Mountain Views News          Saturday, March 9, 2013

10

JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS

 Mountain Views News Saturday, March 9, 2013 

HOME ALONE

PET OF THE WEEK 

CHERRY POP: #A4545450

 I have a darling 
adopted dog named 
Molly who is very 
content while in 
the company of her 
beloved humans, but 
literally “loses it” 
when we attempt to 
leave her alone, even for a short period of time. I adopted Molly a 
little less than a year ago, when her original owner passed away rather 
suddenly. I have never had a pet with a problem such as Molly’s before, 
so at first I assumed I was among a limited few pet owners who have 
had to deal with a similar scenario. However, based on information 
I recently gained through conversations with a few of my dog-loving 
friends, along with a bit of internet research, I have come to learn that 
canine separation anxiety is much more common than I’d thought.

 Typical signs of the chronic canine condition now known as pet 
separation anxiety include constant under-the-fence dirt-digging 
or scratching at doors, windows and walls in an attempt to escape, 
incessant whining or howling, destructive chewing, urinating or 
defecating indoors by a house-trained dog, and effusive frantic 
greeting upon the return of the pet‘s master. My Molly has displayed 
every last one of these behavioral patterns since the day I adopted 
her, and it has been quite a challenge for me to understand that 
she is clearly scared to death of being left home alone. What causes 
a typically easy-going, confident canine companion to suddenly 
become over-the-top anxious and frantically fearful when left alone?

 There are numerous theories as to why domestic pets fret in 
the absence of their human friends. Among the most agreed upon 
causes for pet separation anxiety is that the affected animal may have 
experienced some sort of trauma in the past, leaving an imprinted 
memory of abandonment resulting in a lack of trust in the humans 
promise to return. Another reason is that the dog really was abandoned 
as a puppy and left to fend for itself, even coming close to the point of 
starvation before finally being rescued and loved by a forever friend.

 One story I found, posted by an on-line blogger, was that of an 
adult dog which lived in a comfortable home with his loving owner 
for many years. The dog had access to the house and yard all its life 
with no history of trauma, but when the owner fell ill and eventually 
passed away in the house, the dog was trapped inside. A week went 
by before a neighbor became concerned that there had been no 
activity next door, and decided to investigate. Ultimately, after the 
neighbor received no response from a knock at the door and heard 
the dog crying inside, the family was contacted. They came and 
rescued the dog and dealt with all that went along with the loss of 
their son, but one can only imagine what that dog went through 
while staying by his master’s deceased body in the meantime. 
From that day on, the dog was beside himself anytime the family 
attempted to leave him alone. No wonder the fear of abandonment 
was imprinted in that poor dog’s mind. He would have to be a rock 
not to have reacted to that experience the way he did.

 What can be done to help heal the rooted reasons for such 
intensely adverse pet behavior resulting from separation anxiety? 
Well, I have learned quite a lot in my quest to do what I can to 
help my Molly get past her fear of being left alone. First of all, it 
is important to tend to the animal’s emotional needs. Paying lots 
of undivided attention to a fretful pet is most definitely in order. 
Positive re-enforcement techniques should also include tons of 
tender-loving care and plenty of pampering and petting. Special 
treats for good behavior always helps as well. Up-lifting verbiage 
that dogs understand, such as “I love you”, “You are so precious 
to me” and “I am very proud of you” should also be included in a 
regimen of healing the heart of a pet suffering from abandonment 
fears. Animal psychology research has proven that certain terms of 
endearment can have a very positive impact on domestic animal 
behavior. Even if you are pessimistic about whether talking to your 
dog will make a difference, why not do it anyway? It might lift your 
own spirits to speak words of encouragement out loud even if no 
one else understands what you are saying.

 In addition to common-sense therapeutic relationship remedies 
that can be applied for comforting pets dealing with “lonesome 
alone syndrome”, there are biological products on the market 
that can be purchased to help lower the level of anxiety. I recently 
ordered a natural stress-relief pet product for Molly called Rescue 
Remedy and I‘m waiting for it to arrive in the mail. I heard about 
it from a client who uses it occasionally to help calm her dogs 
when they get a bit agitated while she is away at work. It seems to 
have helped ease her dog’s tension and I am hoping it will do the 
same for my Molly. Another purchasable product designed to help 
minimize pet separation anxiety is what they call a calming collar. 
You can find a few different brand names of this product on-line 
if you are interested. I haven’t pursued this means of resolving the 
problem we are having with Molly quite yet, but it’s next on the list 
if the Rescue Remedy doesn’t do the trick.

 I wish all the best to any pet owner out there who happens to 
be dealing with a pet which is afraid to be left alone at home, and 
I will always be willing to share any information I have about this 
sensitive subject. If you have information you’d like to share from 
your own personal experiences, please feel free to contact me via 
e-mail at chris@canyoncanine.com. Who knows, maybe we can 
help each other out? And last but not least, always remember to 
love and let live, particularly when it comes to the animals. After 
all, how fortunate and blessed are we to have animals with whom to 
share a relationship of unconditional love and respect?


Happy Tails

by Chris Leclerc


Meet the epitome of sweetness, Cherry Pop (A4545450). Cherry 
Pop is an entertaining one year old white female Terrier puppy 
who was found in Covina on February 20th and brought to the 
Baldwin Park Animal Care Center. Weighing thirteen pounds, 
Cherry Pop walks well on the leash and seems to be housebroken. 
She is friendly with people and with other dogs, and we think she 
will like older children. Funny and sweet, this happy puppy will 
keep you smiling. Cherry Pop is the ideal indoor pet for anybody 
in any living situation. To watch a video of Cherry Pop please 
visit: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qwzw0SXtJUw

To meet Cherry Pop in person, please see her at the Baldwin 
Park Animal Care Center, located at 4275 N. Elton St., Baldwin 
Park, CA 91706 (Phone: 626-430-2378 or 626-962-3577). She 
is currently available now. For any inquiries about Cherry Pop, 
please reference her animal ID number: A4545450. The shelter 
is open seven days a week, 12 pm-7 pm Monday-Thursday and 
10am-5pm Friday-Sunday. This is a high-intake shelter with a 
great need for adoptions. For more information about Cherry 
Pop or the adoption process, please contact United Hope 
for Animals Volunteer Adoption Coordinator Samantha at 
Samantha@hope4animals.org. To learn more about United Hope 
for Animals’ partnership with the Baldwin Park Shelter through 
its Shelter Support Program, as well as the many dogs of all 
breeds, ages, and sizes available for adoption in local shelters, visit 
http://www.unitedhope4animals.org/about-us/shelter-support-
program/.


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