Developing separation anxiety?

Our pup is about a year and a half now, we rescued him a little less than a year ago. He has always been really good when left alone. We crated him in the very beginning, and then used a baby gate to block him into one room and now he has free reign of the house. We have never had a problem. We take him to a doggy daycare some days throughout the week when he seems a bit uppity, and others we leave him at home while we are at work. Never has an accident, leaves the kitty food and boxes alone, and HAD never destroyed anything. He's never displayed signs of separation anxiety, but I feel he has been lately.

It has only started in the past month or so, and it is strange and maybe a coincidence, but we will leave him to run to the store or even just to go outside and take out the trash and he will have chewed something up. Nothing major (yet) but little things that he definitely knows he shouldn't have messed with....a phone charger, dvd case, his brand new collar, and a few other small things. He will have a look of guilt and I know as soon as I walk in the door that he's done something. I will find the item, hold it up and he cowers or rolls on his back and will barely be able to look at you. I don't even have to say anything, he already knows he's been bad. It honestly hasn't happened when we leave him for longer periods of time, but I dont know if that's just a coincidence.

Also, since we live in an extremely small town, I have taken him everywhere with me from the beginning. If I have some errands to run, I usually bike or walk. I have left him outside of the bank, city building, our post office, and anywhere else there is a window so I can tie him up, run in, and still see him while taking care of things. I have watched him sit patiently and wait, passers by will give him a pat on the head and he was totally fine. Within the past few weeks he has started really losing it when I walk away. He cries and whines. It's not a normal cry either. It's a shrill, very distressed cry that I've hardly even heard from him before. It's sad and I know he's anxious but I am wondering why this is starting now.

These behaviors are both new, so I am wondering if they are related to him developing separation anxiety.

I have had the same problem. With Hovis my new brood bitch from the guide dogs. She was fine to start with but started to bark when ever left. I think the problem is that I was around to much and started to get very distressed when left. I tried ignoring her and she would bark for an hour or so. As she is a breeding dog for the guide dogs she has gone back to them f for some training to see what I have to do to make it better for her. She hopefully will be back next thursday 7/3/13 with a training plan which I can follow to help her out as she got herself in such a state.
She is also around a year and a half I am not sure if that is anythign to do with it and she is also expecting her season soo which is probably not helping.

I think as like you I live in a smallish place and take the dog everywhere with me she got out of the habit of being left on her own.

She was never completely alone as I have got a retired brood called Elen who is fine being left for a few hours. So Hovis was never entierely alone.

I don't have any help at the moment but I can let you know what the guide dogs tell me to do when she get back here on the 7/3/13. I just though you might like to know you weren't alone.

I can't wait for her to come back as it is very quite with out her precence.
Ndidi

Thanks, it is so strange! He was a stubborn pup and I definitely had moments where I wondered if he would ever fully listen to and obey me. Now he does...pretty wonderfully actually...but he's started with this stuff! The poor lady at the bank the other day felt so terrible she told me I can just bring him in from now on. If only all businesses were that dog friendly ha!

I know I had that with Hovis to. I was witing to pick up a prescription and in the end asked to bring her in as she was making such a racket.
Do let me knwo if you come with anythign that help and I will happily share and advice I am given.
Ndidi

Just popping in very quickly and I picked up on this.

Firstly, I am sorry your boy is showing signs of separation related problems but it's a shame that this myth persists of dogs showing guilt - a cowering dog who rolls on his back is showing appeasement behaviour, not actually guilt

Ask yourself too that if he is anxious, why try to make him more so? He is anxious enough, it won't help anyone if he is made to feel scared when you return because he will simply then start to anticipate a telling off and will begin a cycle of stress and anxiety on top of what is already happening. I know how annoying it can be when items are destroyed, so the first thing is to make sure that any items you value highly or that are expensive are removed each time you go out just for the moment

Sorry I have to dash but one thing I would advise is to set up a recording of him when you go out. This should give you some idea of the problem ie is he anxious over being left, or is it because of something in the environment, such as a noise, people etc etc. ... as the solution may require differing methods of help.

For example a noise problem might require careful desensitisation and counter conditioning to the noise, where as an actual anxiety about being separated from humans/one human might be treated using another method such as signals for being left, combined with speciallly conditioned toys. You would need professional help really with this though

Hth
Wys
x

He's not showing guilt , he's showing that he knows your mad when you return.
Keep valuable stuff out of reach and reward him for chewing/playing with his own chew toys.
Stop getting mad at him, thats not teaching him anything apart from fear.
Read "The 100 silliest things people say about dogs" by Alexandra Semyonova, which will fully explain why people have these strange misconceptions about dogs.

Does not sound like SA to me, it sounds like poor environmental management on your part and failure to provide the dog with suitable chew items and perhaps boredome?

Why not leave him with some stuffed kongs that he does not get at any other time so he looks FORWARD to you leaving; dogs often go through a second chew stage between 10 - 18 months.

Give him things to occupy his time and do not get over anxious yourself and I am sure it will be fine.

we honestly havent really punished him for any of this. he has chewed a shoe or sock here and there when he was a little guy, but after he was finished teething, he really hasnt been much of a chewer. like i said these are new behaviors and i was just wondering if the two could be related. the stuff he has chewed has all been small and trivial. not much to get angry about. if he did chew something more important, i realize we would be at fault.

as for recording him, i really dont leave him anywhere i cant see him. and i tie him to the same poles and bike racks he's been waiting patiently at for months.

I think dogs can 'look guilty' but that they are not capable of 'feeling guilty' (guilt is such a wasted emotion after all benefits no one!) More likely the look is a fearful one anticipating your reaction. Or submission like some show when a bigger dog they are afraid of approaches.

When I got mine used to being left I did at first leave her in the airline kennel. But I did and said the SAME things every time and rewarded her when I got back. Not with loud praise - just calmly let her out and gave her a treat.

Now she expects a treat every time I come back from anywhere even when she is with me! They learn fast really if you are consistent and patient.

One thing I did do was make a point of leaving her for a while regularly even if I didn't have to. I didn't want her to get used to me being around her 24/7 and then start leaving her again. So even if it was to nip for a cup of coffee or sort stuff out in the car or whatever. I'd leave her and do and say the same things even if I was only going to be gone for 5 or 10 minutes.

Thats a very good point, I also do this.
I can take my dog to work but but I ensure he has time alone too, otherwise you can see how I'd easily end up with a dog that can't be left without stressing.