Leaving the house sparks a frenzy to my jack russell terrier.

Question:
When I or family members or even the gasman! leave the home our ten-month-old neutered Jack Russell becomes agitated. She starts by whining, then frantically barks, jumps up and down, and desperately tries to stop that person leaving. Clothes have been torn and skin bitten in the process.

She doesn't listen to commands because she is in such a frenzy. I now muzzle her and hold her firmly. Sometimes I can distract her with her favorite toy but not for long. I'm at home with her every day and she is not left for long periods.

Answer:
It may be that your dog has a form of separation anxiety and I would encourage you to talk to your vet about a consultation with a trainer/behavioral adviser, as cases like these can be tricky.

I would also suggest that you look at managing the problem for the time being. Try leaving a light lead on her while she is in the house, or put it on when people arrive, then take hold of the lead just before your visitors leave and put her in another room. A stair gate could also prevent her from getting to the person who's leaving.

It could be that your jack russell terrier has become used to having company all the time. I would recommend that you start to have short time-outs where you put her into another room while you, say, get on with housework or read the paper. Do this by using a stair gate.

I would also recommend that before you leave the house you put your dog away from you and don't allow her to follow you around. Put her away at least 15 minutes before you leave and on arriving home don't go straight to her - change or read the mail first.

If you decide to change some routines then I would recommend using a dog-appeasing pheromone (DAP) diffuser, available from the vet, to alleviate some of your dog's stress.

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