• Excessively drools and pants, particularly when enclosed in a crate or small area
  
  
• Temporary anorexia (won’t eat food or treats when you are gone)
  
  
• Paces
  
  
• Makes soft, non-disruptive vocalizations
  
  
• Constantly licks its feet, legs, belly, or groin area (This can also be a sign of allergies, so rule out allergies first.)

These behaviors may occur even when the Fox Terrier is left with other dogs, cats, or even with other humans

On the subject of other animals, make sure that the other animals in your household are not contributing to the problem with their behaviors: barking at every passer by or having cat fights in the backyard at various times during the day.

When you are present, the Fox Terrier:

• Obsessively and anxiously follows the owner from room to room, never letting him or her out of its sight (Many dogs want to be with their owners; dogs suffering from separation anxiety are compulsive and anxious and cannot be happy when left alone.)
  
  
• Is acutely and anxiously alert to the owner's every move
  
  
• Continuously licks the owner's hands and face
  
  
• Curls up right next to the owner on the couch or drapes itself across the owner’s feet when he or she is watching TV
  
  
• Cannot sleep anywhere except on the owner’s bed or right next to it
  
  
• Scratches and barks if a door is closed with the owner on the other side of it
  
  
• Shows signs of distress (tail between the legs, cringing, hiding, trembling, sad looks) when the owner prepares to leave
  
  
• Growls, mouths, or nips the owner when he or she tries to leave
  
  
• Exuberant or frantic greetings that continue for several minutes after the owner’s arrival home sometimes accompanied by submissive urination.

Important: The destruction and house soiling that often occurs with separation anxiety is NOT your Fox Terrier's attempt to punish or seek revenge on you for leaving it alone--it is an involuntary panic response.

What Causes Separation Anxiety?

• They were removed from their littermates too soon
  
  
• They are under socialized (raised in a pet store or some other isolating environment or raised by an over protective or anxious owner)
  
  
• They do not understand what is expected of them (no obedience training)
  
  
• They were mistreated in the past (abandoned, taken to a shelter, bounced from owner to owner, or had an unusually long confinement) [2]

What To Do If Your Fox Terrier Has Separation Anxiety

1. Provide Good Food

A. A decrease in anxiety has been seen when Fox Terriers are switched from a high protein, high-energy food to:
• a low protein (22 percent protein or less)
  
  
• all natural diet (with “human grade” ingredients and no by products, salts, sugar, nitrates, BHA, BHT, and Ethoxiquin, artificial colors, or preservatives).
  (See the Whole Dog Journal's “Top Ten Dry Dog Foods” in back issues of the journal or at http://members.aol.com/smplyschnz/nutrition/wdjtopten.html. Scroll down to find the recommendations)
  
  Try feeding your Fox Terrier a low protein diet for 2 to 4 weeks to see if it makes a difference in its behavior. This should be done in conjunction with the other treatments suggested here.

B. Another Option: Change your dog to a BARF diet. The word BARF is an acronym for Biologically Appropriate Raw Food. BARF also stands for Bones And Raw Food. Other terms include evolutionary diet, natural diet, and species appropriate diet. For more, see: http://www.barfworld.com/

Try feeding your Fox Terrier a BARF diet for 2 to 4 weeks to see if it makes a difference in its behavior. This should be done in conjunction with the other treatments suggested here.

2. Vigorous physical (and mental) exercise

3. Stay calm, unemotional, and Positive

4. Ignore your Fox Terrier before leaving and when returning home

An additional note about returning home: Do not punish your Fox Terrier when you come home, no matter what it has done to the house. The dog will not associate the punishment with what it has done. Instead, it will associate the punishment with your arrival. This is not a good way to make your homecoming stress free.

5. Increasing your Fox Terrier’s Self-Confidence and Independence

A. Teach the “stay” command
B. Put distance between you and your Fox Terrier—for the dog’s own good
C. Teach the “find ” command— for Fox Terriers that chew when you are gone
D. Learn TTouch™

A. Teach the “stay” command

Practice the “stay” command twice daily, giving your Fox Terrier a treat for staying put on a blanket or dog bed. The goal is to have your Fox Terrier stay for 2-3 minutes with you out of the room.

