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Separation Anxiety

Leaving a Chihuahua Home Alone and Separation Anxiety

Overview

Separation anxiety involves a distressed reaction to owners leaving the house and this is a common issue with Chihuahuas. Feelings of isolation can lead to intense sadness, restlessness, and/or overwhelming panic which can be both physically and mentally exhausting.

If your Chihuahua has trouble being alone when you leave home, you'll be relieved to know that there are some very effective methods to offer a sense of security, reduce loneliness, and instill a positive and calming atmosphere.

How Long a Chihuahua Can be Home Alone

The tricky aspect of separation anxiety is that dogs can feel the strain of isolation in a very short amount of time or growing apprehensive can build up over the course of hours before a breaking point is reached. And, this can vary by the day.

In regard to safety factors, as long as the environment is warm and safe and enough food and water is supplied, a healthy Chihuahua can be okay alone for up to 9 or 10 hours.

There are possible unexpected circumstances such as a blackout during the winter that could cause the heat to shut off or during the summer that would cause the AC to cut out that would warrant an owner be there.

And, there are other variables that would make being gone for a full day unsafe. This would be for Chihuahuas at high risk for hypoglycemia (a fast drop in blood sugar levels) such as puppies under the age of 4 months and under-sized adults with a past history of hypoglycemia and any Chi that is ill or injured.

As long as your Chihuahua is in good health, you will be able to fulfill your work, school, and other obligations by placing focus on creating an environment to keep your Chi happy, safe, and comfortable while you are away.

Signs of Separation Anxiety

Each Chihuahua feels the effects of isolation in their own unique way. But, generally a puppy or dog will display one or more of the following signs:

Excessive barking
Whining
Depression
Destructive chewing
Restlessness
Agitation
Panicked behavior
Self-licking (typically to the paws)
Trouble adjusting once owners are back at home

These symptoms may change over time; for example, barking like crazy one month and self-licking the next. And, these behavioral changes can worsen with time; for example, if a dog becomes depressed when their owner leaves this may spiral into chronic depression even when in the company of others.

The Effect on Owners

While a Chihuahua is struggling with separation anxiety, owners are feeling the effects as well. Many feel torn, knowing that they must leave the house to work or handle other duties yet very aware that this places their Chihuahua in a terribly distressing situation. Owners may find it difficult to concentrate at work or school, worrying throughout day about how their dog is handling things and feeling as helpless as they imagine their dogs do.

This breed is very sensitive to how their humans are feeling, able to pick up on unspoken emotions. Therefore, any frustration and stress may be detected and will only add to the vicious cycle.

How to Help a Chihuahua Cope with Being Home Alone

The Overall Goal

You can help your Chihuahua with separation anxiety by:

Creating a safe environment that offers a sense of security
Producing a calming atmosphere
Supplying toys that help decrease boredom and offer comfort
Helping your Chihuahua become desensitized to your absence
Breaking up the day either in person or remotely
Offering additional calming aids, if necessary

Before we get started, note that it is rare for just one of these methods to help on its own. It is when these are combined that you will find the most success, so you will want to incorporate as many as possible.

#1: Create a defined area.

All dog breeds, from the tiny Chihuahua to his larger 100-pound counterparts, have basic canine instincts. One of these is that a 'den' equals safety and security. So, when a Chihuahua has a full room to themselves or worse yet roams an entire empty house, this is the opposite of what would make the dog feel secure.

You can help by creating a small area for your Chihuahua to feel safe while you are away. The added plus to this is that it will ensure that all of the other separation anxiety aids will be close by or within reach.

For this, depending on the layout of your home, using gates to block off an area of a room may work.

Another option, and one that is highly recommended, is to use a canine playpen. Note that these are very different from crates which dogs can find claustrophobic and stressful.

One recommended playpen is the IRIS 24'' 4-Panel Pet Playpen with a Door. This is made of heavy-duty molded PP plastic and has non-skid rubber feet to stay in place. It offers 8 square feet of space which is suitable for puppies and most adults under 10 lbs. This has a door for easy in and out which can be left open when you are home and of course closed when you are away.

Another great feature is that you can add on extra space if you wish via easy snap-on extension panels. And, as an added bonus, these come in a range of colors so it can blend in with your decor.

If your Chihuahua is over 10 lbs. or has proven to be able to jump heights, you may want to opt for the taller IRIS 34" 8-Panel Pet Playpen with a Door.

