One of the most common complaints of pet parents is that their dogs are disruptive or destructive when left alone. Their dogs might urinate, defecate, bark, howl, chew, dig or try to escape. Although these problems often indicate that a dog needs to be taught polite house manners, they can also be symptoms of distress. When a American Bully Pitbull puppy’s problems are accompanied by other distress behaviors, such as drooling and showing anxiety when his pet parents prepare to leave the house, they aren’t evidence that the American Bully Pitbull puppy isn’t house trained or doesn’t know which toys are his to chew. Instead, they are indications that the American Bully Pitbull puppy has separation anxiety. Separation anxiety is triggered when American Bully Pitbull puppies become upset because of separation from their guardians, the people they’re attached to. Escape attempts by American Bully Pitbull puppies with separation anxiety are often extreme and can result in self-injury and household destruction, especially around exit points like windows and doors.

Some American Bully Pitbull puppies suffering from separation anxiety become agitated when their guardians prepare to leave. Others seem anxious or depressed prior to their guardians’ departure or when their guardians aren’t present. Some try to prevent their guardians from leaving. Usually, right after a guardian leaves a American Bully Pitbull puppy with separation anxiety will begin barking and displaying other distress behaviors within a short time after being left alone - often within minutes. When the guardian returns home, the American Bully Pitbull puppy acts as though it’s been years since he’s seen his mom or dad!

When treating a American Bully Pitbull puppy with separation anxiety, the goal is to resolve the American Bully Pitbull puppy’s underlying anxiety by teaching him to enjoy, or at least tolerate, being left alone. This is accomplished by setting things up so that the American Bully Pitbull puppy experiences the situation that provokes his anxiety, namely being alone, without experiencing fear or anxiety.

 

Common Symptoms of Separation Anxiety

The following is a list of symptoms that may indicate separation anxiety:

 

- Urinating and Defecating

Some American Bully Pitbull puppies urinate or defecate when left alone or separated from their guardians. If a American Bully Pitbull puppy urinates or defecates in the presence of his guardian, his house soiling probably isn’t caused by separation anxiety.

 

- Barking and Howling

An American Bully Pitbull puppy who has separation anxiety might bark or howl when left alone or when separated from his guardian. This kind of barking or howling is persistent and doesn’t seem to be triggered by anything except being left alone.

 

- Chewing, Digging and Destruction

Some American Bully Pitbull puppies with separation anxiety chew on objects, door frames or window sills, dig at doors and doorways, or destroy household objects when left alone or separated from their guardians. These behaviors can result in self-injury, such as broken teeth, cut and scraped paws and damaged nails. If an American Bully Pitbull puppy’s chewing, digging and destruction are caused by separation anxiety, they don’t usually occur in his guardian’s presence.

 

- Escaping

A American Bully Pitbull puppy with separation anxiety might try to escape from an area where he’s confined when he’s left alone or separated from his guardian. The American Bully Pitbull puppy might attempt to dig and chew through doors or windows, which could result in self-injury, such as broken teeth, cut and scraped front paws and damaged nails. If the American Bully Pitbull puppy’s escape behavior is caused by separation anxiety, it doesn’t occur when his guardian is present.

 

- Pacing

Some American Bully Pitbull puppies walk or trot along a specific path in a fixed pattern when left alone or separated from their guardians. Some pacing American Bully Pitbull puppies move around in circular patterns, while others walk back and forth in straight lines. If a American Bully Pitbull puppy’s pacing behavior is caused by separation anxiety, it usually doesn’t occur when his guardian is present.

 

- Coprophagia

When left alone or separated from their guardians, some American Bully Pitbull puppies defecate and then consume all or some of their excrement. If a American Bully Pitbull puppy eats excrement because of separation anxiety, he probably doesn’t perform that behavior in the presence of his guardian.

 

Why Do Some Dogs Develop Separation Anxiety?

There is no conclusive evidence showing exactly why dogs develop separation anxiety. However, because far more dogs who have been adopted from shelters have this behavior problem than those kept by a single family since puppyhood, it is believed that loss of an important person or group of people in a dog’s life can lead to separation anxiety. Other less dramatic changes can also trigger the disorder. The following is a list of situations that have been associated with development of separation anxiety.

