Separation Anxiety

Speaker: Erica Feuerbacher, PhD, CAAB, BCBA-D

Separation related problem behavior (SRPB) is a large category of behaviors, including separation anxiety. SRPB is one of the most problematic behavioral issues for owners, with it being the most referred behavioral issue after aggression to behaviorists. It is also quite common, with reports of 20-50% of the dog population showing SRPB issues at some point in their life. Given its severity and prevalence, identifying dogs in shelters that are at-risk for SRPB could help us make better adoption matches, as well as thoughtfully allocate our behavior resources to those dogs and adopters. In this session, we will review what is known about SRPB, including its severity and prevalence, current treatments and their efficacy, and then focus on in-shelter tests for predicting SRPB after adoption, as well as what the research tells us about adoption counseling's effects on SRPB after adoption. Attendees should leave with a greater understanding of the behavioral issue, the current state of the science, and considerations for using in-shelter tests to predict post-adoption behavioral issues.

This presentation was recorded at the 2022 ASPCA Maddie's Cornell Shelter Medicine Conference.

This lecture has been approved for 1 hour of continuing education credit in jurisdictions that recognize RACE approval.

This lecture has also been pre-approved for 1.0 Certified Animal Welfare Administrator continuing education credits by The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement and by the National Animal Care & Control Association.

Keywords separation anxiety in shelter pets, dog behavior, SRPB, separation related problem behavior in dogs, post-adoption behavioral issues, veterinary shelter medicine,