Tips On Easing Your Dog's Separation Anxiety

Carol Erickson joins Eyewitness News with some tips.

TIME NOW FOR THE CBS-3 PETPROJECT WECHT ANIMAL ADVOCATECARROLL ERICKSON AND PSPCA ANDTODAY WE'RE TALKING ABOUTSEPARATION ANXIETY, ANDCARROLL'S APPARENTLY HAPPY TOBE UNDER A STAY AT HOME ORDERCONSIDERING THAT SHE HAS THESETWO DOGS WITH HER, OF COURSE,HER DOGS MARVIN AND FRED.HI THERE CARROLL.YOU KNOW, I DO NOT LIKE TOLEAVE THE HOUSE ON A GOOD DAYBECAUSE I LOVE MY ANIMALS SOMUCH A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL FINEOUT, THAT WE ARE FORCE TODDSTAY AT HOME BUT THEIR ANIMALSARE LOVING IT TO THE POINTTHAT WHEN LIFE RETURNS TONORMAL IT WILL BE A LITTLEDIFFICULT ON THOSE ANIMALS ANDFOR PEOPLE TOO.WE CALL IT SEPARATION ANXIETYAND LOTS OF THINGS, AND DOGCAN CRY A LOT WHEN THEY AREOUT OF THE HOUSE, THEY MIGHTTEAR UP A PILLOW THEY MIGHTGET TO THE BATHROOM IN THEHOUSE.IT IS SOMETHING THAT RIGHT NEWWE CAN START TO WORK ON TOMAKE SURE OUR DOGS DON'T HAVESEPARATION ANXIETY.MARVIN AND I ARE JOINED AT THEHIP.THIS IS HOW IT LOOKS AT OURHOUSE MOST OF THE TIME.I WILL EVEN THOUGH HE DOES NOTHAVE SEPARATION ANXIETY ANDTHE PENNSYLVANIA SPCA ISSOMETHING THAT I ALWAYS KINDOF TAKE NOTE OF THAT I WANTHIM TO BE INDEPENDENT.I WANT TO GO FROM ONE ROOM TOTHE OTHER WITHOUT HIM BEING AVELCRO DOG.HE IS SORT OF THE VELCRO DOGBUT NOT A CRYER.HE WANT TO BE WITH ME IF HECANNOT BE, OKAY.HERE'S WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW.YOU HAVE JUST YOUR NORMAL PETOR A FOSTER OR JUST ADOPTED ADOG, THANK YOU SO MUCH FORTHAT.JUST SET UP A ROOM A PLACEWHERE YOU WOULD NORMALLY BEIN.YOU HAVE TO LEAVE THE HOUSEFOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME YOUHAVE A BED IN THERE FOR THEM.YOU HAVE A BLANKET, TOY,T-SHIRT THAT YOU HAVE WORNSOMETHING THAT YOU CAN PLAY ALITTLE TV, MUSIC, NICE ANDLOW, GIVE THEM A SPECIALTREAT.YOU CANNOT DO THAT AND GO AWAYFOR EIGHT HOUR DAY AND TWOHOUR DAY AND SOME CASES YOUCOULD NOT DO THAT FOR A 152NDDAY BECAUSE OUR ANIMALS NEEDTO BUILD UP THEIR CAPACITY TOBE BY THEMSELVES OR AT LEASTMANY ANIMALS WILL TO HAVE DOTHIS AFTER THIS TIME ALLTOGETHER.SO YOU STEP THAT UP AHEAD OFTIME.YOU MAKE IT PLEASANT FOR THEM.THERE IS A POSITIVEASSOCIATION.YOU SIT OUTSIDE THE DOOR,STAND OUTSIDE THE DOOR SO THEYCAN SEE YOU.MAYBE GO FOR 10 SECONDS.THEY START TO BARK, CRY, WINETHAT IS TOO LONG.THEN YOU CUT TO IT EIGHTSECONDS.YOU BUILD