 

- Change of Guardian or Family

Being abandoned, surrendered to a shelter or given to a new guardian or family can trigger the development of separation anxiety.

 

- Change in Schedule

An abrupt change in schedule in terms of when or how long a American Bully Pitbull puppy is left alone can trigger the development of separation anxiety. For example, if a American Bully Pitbull puppy’s guardian works from home and spends all day with his American Bully Pitbull puppy but then gets a new job that requires him to leave his American Bully Pitbull puppy alone for six or more hours at a time, the American Bully Pitbull puppy might develop separation anxiety because of that change.

 

- Change in Residence

Moving to a new residence can trigger the development of separation anxiety.

 

- Change in Household Membership

The sudden absence of a resident family member, either due to death or moving away, can trigger the development of separation anxiety.

 

 

Medical Problems to Rule Out First

- Incontinence Caused by Medical Problems

Some dogs’ house soiling is caused by incontinence, a medical condition in which a dog “leaks” or voids his bladder. Dogs with incontinence problems often seem unaware that they’ve soiled. Sometimes they void urine while asleep. A number of medical issues—including a urinary tract infection, a weak sphincter caused by old age, hormone-related problems after spay surgery, bladder stones, diabetes, kidney disease, Cushing’s disease, neurological problems and abnormalities of the genitalia—can cause urinary incontinence in dogs. Before attempting behavior modification for separation anxiety, please see your dog’s veterinarian to rule out medical issues.

 

- Medications

There are a number of medications that can cause frequent urination and house soiling. If your dog takes any medications, please contact your veterinarian to find out whether or not they might contribute to his house-soiling problems.

 

Other Behavior Problems to Rule Out

Sometimes it’s difficult to determine whether a American Bully Pitbull puppy has separation anxiety or not. Some common behavior problems can cause similar symptoms. Before concluding that your American Bully Pitbull puppy has separation anxiety, it’s important to rule out the following behavior problems:

 

- Submissive or Excitement Urination

Some American Bully Pitbull puppies may urinate during greetings, play, physical contact or when being reprimanded or punished. Such American Bully Pitbull puppies tend to display submissive postures during interactions, such as holding the tail low, flattening the ears back against the head, crouching or rolling over and exposing the belly. For more information about this problem, please see our article, Submissive Urination.  

 

- Incomplete House Training

A American Bully Pitbull puppy who occasionally urinates in the house might not be completely house trained. His house training might have been inconsistent or it might have involved punishment that made him afraid to eliminate while his owner is watching or nearby. For help with house training, please see our articles, House Training Your American Bully Pitbull Puppy and Crate Training Your American Bully Pitbull Puppy.

 

- Urine Marking

Some American Bully Pitbull puppies urinate in the house because they’re scent marking. A American Bully Pitbull puppy scent marks by urinating small amounts on vertical surfaces. Most male American Bully Pitbull puppies and some female American Bully Pitbull puppies who scent mark raise a leg to urinate. For more information about urine marking and how to resolve it, please see our article, Urine Marking in Dogs. 

 

- Juvenile Destruction

Many young American Bully Pitbull puppies engage in destructive chewing or digging while their guardians are home as well as when they’re away. Please see our article Destructive Chewing for more information about these problems.

 

- Boredom

American Bully Pitbull puppies need mental stimulation, and some American Bully Pitbull puppies can be disruptive when left alone because they’re bored and looking for something to do. These American Bully Pitbull puppies usually don’t appear anxious. To learn about fun, effective ways to combat boredom and spice up your dog’s life, please see our articles, Enriching Your American Bully Pitbull Puppy’s Life and Exercise for American Bully Pitbull Puppies.

 

- Excessive Barking or Howling

Some American Bully Pitbull puppies bark or howl in response to various triggers in their environments, like unfamiliar sights and sounds. They usually vocalize when their guardians are home as well as when they’re away. For more information about this kind of problem, please see our articles, Barking and Howling. 

