Leaving Home Without Nina
He also explained that the medication, which belongs to the dibenzazepine class of tricyclic antidepressants, alone would probably not be enough. While the antidepressant would work to correct chemical levels in Nina's brain, behavior modification techniques would also have to be followed carefully. Desensitizing her to my "departure cues," would help Nina learn new ways to deal with my absence. We had some work to do.
"When you leave them, don't make a big deal about leaving. Do not prolong your departure by talking to them a lot and arousing their anxiety. Leave them for short periods initially. When you come back, again, do not make it a big deal. Just say 'nice puppy' and go on with your routine," suggests Dr. Eurell, a veterinarian at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine. Dogs are keen observers and quickly learn your routine. "My dogs know that the last things I do in the morning are spray perfume and brush my teeth. Both of these personal behaviors escalate their 'asking to go along' behavior," says Dr. Eurell. "They also know that the last thing I do before we go out for a walk at night is to turn off the computer. At least this time they know for sure that they get to go along." Your dog figures out your routine in a very short time and may respond with these 'can-I go-can-I-go-can-I-go' routines, which can be a prelude to more destructive behavior.3
It took a few weeks before I noticed a change, but eventually I did see a big difference in Nina. Medication and behavior training made it easier to manage Nina's problems, but it did not totally eliminate them. Gradually there were signs of progress though. She no longer hid under the bed in anticipation of me leaving. Sometimes she'd beat me to the crate when she saw me preparing her special "crate only" treat and was waiting inside by the time I got there. You could tell she had developed a measure of
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