It seems like every time I start reading the newspaper, or looking at my online news feed, there is a story about AI. As someone who grew up watching the Terminator movies, I have to admit that technology like artificial intelligence kind of stresses me out. I have, however, embraced other forms of technology, though at times I have to admit it's been a bit begrudgingly. Take music, for example. I grew up in the age of vinyl and 8-track tapes, so streaming music took some getting used to! I do love curating my own playlists as it reminds me of the old mix tapes we used to create in high school. I also believe, however, that streaming music has changed the way most people think about music, and it surely has changed the music business for the artists who create it. Video may have killed the radio star, but streaming music has made it so very few artists have their music fully "digested" as they intended. No longer do people buy albums, beginning with the first track and listening all the way through to the last track; now they can download that one song, or a few songs, they like, even if the artist believed those songs were part of a bigger picture for them and the message they were conveying. I'm sure at this point you are trying to figure out what this has to do with your pets and where in the world am I going with this blog post?! Glad you stuck it out!
As many of you know, my daughter got a new collie puppy this Spring and she's raising Zelly to be her next emotional support dog. As such, Zelly is learning to go to work with her and beginning to master the tasks required of an office dog in a busy law practice. This hasn't been easy for Zelly as she is very attached to my daughter, as any good ESA should be. She does, however, need to be able to leave Zelly in her office when she meets with a client in the conference room, goes to court, or uses the bathroom! Up until this week, Zelly has had a rough time being left alone in the office in her crate. She whines and fusses which could potentially be disruptive to others in the office. This has been frustrating for my daughter as Zelly IS crate trained, happily napping in her crate at home and at my house, whenever we leave. She doesn't fuss, she just settles in and naps until someone returns and lets her out. Zelly, like many adolescent dogs, doesn't have separation anxiety, but she does experience some separation distress in very specific circumstances: The office. I've had numerous conversations with my daughter to discuss strategies to help Zelly move past her distress so she can really thrive and enjoy her time in the office, and that's when we stumbled upon a handful of amazingly helpful playlists on Spotify, the music streaming platform my daughter and I both use.
Previously we had used a white noise machine for Westley when my daughter went to class, but Zelly didn't really like the white noise machine, and actually ended up showing her displeasure with it by chewing through the cord to turn it off on her own! Zelly does, however, love music, just as my dogs do. I have music on a lot in my office and at home, so it's associated with positive things for all of the dogs. My daughter and I joked about making a playlist for Zelly to listen to when she's out of the office and that's when the light bulb went off and my daughter found a handful of playlists on Spotify, specifically for dogs with separation anxiety, separation distress, or just to soothe them when they are resting. If you have Spotify yourself, here are the playlists we've been using for Zelly:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6e5lSMmhr1W8Qg5X3qssLQ?si=75518f6459884e71
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3300BQPneawOkHUGOOUhMK?si=2e1fc3ce1bdd452e
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1qylvGhYNsqnjWmVJahOpN?si=7284928c84104788
I realize that not everyone has Spotify. I'm sure you can find similar curated playlists on other streaming platforms, and if you don't stream your music, you can certainly create a playlist of your own to soothe your dog. Now, I'm not suggesting that music alone will cure separation distress. On the contrary, it's just one piece of the puzzle, helping you to design and create a safe environment for your dog to relax in your absence. You'll also want to make sure the space they are in is free of hazards, has brain challenges, puzzles, or other activities to fight boredom, and a camera to observe how they are doing. I believe a camera is critical whether you are using a nanny cam, your computer, one of those fancy treat dispensing machines, or a security camera. I like being able to observe home alone dogs and interact with them, if need be. For Zelly, we can talk to her through the camera in my daughter's office. If she's fussing we can ask her to quiet and remind her to find her bone, chew, or puzzle. She redirects well at this point, so that's good. And since adding in the music, we've had to talk to her through the camera very infrequently. She is clearly listening to the music and it distracts her from any sounds in the office around her. She appears less anxious that she is missing out on something, so progress is being made.
All of this creates a sort of ritual around being left alone. It reminds me of when my kids were little and we had a set of things we always did before they went to sleep at night. Creating these sleep rituals meant that their brains had expectations for how to wind down, making it easier to get them to actually wind down, even when we weren't home. It's the same for your dogs. If you begin creating predictable routines when they are puppies, particularly routines and rituals around sleep, they become better about taking naps and about being alone. Puppies have to be taught that being alone is okay; you can't just put them in a crate and assume that they'll be fine. Puppies are used to being with their siblings and mother, so when they move in with you, it's a bit of a shock! And if you just crate them alone and walk away, no sleep rituals, no preparation, no establishing a routine so that they know that they are safe, you will risk have a distressed puppy on your hands.
Zelly is going to be a great office dog, it's just going to take some time. For now, my daughter will continue to work with her, building her confidence and ability to be left alone in that environment for a few minutes at a time, building up to a few hours eventually. When my daughter is in her office, or has clients in her office, Zelly is supportive and kind, wagging her entire body for lovies from one and all. And if my daughter has a particularly stressful day at the office, Zelly is right there, reminding my daughter to step outside for a break, have a snack, and play a little fetch. She lays at my daughter's feet under her desk, right where Westley used to rest. I think she's going to make Westley proud.
As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.
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