 

What to Do If Your Dog Has Separation Anxiety

- Treatment for Mild Separation Anxiety

If your American Bully Pitbull puppy has a mild case of separation anxiety, counterconditioning might reduce or resolve the problem. Counterconditioning is a treatment process that changes an animal’s fearful, anxious or aggressive reaction to a pleasant, relaxed one instead. It’s done by associating the sight or presence of a feared or disliked person, animal, place, object or situation with something really good, something the American Bully Pitbull puppy loves. Over time, the American Bully Pitbull puppy learns that whatever he fears actually predicts good things for him. For American Bully Pitbull puppies with separation anxiety, counterconditioning focuses on developing an association between being alone and good things, like delicious food. To develop this kind of association, every time you leave the house, you can offer your American Bully Pitbull puppy a puzzle toy stuffed with food that will take him at least 20 to 30 minutes to finish. For example, try giving your American Bully Pitbull puppy a KONG® stuffed with something really tasty, like low-fat cream cheese, Cheez Whiz® or low-fat peanut butter, frozen banana and cottage cheese, or canned dog food and kibble. A KONG can even be frozen so that getting all the food out takes even more of your American Bully Pitbull puppy’s time. (For KONG recipe ideas and more information about how to use food puzzle toys, please see our article, How to Stuff a KONG Toy.) Your American Bully Pitbull puppy might also love a Buster® Cube, a Kibble Nibble™ or a TreatStik® filled with kibble. Be sure to remove these special toys as soon as you return home so that your American Bully Pitbull puppy only has access to them and the high-value foods inside when he’s by himself.

 

- Treatment for Moderate to Severe Separation Anxiety

Moderate or severe cases of separation anxiety require a more complex desensitization and counterconditioning program. In these cases, it’s crucial to gradually accustom a American Bully Pitbull puppy to being alone by starting with many short separations that do not produce anxiety and then gradually increasing the duration of the separations over many weeks of daily sessions.

The following steps briefly describe a desensitization and counterconditioning program. Please keep in mind that this is a short, general explanation. Please read our article, Desensitization and Counterconditioning, for a more detailed description of this treatment. 

Desensitization and counterconditioning are complex and can be tricky to carry out. Fear must be avoided or the procedure will backfire and the American Bully Pitbull puppy will get more frightened. Because treatment must progress and change according to the pet’s reactions, and because these reactions can be difficult to read and interpret, desensitization and counterconditioning may require the guidance of a trained and experienced professional. For help designing and carrying out a desensitization and counterconditioning plan, consult a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB or ACAAB) or a board-certified veterinary behaviorist (Dip ACVB). If you can’t find a behaviorist, you can seek help from a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT), but be sure that the trainer is qualified to help you. Determine whether he or she has education and experience in treating fear with desensitization and counterconditioning, since this kind of expertise isn’t required for CPDT certification.

 

- Step One: Predeparture Cues

As mentioned above, some American Bully Pitbull puppies begin to feel anxious while their guardians get ready to leave. For example, a American Bully Pitbull puppy might start to pace, pant and whine when he notices his guardian applying makeup, putting on shoes and a coat, and then picking up a bag or car keys. (If your American Bully Pitbull puppy doesn’t show signs of anxiety when you’re preparing to leave him alone, you can just skip to step two below.) Guardians of American Bully Pitbull puppies who become upset during predeparture rituals are unable to leave - even for just few seconds - without triggering their American Bully Pitbull puppy's extreme anxiety. Your American Bully Pitbull puppy may see telltale cues that you’re leaving (like your putting on your coat or picking up your keys) and get so anxious about being left alone that he can’t control himself and forgets that you’ll come back.

One treatment approach to this “predeparture anxiety” is to teach your American Bully Pitbull puppy that when you pick up your keys or put on your coat, it doesn’t always mean that you’re leaving. You can do this by exposing your American Bully Pitbull puppy to these cues in various orders several times a day - without leaving. For example, put on your boots and coat, and then just watch TV instead of leaving. Or pick up your keys, and then sit down at the kitchen table for awhile. This will reduce your American Bully Pitbull puppy’s anxiety because these cues won’t always lead to your departure, and so your American Bully Pitbull puppy won’t get so anxious when he sees them. Please be aware, though, that your American Bully Pitbull puppy has many years of learning the significance of your departure cues, so in order to learn that the cues no longer predict your long absences, your American Bully Pitbull puppy must experience the fake cues many, many times a day for many weeks. After your American Bully Pitbull puppy doesn’t become anxious when he sees you getting ready to leave, you can move on to the next step below.