Tips: If you use a playpen to create your Chihuahua's 'den', place this in a room that is used by the family such as the living room or the kitchen. Check to ensure that there are no drafts and that it is not too close to a heating source. Assess how the sunlight enters into the area to ensure there is no strong glare during the hours that you will be away from home.

If you will be placing this over carpeting, obtain a piece of linoleum from your local home supply store to place under the pen which makes for easy clean-up of any pee, poo, or spilled food or water.

Even if your Chi is house trained, line the floor of the playpen with pee pads. And, be sure to leave enough water and food (tips for food are ahead under '#4: Toys to Keep Your Chi Occupied: Treat release toys'.

#2 Supply a Warm and Comfortable Bed

Feeling chilled or uncomfortable will exacerbate any distress, so having a warm and cozy dog bed will help keep your Chihuahua happy. It'll be your little one's spot to curl up for a nap or relax with a favorite toy. The added benefit to this is proper support. The Chihuahua breed is prone to certain joint issues including patellar luxation and all dogs age 8 and up have some level of osteoarthritis, so a dog bed with quality memory foam will offer the right type of surface.

If your Chihuahua needs a good dog bed, the JOYELF Memory Foam Bed for Small Dogs is terrific. This has a solid memory foam base, an inner water-proof lining, and a washable removable cover.

#3 Create a Calming and Comfortable Atmosphere

There are 3 parts to this:

1: Sounds. Dogs love hearing their humans and are used to all the background noises that are there when their owners are home. So, a quiet house can be quite unsettling. To fix this, you can opt to have a radio playing, set to an easy-listening station, but there can be disruptive commercials. The TV may work in some cases; there are some channels like DogTV that run shows designed for just this thing.

Another option is to play music that is specifically designed to keep dogs calm when home alone. For example, Through a Dog's Ear by Lisa Spector is a collection of 9 songs played on a piano with just the right tempo to relax canines.

2: Light. If dark clouds or a storm rolls in while you're away, this can increase a dog's anxiety. And, this is particularly relevant if the sun starts to set before you arrive back home. Prevent this by keeping a light on even if it's nice and sunny when you're leaving.

3: Temperature. Double-check your thermostat to ensure that it does not automatically reduce the heat or ac during the day.

#4 Toys to Keep Your Chi Occupied

Fortunately, there are several types of toys that can work to reduce separation anxiety. Each of these serves a different type of purpose. Let's take a look:

1: Interactive toys. These are toys that respond to touch, essentially playing back with a dog. For example, when a dog paws or noses a toy, it lights up, speaks, or makes noises. Dogs quickly catch on that they touch the toy when they want something to play with them and they simply leave it alone when they want to rest.

Recommended interactive toys include the Pet Qwerks Blinky Babble Ball which is a motion activated toy that lights up and makes 18 different silly noises (like banjo playing, a cheerful 'ding dong' bell, etc.) when it's touched.

And, another one is the PetQwerks Talking Babble Ball which says 20 different sayings like 'Hey doggie', 'Hot diggity dog!', 'Here, puppy!' and 'Yeah, baby!'.

2: Treat release toys. This type of toy is great for when a Chihuahua is home alone because it can keep a dog occupied while ensuring that he eats, a typical concern for this tiny toy breed.

You can make this sort of toy tempting by filling it with a mixture of your Chi's normal kibble and smooth peanut butter or kibble mixed with a dash of fish oil.

There are a couple good ones that are sized well for Chihuahuas. This includes the Busy Buddy Barnacle Toy which has three orbs and is available in both extra-small and small.

And the PetSafe Twist 'n Treat Toy is fantastic too; this one lets you adjust the difficulty level and also comes in both extra-small and small. Both are durable and easy to clean.

3: A companion toy. This sort of toy is designed to mimic a living creature, essentially being a dog's friend when there is no one else around. It can be very soothing for dogs that have severe anxiety issues.

For this, the SmartPet Love Snuggle Puppy is truly wonderful. This is a good-sized durable stuffed dog that has a rhythmic heartbeat and emits body warmth. It's near impossible to get any closer to giving your Chihuahua another dog for comfort without actually going out and purchasing a new puppy.

#5 Help Desensitize Your Chihuahua

While there is nothing you can do to make your Chihuahua completely okay with your departure, there are things you can do to help take the sting out.