UP THE TIME THAT YOUCAN BE AWAY SO THEY KNOW THAWARE COMING BACK, YOU WILLALWAYS COME BACK.THIS IS A MULTI STEP PROCESS.AND TAKE ALL OF THE TIME YOUNEED WITH ANIMALS.YOU HAVE TO STEP THIS UP.YOU DO THIS A LOT.SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE DAY.YOU DON'T STRESS THEM OUT BYDOING IT BUT YOU SET IT UP SOIT IS PLEASE AN.HIGH LITTLEONE.WE DON'T WANT THEM TO GET TOOFAT DURING ALL THIS WEANTICIPATE GOOD THINGS WHENTHEY ARE NOT THERE.YOU KNOW THEY ARE COMING BACK.THERE ARE THREE GREAT VIDEOSON THE PENNSYLVANIA SPCAFACEBOOK PAGE.GO THERE, SCROLL DOWN, OURBEHAVIOR AND ADOPTIONSCOUNSELOR, RACHEL GALLUP DOESTHE JOB OF WALKING THROUGH THEPROCESS.THESE WERE DONE STARTING APRIL 8TH.SCROLL BACK ON THEPENNSYLVANIA SPCA FACEBOOKPAGE AND YOU WILL DEFINITELYFIND ALL OF THE STUFF THAT YOUNEED AND THE STEP BY STEP TOMAKE SURE THAT SEPARATIONANXIETY IS NOT A PROBLEM FORYOU, OR A PROBLEM FOR YOURPET.IT MAY BE A PROBLEM FOR PEOPLEBECAUSE AFTER BEING HOME WITHOUR PETS ALL DAY, WE WILL FEELTHE SAME WAY ABOUT RILEY, OH,NO I GOT TO SEE RILEY.WE CAN WORK THIS OUT.NOW IS THE TIME WHEN WE ARESTILL FORCED TO BE AT HOMETHAT WE CAN MAKE LIFE EASIERFOR OUR ANIMALS.SPEAKING OF WHICH, SO MANYADOPTIONS PENNSYLVANIA SPCAAND SO MANY OTHER SHELTERS ASWELL AND WE'RE THRILLED ABOUTLET ME SHOW YOU A COUPLE DOGSIN FOSTER THAT NEEDS HOME.WE HAVE BOLO, LOVELY WHITEDOG, SEVEN YEAR-OLD DOG FOUNDLIVING IN A JUNKYARD BY APENNSYLVANIA SPCA, BUT HE IS AGREAT DOG.HE IS HOUSE TRAINED.HE LOVES TO PLAY OUTSIDE,WALKS NICE ON A LEASH ANDPERFECT AVAILABLE FORADOPTION.AND CHI, BROWN, WHITESWEET DOG ABOUT SIX, LOVES TORUN AND PLAY.YOU'LL LOVE THIS DOG.SOME DOGS, LOVE THAT.AND SO THIS IS THE DOG THATYOU MAY WANT TO IF YOU ARELOOKING FOR A NEW FRIEND TOSIT ON A COUCH AND IVY, HOUSETRAIN WELL BEHAVED IN, ONE DAYTHEY TAUGHT THIS DOG TO GIVE APAW.WE HAVE GREAT ANIMALS.THAT IS JUST DESPERATE TOBEING IN YOUR HOME TO BE PARTOF YOUR FAMILY AND ALWAYS BEPART OF YOUR FAT MANICALLYLIKE MY LITTLE BOY MARVIN HEREAND FRED WHO JUST RAN OUTSIDEAND HE WILL BE RUNNING BACK INA SECOND.PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, SHAKINGDIRT ON ME WHICH IS, SPEAKINGOF WHICH I HEAR HIM.COME HERE, FRED, COME HERE, SOYES, WE'RE ALL TOGETHER.WE'RE ALL WEATHERING THE STORMTOGETHER AS THEY SAY,EVERYBODY JUST TAKE CARE, YOULOOK GREAT, JAN, EVERYBODY YOULOOK GREAT.BUT WE WILL BE OUT OF THIS AND