Ask your Fox Terrier to “sit” or “lie down” and “stay.” (See our article on Basic Training Tips if your Fox Terrier needs to learn these commands.) Begin with just a few seconds; gradually increase the length of the “stay” until you can go out of sight for a few seconds. Continue to practice, gradually increasing the time you are out of sight. If your Fox Terrier keeps breaking the “stay,” you are moving too quickly. Start again at the last point at which your Fox Terrier successfully stayed and reward that for a while. Then increase the time and distance more slowly.

Begin using treats as rewards, but later, vary food, touch, and praise. Give your Fox Terrier a reward every time it is successful when you are first teaching the “down-stay” command, but as your Fox Terrier gets better at staying, reward the behavior intermittently. This makes the response less easily forgotten.[3]


B. Put distance between you and your Fox Terrier—for the dog’s own good

Some of the steps listed below will be hard for you to do (you got a Fox Terrier to enjoy its company so ignoring it does not seem right), but the steps are necessary. They will work relatively quickly and efficiently if you and all the humans in the household are consistent and conscientious. [3]

i. Do not look at, talk to, or touch your Fox Terrier if it constantly demands attention. No nudging, leaning, pawing, barking for treats, or pushing against you for petting. No jumping in your lap. If this is happening, fold your arms; look away or turn your back on your Fox Terrier. Wait for your Fox Terrier to sit or lie down. Then calmly praise this behavior. Don’t believe it will work with your wild Fox Terrier? Try it. (Note: do not ignore your Fox Terrier’s “I need to go out to potty signals.”)

ii. Be aware of those times when your Fox Terrier is leaning on your leg, lying under the table at your feet, or sitting next to you. Send it away or go sit in a chair so it cannot sit with you on the couch. Ignore any fussing.

iii. You should initiate all interactions with your Fox Terrier. All attention is on your terms. Your Fox Terrier should get no attention from you unless it “sits” first. Your Fox Terrier should “sit” before meals, treats, play, grooming, leashing, and when opening the door to go outside.

Do not baby, stroke, or cuddle. Instead, spend time with your Fox Terrier by teaching it the “Stay” and “Find” commands and by playing fun games of fetch.

iv. Put up baby gates or some other see-through barrier so your Fox Terrier can see you but cannot go with you while you work in the garage or do laundry in the utility room. Ignore any barking, whining, or fussing. When it sits or lies down, praise your Fox Terrier calmly.

v. Do not let your Fox Terrier follow you around all the time. If your Fox Terrier follows you, gently lead it to a familiar, safe place such as a blanket or dog bed. Have your Fox Terrier “sit” or “lie down” and “stay.” Calmly praise your Fox Terrier for staying.

vi. Everyday, several times a day, leave your Fox Terrier alone inside the house. Close the door to the room you have entered, saying, “You’re fine, I’ll be right back,” in a calm voice. (See “Safety Cues”). Discover what your Fox Terrier’s anxiety threshold is and stay below it—even if that is only a few seconds. When you return, ignore your Fox Terrier, walk past it, and go on about your business. Slowly, in one-minute increments, increase the time your Fox Terrier is alone on the other side of the door. Occasionally, vary the lengths of time. Eventually, you should be able to increase the amount of time your Fox Terrier will calmly and quietly wait for you outside the door.

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vii. Do not let your Fox Terrier sleep in your bed with you—at least for now. Give your Fox Terrier a bed of its own across the room from your bed. This can be the same bed it stays in when you are gone. At first, your Fox Terrier may repeatedly try to sneak back on the your bed. You should consistently return your Fox Terrier to its bed and praise it for staying. If your Fox Terrier refuses to comply, it may be necessary to tie it to a very sturdy and secure piece of furniture in the bedroom. Use a four-foot lead so your Fox Terrier cannot get caught up in the lead and hurt itself. [5]

If your Fox Terrier is crate trained, a crate can be used in place of a bed and to keep your Fox Terrier in its own space.

For severe anxiety cases, start with your Fox Terrier in its dog bed next to you. When your Fox Terrier is comfortable there, start gradually (six inches a week) to move its bed away from you. Some behaviorist recommend moving the dog’s bed all the way out of your bedroom into the hallway, leaving the bedroom door open at first, then gradually shutting it.

viii. If your Fox Terrier seems to be especially dependent on one family member, let other family members, friends, or neighbors take over feeding, walking, and special games. If possible, have several people take turns doing these things with your Fox Terrier. You do not want your Fox Terrier to single out and transfer the dependency to another family member.[6]

Some behaviorists suggest that the person the Fox Terrier is most attached to should totally ignore the Fox Terrier for a week or two. Ignoring means the person does not look at, talk to, or touch the dog. The Fox Terrier is not allowed to follow the person around. The person pretends that the Fox Terrier does not exist! [3]

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C. Teach the “find” command—for Fox Terriers that chew when you are gone

Dogs chew to release tension and anxiety. It is similar to the way anxious people bite their nails or constantly tap a foot.