1) Encourage your Chi to see their defined area as a good place, not just the area that they go to when home alone. Keep access to the area open when you're there; your Chihuahua can enter to find their toys or take a nap. And, if you will be offering a special treat or a new toy, do this in the area to bring about positive association.

2) Don't place your Chi in their area right before you leave. Give yourself plenty of time to take your Chihuahua out for bathroom needs and burn off some energy (either with a brisk walk or a session of fetch), then place them in their area 15 to 20 minutes before you actually head out.

3) Although it may be tremendously tempting to hug, kiss and give your Chihuahua lots of attention right before you leave the house, it is best for both of you if you do not. This can send the message that your departure is a major event and cause anxiety even before you even leave. Act calm and composed as you get ready to go and do so without any fanfare.

#6 Breaks During the Day

In many cases, when a Chihuahua receives short breaks from their time alone, they never reach a point of panic and severe distress. And, for those that have fast developing anxiety, a brief respite can allow them to have a 'reset'.

There are two very different methods of offering a break. Both have some cost attached, so you'll want to give this some thought to decide if the pros of this sort of help outweigh the hit to your wallet.

1: Hire a dog walker. While there are professional dog walking services, you may also wish to ask friends, family, or neighbors since there may someone looking for a side job like responsible teenagers or retirees that appreciate the chance to walk your Chihuahua for a reasonable fee.

2: Use a pet cam. These are pretty amazing devices that allow you to remotely interact with your dog from just about anywhere. There are several different types with an array of features, but all have the main device (which you set up near your dog) which connects to an app on your phone.

An awesome one is the Furbo Full HD Treat Tossing Dog Cam. This allows you to see live video of your dog (it even has night vision), there is two-way chat so your Chihuahua can hear your voice and you can hear them, just by tapping your phone you can toss out treats (it holds about 100 small dry treats) and it even has push notifications to let you know if your dog is barking.

#7 Calming Supplements and Sprays

This sort of aid is best for Chihuahuas that get very worked up and agitated. There are two different types.

1: Supplements. There are some OTC supplements designed to help calm dogs down and these work to varying degrees, but typically never so well that they are effective on their own without implementing most or all of the steps as mentioned earlier.

Compounds that can help include L-theanine and colostrum. L-theanine is an amino said to increase dopamine which regulates mood; it typically does not cause drowsiness. It is not without possible side effects however, which may include dizziness and headache. Colostrum is the initial milk produced by mammals; for canine supplements, this is usually bovine (cow) colostrum, and is said to have relaxing properties that may reduce stress. This has very few reported side effects but can cause constipation and/or stomach upset.

If you want to try a calming supplement for your Chihuahua's separation anxiety, Pet Naturals of Vermont Calming Supplement Chews has both of these compounds and is all-natural with no artificial additives. This is given about 30 minutes before your departure.

2: Aromatherapy. Aromatherapy works when a certain fragrance is inhaled and absorbed through the lungs into the bloodstream where it then reaches receptors in the brain. For anxiety, several studies have shown lavender to work just as well as some anti-anxiety medications.

A clever method of offering this help to a dog is by spritzing the coat with a lavender-infused leave-in spray. Since this sort of product is recommended at any rate to help keep the fur in good shape, it may be worth a try. BarkLogic Calming Lavender Leave-in Conditioning Spray is a good choice for this, it is plant-based with no parabens or phthalates.

#8 Prescribed Medication

These are customarily a ‘last resort’. In many instances, the side effects are not worth the benefits in all but the most severe cases. So, it is suggested to first implement as many of the previously listed tips as possible.

The two types of medication most often prescribed by veterinarians are:

1: Benzodiazepines (tranquilizers). These can have some adverse side effects including sleepiness, increased appetite, and the possibility of heightened anxiety. Studies have found that these may interfere with memory and the ability to learn.

2: Antidepressants. This may include buspirone; side effects may include loss of appetite, restlessness, nausea, headache, dizziness, aggression, and hyper-excitability. Some MAOI antidepressants can have dangerous side effects in dogs that have recently ingested cheese products. A commonly prescribed antidepressant for canines is clomipramine, which is a tricyclic antidepressant; but can cause lethargy, depression, vomiting, diarrhea, elevation in liver enzymes, confusion, increased thirst, increased heart rate, and/or convulsions.

Did you find this to be helpful? If so, you'll really love PetChiDog's GIANT Book of Chihuahua Care. It is an extensively detailed and comprehensive book to guide you through every chapter of your Chi's life.