Canine separation-related problems: part 3: identifying the emotional component

Abstract

Previous articles in this series have considered many of the factors that can initiate a dog's failure to cope during owner absence, as well as the range of resultant behaviours. Missing from the discussion is ‘the middleman’; before a behaviour can occur in response to a trigger stimulus, there needs to be an emotional response. Previously, consideration of separation-related problems focused on the emotion of anxiety. This article considers whether separation-related problems can involve alternative emotional networks and whether anxiety is a requirement for a separation-related problem. As the success of treatment programmes will rely on the accurate identification of causative factors, accurate identification of the emotions associated with an individual dog's separation-related problem will be essential to creating a plan for rehabilitation that is both likely to work and that falls within an owner's capacity to comply with advice.