To help prevent damage to your furniture and belongings, teach your Fox Terrier to seek out its terrier-proof and terrier-safe toys (ones that don’t have dangerous fillings and can’t be torn into pieces) whenever it feels the need to chew. Do this by teaching the “Find” command.

To teach the “Find” command, Scatter several toys in different rooms throughout the house. Say, “Find”; then immediately lead your Fox Terrier from room to room encouraging him to pick up a toy when it sees one. When your Fox Terrier does so, reward with praise, affection, play, and even a food treat, then continue the game.

Always praise your Fox Terrier every time you see it playing with or chewing on one of its toys.

After your Fox Terrier has learned the “Find” command, whenever you return home, insist that your Fox Terrier greet you with a toy in its mouth. At first, you will have to help your Fox Terrier by telling it to “Find” its toy. Do not greet your Fox Terrier until it has a toy firmly in its mouth. Within a few days, when your Fox Terrier starts anticipating your return, it will begin looking for a toy. If a toy is in your Fox Terrier’s mouth, it will be likely to chew on the toy rather than on the furniture. [7]


D. Learn TTouch™ [8], [9]

TTouch™ uses a combination of specific touches, lifts, and movement exercises to help your Fox Terrier release tension, increase body awareness, and increase self-confidence in previously frightening situations. This can allow your Fox Terrier to more easily to learn new and more appropriate behaviors. The Body Wrap used in TTouch™ is another useful tool because it gives your dog a feeling of security and protection. [9]

The basic technique involves doing small gentle circles, lifts, and pulls with the hand or fingers.

Companion dogs usually react to their environment based on instinct. Reacting on instinct means that they are not using their reasoning abilities. TTouch™ is a useful technique that stimulates and works the brain and nervous system the same way we humans exercise to develop our muscles. This helps to move your Fox Terrier from instinctive reactions toward cognitive thinking responses.

One of TTouch’s effects is its ability to keep an animal in a mental "learning state"-- which is marked by a level of arousal that is alert but calm. This moves the animal to a “state” in which it is attentive to the environmental stimuli, but not stressed by them to the point that it reacts with instinctive or habituated reactions that are unsuitable in the situation. This state permits the animal to try new, different responses to the challenging stimuli, and to perceive that one or more of these new responses is "okay" and even works better than the old unsuitable response. TTouch is said to be a little like, "turning on the electric lights of the body.”

Explore this tool by reading a book on it, buying and watching a video, or better yet, by attending a class or having a Practitioner come to your home and help you learn. You can find detailed information about Tellington TTouch™ from the following resources:

Getting in TTouch with Your Dog: A Gentle Approach to Influencing Behavior, Health, and Performance by Linda Tellington-Jones. Trafalgar Square Publishing. © 2001

Unleash Your Dog's Potential: Getting in TTouch with Your Canine Friend [video] by Linda Tellington-Jones. © 2001

Linda Tellington-Jones. http://www.lindatellington-jones.com.

6. Establish a safety cue

• Nylabone-like products
  
  
• Hard rubber toys stuffed with goodies such as Buster cubes, Kong toys, Goodie balls/ships work well (The seriously afflicted Fox Terrier, however, will not give the toy a second look until his pack is together again)
  
  
• A sterilized, hollow beef bone that can be stuffed with liverwurst, peanut butter, or treats

One owner’s experience: Marian’s Wire Fox Terrier, Ziggy, was howling and pooping whenever she was at work. One weekend, she noticed that Ziggy did fine alone in the while she was in the back yard. What was the cue that let him know that she was nearby? It turned out that whenever she went out into the back yard, Marian left the back door open. She tried leaving the door open and walking around the block. When she came home, Ziggy was fine, sleeping in his bed. Obviously, Marian could not leave the door open all day when she went to work, but now she had something to work with. She could slowly begin to close the back door, inch by inch, when she was in the back yard. Eventually, Ziggy would learn the closed door (rather than the open door) as his “safety cue.” He would learn to associate the closed door with her imminent return.

