Separation Problems & the Rescue Dog

A survey (McNicolas, 1999) found that there was a link in the minds of responding veterinary surgeons, between separation problems, and dogs that were obtained from rescue shelters.

The Blue Cross commissioned its own research and found that although rescue dogs are likely to have transient separation problems, many of these difficulties resolve spontaneously within the first few months of life in a new home.

So is there a misconception among vets, or is there a discrepancy between these findings and reality? It is likely that both are partially true.

Dogs with severe separation problems, i.e. the sort that cause hundreds of pounds worth of damage or cause complaints from neighbours due to excessive barking, are often passed on to rescue centres.

Owners have a vision of a mythical home where the owner is at home all day and never has to leave to go to work, shopping or on holiday.

In a survey (Bailey, 1991) that The Blue Cross ran in 1991 to find out the reasons why people gave up their dogs for rehoming, we found that numbers of dogs given up for being too destructive, noisy or dirty in the house were small. They were less than 8% of the intake and not all of these would have been severe cases.

However, at rescue shelters where no steps are taken to recognise and treat these dogs, problems being exhibited in the next home, and the consequential recycling, may well lead to a bad name for rescue dogs.

To add to the problems, there may also be a causal link between rehoming and minor separation problems. Work done by the Anthrozoology Institute at Southampton University (McPhearson, 1999) and sponsored by The Blue Cross, showed that 45% of dogs rehomed by The Blue Cross showed some separation problems post-adoption.

However, of these, 23% spontaneously resolved after a few months and only 6% of owners took up the offer of free behaviour advice.

Of the 22% who reported continuing problems, but who were not sufficiently concerned to seek help, many are likely to have adopted adolescent or young adult dogs.

A further survey (McBride et al. 1998) also found that 22% of adopted dogs have ongoing problems two months after adoption, of which 42% were between 6-12 months old, and 84% were destructive.

So is it normal for dogs to exhibit separation problems, particularly those related to chewing, during adolescence and early adulthood?

Results from the Parting with a Pet Survey (Bailey, 1991) showed that this is the time when most dogs are brought in to rescue centres and placed into new homes.

If this is the case, it would be expected that these young dogs would be likely to exhibit problems as a result of their age.

A longitudinal study, looking at 12 litters of Labradors and Collies, was conducted as part of the study by the Anthrozoology Institute (McPhearson, 1999).
The results showed that 70-80% of ‘non-rescue’ dogs show separation problems before their first 18 months of life (see Figure 1 for incidence of separation problems at each age).

To recap, it would appear that about half of the dogs rehomed showed some separation problems but only 6% of those were severe enough for the owners to seek help.

About one quarter of rehomed dogs have transient problems that resolve spontaneously during the first two months and about one quarter show normal adolescent/young adult exploratory destructive behaviour.

Interestingly, none of the owners of ‘non-rescue dogs’ in the longitudinal study sought advice even though some of the destruction was quite severe (see Figure 2).

This brings us to the more complex side of the equation – the owners.

Owner tolerance of such problems has not been investigated, but it is likely that if destructive problems begin slowly and build up, owners may be more tolerant than if a newly acquired dog does a lot of damage.

It is also likely that owners of rescue dogs do not feel responsible for their new dog’s behaviour and are more likely to return it to the shelter or report the matter to their veterinary surgeon. This increase in reporting may, again, help to alter the vet’s perception of the problem.

As with all research, more questions arise that need to be answered.
We have a little bit of the picture, but much more is needed.

• We need extended longitudinal studies in different breeds and crossbreds to find the prevalence of separation problems in the general population.
  
• We need to look at the severity of those problems from the dog’s point of view to eliminate owner’s perceptions, and we need to look at the different causes of separation problems in dogs, of which there are likely to be many (see Table 1).
  
• We also need to look at the effect of owner personality on the prevalence and development of behaviour problems in dogs. Once we know this, we can look for differences in the rescue dog population.

They can ensure that their staff have a good working knowledge of animal behaviour so that there can be better assessment of dogs in kennel and careful matching of dogs to new owners. This will help to reduce or prevent behaviour problems in the new home and help to break the recycling loop for dogs with severe separation problems.

In conclusion, my message to veterinary surgeons is: don’t be too quick to condemn the rescue dog.

Views are easily coloured by a small number of recycled dogs with severe problems which, with the help of a good behaviourist and a conscientious owner, can be treated.

Many of the problems in adolescent and younger dogs are likely to happen anyway, whether the dog has been through the rescue system or not. Much more research is needed on the prevalence, severity and causes of separation problems and on the effect of the relationship with the owner.

All of this will lead to a better image for rescue dogs which, in turn will lead to more homes becoming available for those unlucky enough to find themselves homeless.

Table 1.Possible causes of separation problems:

• Boredom & excess energy
• Exploratory behaviour and teething
• Lack of knowledge of the ‘right’ things to chew
• Sexual frustration
• Barrier frustration (e.g. strays)
• Competition with other animals/people (e.g. urinating in house)
• Food stealing/bin raiding
• Redirected aggression (e.g. around windows)
• Learnt behaviour to make owner return
• Over-attachment to owner
• Insufficient social contact with owner
• Fear of things outside house (e.g territorial barking)
• Fear of things inside house (e.g. fridges)
• Noise phobia (e.g. thunder)
• Long-tern stress in environment

See The Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors

References:

• McNichols, J. 1999 Incidence and frequency of separation-related behavioural problems in dogs as seen in veterinary practice Survey carried out for Novartis Animal Health
• Bailey, G. P. 1991 Parting with a Pet Survey The Blue Cross
• McPherson, J. PhD Thesis, University of Southampton Aetiology, Characterisation, and Prediction of Separation Induced Behaviour in the Domestic Dog
• McBride, E. A., Bradshaw, J.W. S., Christians, A., McPherson, J., Bailey, G. P. 1998 Factors Predisposing Dogs to Separation Problems University of Southampton

Illustrations
Dog in Blue Cross kennels awaiting a new home
Caption: A dog waiting for a new home, like this one at The Blue Cross, will need well trained, experienced staff to prempt behaviour problems and match it to the right owner.

Figure1. Incidence of separation-induced behaviour in sample of Labradors and Collies (n = 40)

Slide of destruction from Southampton survey
Caption: Figure 2. Damage caused by a 6 month of Labrador. The owners obtained this dog from the breeder and did not consider the problem serious enough to seek advice

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