Separation anxiety in
dogs
Separation anxiety in dogs is a problem
that can happen to any dog, no matter what age or breed and
is a common reason why many dogs end up being given away or
ending up in animal shelters.
What is separation
anxiety in dogs?
Separation anxiety in dogs is a disorder
where your dog will be very clingy to you and needs to
always be by your side or very close to you even when
sleeping. Being absent away from your dog makes your dog do
many frantic things including destroying everything that it
can! This is a major problem that you would want to have
fixed as soon as possible.
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What are the signs of
separation anxiety?
Separation anxiety in dogs can be very
obvious if your dog is always keeping close to you and by
your side anywhere you go in the house and once you have
left, within several minutes your dog is causing destruction
in the house. If your dog is comfortable not having you
around all the time and doesn’t mind you being in different
rooms of the house and can sleep soundly away from you at
night then your dog does not have separation
anxiety.
Some common signs of separation anxiety in
dogs are:
- Chewing on or always keeping close to
things that have your scent such as clothes, socks,
even furniture!
- Your dog barks and whines
continuously and scratches on the door when you have
just left
- Starts chewing, biting, tearing
apart, digging, and basically destroying everything
that it can shortly after you have
left
- Your dog eliminates inside the house
in many different places even after being properly
potty trained.
- Cannot be left alone in a different
room from you with the door
closed
- Your dog goes crazy when greeting you
and seems very stressed and
anxious
- Your dog is always demanding
attention from you when you’re at home and becomes
increasingly stressed out when you are about to
leave.
Some things you can try
to cure separation anxiety in
dogs:
Dogs naturally like being close to humans
because they are pack animals. Dogs are very loyal and so
dogs that have been given up on and passed around to live
with a lot of different families or dogs that have been
traumatised through horrific events such as earthquakes, and
other natural disasters will be scared when there owners
leave, in fear that they will never return. Dogs in these
circumstances will require more patience and devoting to
cure separation anxiety.
-
If
your dog learns your cues when leaving, for example
picking up your keys and grabbing your jacket, then
it may be an indicator to your dog every time you
grab these things that you are about to leave and
your dog will become anxious and stressed. This is
very common with separation anxiety in dogs and
what you can do is get your dog used to those
sounds even when you are at home. Shake your keys
and jacket and carry them around the house so that
your dog will not associate these things with you
leaving. When you do need to leave make it very
casual and keep it low, don’t make a big deal out
of leaving and coming home.
-
Your
dog must learn to live by your rules because you
must be seen as the dominant one. Separation
anxiety in dogs can sometimes be solved by simply
playing with your dog and giving your dog
treats only when you want to, not when
your dog wants to. Provide plenty of exercise for
your dog when you are at home, take your dog on a
walk, play games with your dog or take your dog to
the park and socialize with other people and pets.
Keep your dog active while you are at home to tire
your dog out. If your dog is tired enough it can
sleep throughout the day when you aren’t home.
-
Give
something for your dog to do while you are gone
that will keep your dog occupied. What do you
expect your dog to do while you are gone? Sit
around bored and wait for you all day? Leave toys
and hide treats around the yard for you dog to
find. Hollow toys that you can fill with treats
such as the Kong are great examples that can keep
your dog mentally stimulated and gives your dog
something to do while you are out. Having something
to do at home will greatly reduce the chance of
your dog being destructive.
-
Some
people like to use crate training to cure
separation anxiety in dogs and leave them in a
crate while they are out. If your dog is
comfortable and likes his crate then sleeping or
just resting in the crate shouldn’t be a problem
for your dog. Besides a crate some people may leave
their dog in the backyard with plenty of space to
run around and burn energy or leave their dog in a
small confined room with lots of toys and plenty of
water with an item of clothing with their scent on
it to comfort their dog. If you keep your dog in a
crate or small room make sure your dog can hold it
in for as long as you need it to.
-
It
would be good to have some family members at home
but if not you could try taking your dog to a
friends place or having a second pet as a
companion. Although for some dogs this may stop the
separation anxiety problems but for other dogs this
may not solve the problem because the dog may not
be bored anymore but may still be scared to never
see its owner again.
-
You
should try and feed your dog before you go and
leave on the radio as this has worked for some
people because it provides the dog with a sort of
comfort.
Curing separation anxiety in dogs is
possible, if you know what to do and how to treat it
properly. With the right advice and proper knowledge you can
cure separation anxiety in dogs within several weeks usually
sometimes longer maybe, and you can continue having a
healthy relationship with your beloved
dog.
Click here to make separation anxiety in dogs
go away
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