7. Leave a Light on and Play Soothing Sounds

• Tape record a normal, noisy family breakfast (don't call your Fox Terrier’s name or speak directly to your Fox Terrier on the tape). The tape recorder should be placed in the bedroom with the door closed (any room as long as the dog cannot enter). Since most destructive behavior occurs during the first hour, you only need a voice recording that lasts slightly more than an hour. (This tape of family noises can be used without having first been part of a practice session.) [11]
  
  
• Play soothing music, especially music designed as Pet Music Therapy. Play the music when you are at home as well as when you are away. (The music may even make you calmer too.)
  
  For ideas about which music to play, refer to the following Web site:
  FaireePoms Pet Sitting Service. Helpful Hints http://www.faireepoms.com/sitemap.html
  
  
• Leave the TV on. If you have cable, a shopping channel is ideal because it consists of nothing but conversation—no commercials, no worries about dogs barking, guns firing, or other loud noises. Another good choice is public TV.
  
  
• Leave the radio on. Public radio can be a good choice if no animal shows are on during that time. Otherwise, a low-key talk radio station may be a better choice.
  
  
• You can leave a loud ticking clock in the room in conjunction with one of the other sounds mentioned above. [11]

8. Confinement

• a water bowl that affixes firmly
  
  
• no food
  
  
• a bone or a toy that doesn’t have dangerous fillings and can't be torn into pieces--no toys which could hurt your Fox Terrier if the toys or treats are frantically chewed or swallowed
  
  
• a piece of carpet to lie on (if your Fox Terrier does not chew it up) [6]

9. “Practice-Departures” Technique and Desensitization

Practice Departures
Practice random departures by putting your Fox Terrier where it will stay while you are at work, saying an unemotional "see you later" (see “Safety Cue”), and leaving the house. Return after 3-5 seconds (to start with) and ignore your Fox Terrier. Practice 50-100 departures a day for several days. Slowly, in one-minute increments or less, increase the time your Fox Terrier is alone. Make sure you always stay below your Fox Terrier’s anxiety threshold. Occasionally, vary the lengths of time you are gone.

Once your Fox Terrier can tolerate practice departures of 30 minutes, it is probably ready to spend half days alone. Visit your pet during lunchtime for the first few weeks, and you should be well on your way to a separation anxiety-free pet.

Desensitization
The objective of this technique is to desensitize your Fox Terrier to the cues that signal your departure and start the spiral of anxiety.

Make a list of the things that you do before you go out for the day (when the destruction occurs). These activities are usually very predictable: the alarm goes off, you go for a jog, shower, brush your teeth, turn on the news, eat breakfast, pick up your briefcase and keys, etc. See if you can identify the ones your Fox Terrier reads as signs of imminent departure and begins to work itself into a frenzy.

Also, make a list of the things you do before you go out or are out of sight for a short time (when no destruction occurs).

Then, mix up the two sets of clues. For example, if your Fox Terrier is fine when you go downstairs to do the laundry, try taking the laundry basket with you when you go out to work and bring it back with you when you return. [3] If your Fox Terrier gets anxious every time you head for the front door, leave and enter the house through a different door every time you go out and return.

Pick up your keys, but do not go anywhere; put on makeup and dress up on the weekend; go to work wearing a jogging suit; open and close the garage door, but do not go anywhere. Separate your house key from your other keys and place it on a ribbon or shoelace so you can use it without making the sound of metal clinking against metal, signaling your departure.

10. Medication and Homeopathic remedies

Medication
In severe cases of separation anxiety, your vet or behaviorist may prescribe a psychotropic medication approved for and used in the treatment of humans (such as amitriptyline, clomipramine, and clomicalm)**. These medications must be used in conjunction with the behavior modifications techniques described in this article. Dogs take a daily dose of these medications to relieve some of their anxiety, making it easier for them to learn new, better behavior. Once the new behavior is learned, the medication can be discontinued.

Before starting any medication, blood work is recommended to detect any unknown conditions that could affect the drug chosen and the dosage selected.

Sedatives and tranquilizers do not treat the anxiety and may actually prevent the dog from learning new, better behavior, so they are not recommended.

