References
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.
A primary part of the relationship between owner and dog is its social aspect; both animals are social species, and social bonding is an integral part of the behavioural repertoire of both. Hence, when a dog is introduced into a family to fulfil the role of a companion, for many dogs there is an immediate conflict between the dog's expectation of social companionship and the common human need to leave the home for many hours of the day. In such cases, the social bond may be disrupted as it is incapable of fulfilling the dog's normal, social need.
In the past, ‘separation anxiety’ has been closely aligned to theories about ‘attachment’. In their 2003 paper, Appleby and Pluijmakers described the two basic types of attachment relationship frequently associated with separation problems in dogs as:
Hyper-attachment to a social base was often considered to be a necessary requirement for attachment problems with dogs, but:
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