CHENNAI: Homebound, bored and anxious — for most people, this lockdown only prolonged the frustrations of 2020’s events. But, for little Leo, the few months of shut-in came as a blessing. Adopted in April 2021 by city-based Kalake family, the golden retriever only experienced endless affection in their care. “During the lockdown, I was working from home and we were with Leo all the time. He would follow us everywhere; from bedroom to bathroom,” shares Yogesh Kalake.
The sudden absence of family members in the past weeks became concerning for Leo. As the effects of the pandemic ebbed and offices opened up, Yogesh had to return to his normal work life; an act unacceptable to Leo. “Even if one of us leaves the house, he becomes nervous. Once I start dressing for office, he holds my hand in his mouth till I reach my car. He jumps in and I have to drive him at least to the society gate or he keeps barking and seems sullen the entire day. Even keeping him in another room is intolerable to him,” he adds. Like Leo, many dogs are struggling to adapt to this abrupt change in routine and are suffering from separation anxiety due to this.
Showing signs
Does your dog intensely bark, yell or howl at the door when you leave? According to Mary Chandy, operations lead at The Pawsome People Project, this is often a symptom of separation anxiety. “Dogs are intelligent and communicative. Every change in their behaviour is an indicator of something. Pet parents must be on the lookout for these signs of possible anxiety — howling like a wolf, tendency to pee in the house, chewing up things as adults, or fluctuating moods,” she says.
When left unaddressed, these signs can cause nervousness or — in extreme situations — aggression. “You may notice dogs barking at random people or hiding under beds. No dog is born with anxiety or aggression. Their environment and how we treat them plays a huge role in their behaviour,” she says.
Series of unfortunate events
As if the pandemic wasn’t troubling enough, 2021 has been a trying time for Sneha and her pug Boomer. Despite being home, extended work hours demanded her attention, making Boomer act out in retaliation. “I’ve had Boomer for four years. He is a quiet and friendly dog. But, when I couldn’t give him attention due to work, he got furious, ignoring food and his designated sleeping corner,” she begins. With this came hyper activeness that led to an unfortunate fall in January. “He was jumping from one bed to another. I was making tea and stepped into the room to notice that he was limping. Within a minute, his entire rear portion stopped working,” she laments. This incident led to months of complications — anxiety, uncontrolled excretion, paralysis and seizures. In May, a mentally exhausted Sneha resigned from work to care for Boomer. He had her undivided attention for two months.
After this shared traumatic experience, when Sneha took up a job in August, Boomer did not approve. “He would look at me like he was ready to chew me up. In his hyperactive state, he began tearing up newspapers, tissues and clothes,” she recounts.
Training and timing
Thankfully, Sneha had considered this possibility and begun training him with mock workdays in July, the fruits of which are now evident in Boomer’s mellowed attitude. “I would wake up at 6 am and serve his food by 8.30 am as per routine. By the time I would have typically left, he would have finished playing and fall asleep, exhausted,” she says.
Dogs are often well-versed with general commands, but pet parents must train them specifically for such scenarios as well. Mary adds that it takes little time to train a dog — varying from few days to few weeks. You can start small. “Leave them at home when you go shopping for 15 minutes and slowly increase this time frame. Training has to be achieved by conditioning over time. Do not make a big show of leaving and guide the dog to a comfortable place. You can give them a treat for good behaviour,” she suggests. You could also try crate training but ensure that the crate is never used for punishment, lest the dogs associate it with negativity.
Creating a habit
When it comes to training, Akila Sundaresan has been ahead of the curve. Her dog Cookie showed little to no separation anxiety, thanks to her and her husband’s proactive training. “Even during the lockdown, we would have at least a couple of hours away from Cookie. We were apprehensive about going to work but he was completely fine,” she states. Following the same technique as Mary’s, the couple began with short periods and eventually could leave him alone for 4-5 hours.
Once Cookie had settled into this routine, the avid travellers began experimenting with even longer durations at their friend’s house or at dog hostels. The results were not favourable at first. “Last year, we left him for the first time for two days and he ignored us when we returned. Then, again, for five days, and he was really upset. Once our friend moved away, we took him to a hostel to acclimatise him and later, dropped him off but he was really scared,” she narrates. Slow and methodical; their training finally paid off when they dropped Cookie at the hostel last month, returning to positive results.
Patience and awareness seem to be the key. When asked about separation anxiety, both Akila and Sneha agreed that there was a lack of conversation. Perhaps, their experiences could inspire one in your home.