Phenobarbital, normally used to treat seizures, is also not a good choice because its effect is dependent on sedation rather than on treatment of anxiety. [13]

Homeopathic and other natural remedies
Homeopathic remedies may be helpful (as recommended by your vet or behaviorist). Give the recommended dosage and keep in mind that regular use will produce the best results. These can be purchased at many pet stores and Naturopathic vets. They can also be purchased on line. Some examples of the many products available are listed below.

• Secure & Happy Home Alone Anxiety Relief
  
  
• Anti-Anxiety Therasticks
  
  
• Animals' Apawthecary Tranquility Blend
  
  
• Pet Essences Loneliness/Home Alone
  
  
• Homeopet Anxiety
  
  
• Vetline Calm
  
  
• Rescue Remedy

In the Interim

• In severe cases, your vet may prescribe a psychotropic medication approved for and used in the treatment of humans (such as amitriptyline, clomipramine, and clomicalm)**. These medications must be used in conjunction with the behavior modifications techniques (See Medication)
  
  
• Take your Fox Terrier to a doggie day care facility or boarding kennel
  
  Check your Yellow Pages for Doggie Daycare businesses or boarding kennels that are willing to take your Fox Terrier on a daily basis. Make sure they understand that your Fox Terrier is suffering from separation anxiety and make sure they are willing to follow your treatment plan. If your Fox Terrier is dog aggressive, let the caretakers know this as well. Your dog can be kept separate from other dogs and still benefit from doggie daycare.
  
  
• Leave your Fox Terrier with a friend, family member, or neighbor
  
  Make sure that person understands that your Fox Terrier is suffering from separation anxiety and make sure they are willing to follow your treatment plan. Also, make sure that they know your Fox Terrier will be prone to bolting or pulling out of its collar or harness in an effort to escape and find you.
  
  
• Take your Fox Terrier to work with you, even for half a day, if possible

What Does Not Work

Punishment has no place in the treatment of separation anxiety. Punishment may actually increase your Fox Terrier's separation anxiety by making it anxious about your return or departure. Anxiety behaviors are not the result of disobedience but are a distress response. [4], [14]

Getting another dog: a Fox Terrier with severe separation anxiety is missing its pack leader, its human owner, not other dogs. Even worse, the dog with separation anxiety may teach the new dog to be as anxious about separation as it is--doubling the owner’s problem. (In a few rare cases, a Fox Terrier whose history you do not know may be helped by another dog-- if it had other dog companions it is now missing. This is hard to assess unless you borrow a neighbor or relative’s dog for a day or two.)

As a rule, if you have a dog with a problem, solve THAT problem before acquiring a second dog.

Crating a Fox Terrier with separation anxiety often makes the panic worse. Crate training is a good idea for the long haul, but it is not an immediate solution for separation anxiety, even if your Fox Terrier is crate trained. Instead, use a sturdy kennel set up in a utility room or kitchen (if house-soiling occurs) or in an interior room (if vocalizations are the problem).

Leaving sounds playing, does not work unless you have been established the specific sound as a "safety cue."

Obedience school as the only method of treatment. Obedience training is always a good idea. However, used by itself, obedience training will not directly help a separation anxiety problem. Separation anxiety is not the result of disobedience or lack of training; it is a panic response. If you have to choose one or the other, spend time teaching your Fox Terrier the “Stay” and “Find” commands and by playing fun games of fetch.

If you also want to do obedience training, see our article on How to Pick the Right Obedience Trainer for Your Fox Terrier.

Tying your Fox Terrier to chewed objects or painting the chewed object with hot sauce. This may stop your Fox Terrier from chewing that item; however, the tension your Fox Terrier feels will be redirected to other objects, structures, or itself. [3]

Leaving your Fox Terrier home alone when you go out of town. If your Fox Terrier has, or has had, separation anxiety, never leave him in your home when you are out of town unless you have a wonderful live-in person who can carry on his routine and follow your treatment plan. Leaving him alone with a couple of daily visits from a caretaker can easily throw him right back into distress.

A good boarding kennel is an option, if absolutely necessary. Make that sure all the kennel personnel understand the dog’s separation anxiety issues and that they are willing to follow your treatment plan. Offer to pay extra if necessary. Leave a contact number of a Fox Terrier and separation anxiety savvy friend just in case the kennel cannot deal with your Fox Terrier. Leave the dog at the kennel just overnight a couple of times before you go out of town for a longer time.

Exchanging Ideas With other Owners of Dogs With Separation Anxiety