Dear Mr & Mrs G*******

Please find enclosed photocopy articles which may be of reference to Bryn’s behaviour. Although most of them refer to the issue of Separation Anxiety in terms to destruction and howling/barking, urination is also a form of ‘destruction’ and like chewing, is a soothing activity for your dog, so please read the articles as they do indeed apply to Byryn, just in a different behaviour.

Seperation anxiety is a very common behaviour is dogs, especially in breeds such as German Shepherds (protective) Collies (easily bored) and rescue dogs that become very attached to their new owners.

Canines are pack animals; in fact, in the wild, a solitary dog (or indeed Dingo, wolf or wild-dog) wouldn’t survive is an individual without the protection and sanctity of its pack! Even dogs that dislike other dogs still require a pack, and in most household, the pack consists of other family members; husband, wife, children etc.

Like pack’s in the wild, every pack needs it’s pack leaders - those who are to dictate behaviour, and in every circumstance that should be yourself and your wife. Pack leaders should eat first, in front of the ‘lower’ dogs, should get attention ONLY when the leaders want to give it, NOT when the lower/under dog asks for it, should exits/enter doorways after the leaders, should be ignored when it is being naughty etc. In order for you to be pack leader, you MUST adhere to all of these to some extent in order to stop the urinating.

Another reason for your dog’s urination is due to the fact that is is so attached to you and your wife, that when you leave the house, it simply cannot bear it. A dog’s worst fate is to be left/ignored, as previously stated - it can’t survive alone. In order to calm itself, and to make the home smell more like the pack/itself, the dog will urinate over particular areas to recreate the pack scent - i.e favourite armchairs, items last touched before you leave the house, items of clothing, personal belongings.

This doesn’t mean by any means that you have to stay cooped up in the home or that you must take your dog everywhere. Instead, you MUST help Bryn by reducing his stress levels before a trip/day out. The process is physically, very easy to do and remember, but may be slightly tougher emotionally, as it means ignoring your dog to some extent.

Consider your movement patterns before you leave for a trip/day out - you may put your suitcases downstairs, shut windows before you leave, put your coat on, jangle keys, rev the car up and worst of all, give Bryn a loving kiss and cuddle before you leave!!! All these raise your dog'’ stress levels so much before you leave that once you are gone, all he can do is pee! The more love and attention you give him, the worse he gets. Whatsmore, when you return, I bet you give him the hug of a lifetime, telling him you miss him and paying him more attention than usual. From this all he learns is that when you leave, he is bored, neglected (not really neglected, but Bryn sees that he is) and packless - when you arrive home, he is ecstatic, gets loads of attention and once again has regained his pack.

Thus, you need to change ALL your ‘leaving signals’ before a trip. Coats and bags should be placed in the car the night before. Key jangling, zips etc should be reduced to a minimum. Windows should be shut hours before you leave. But most of all, no matter how difficult this is, you MUST ignore Bryn completely for at least an hour before your departure - make out it’s no big deal! Don’t speak to him, pet him or make eye contact. Feed him before you leave - his belly will be content and he is more likely to sleep. A walk will also assist in tiring him and making him less bored physically. The same must happen when you return - ignore Bryn for half and hour, then when you do interact with him, do so in a calm, nonchelant fashion. This is imperative if you wish to reduce the wetting.

Other things you can do for Bryn is leave him with interesting things to do - perhaps your dogsitter could turn the radio and TV on and off or him at intervals. You should leave an old, WORN jumper in his bed and common pee-spots so that he feels more at ease. The longer it has been worn and the older it is, the better. Even leave blankets in his bed that have already been slept in by himself rather than changing them for him before you leave.

Toys are essential - not so much balls etc as they require human interaction, but treat balls (which as the dogs noses the ball, treat drop out, reduce boredom and encourage self-play) Buster Cubes (which are a version of treat balls) as well as hiding favourite treats around the house in strategic places, so Bryn has to use his brain and nose to retrieve them. The more he uses his brain, the less bored and stressed he’ll be, and the less he’ll pee.

Initially, ignoring Bryn may seem harsh, but allowing a dog to become so emotionally overwhelmed and stressed is much more cruel. You may find it easier to look at in the circumstances of other dogs i.e. German Shepherds that are so attached to their owners that they bite anyone that walks near them. This is not because they are aggressive dogs, they are just extremely stressed and protective over their pack. There are also a number of breeds that are renowned for pining. Some will actually starve themselves at the departure of their owner to the point of death. Neither of these can be considered acceptable, and neither can behaviours which require peeing/chewing etc to relieve stress.

I hope you find this of interest, and more to the point, helpful. I would love to hear your comments/successes and hope that the attached articles make interesting bedtime reading.

Good luck

Lisa Williams

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