Dog Separation Anxiety And Ways To Avoid It
Monday, March 15th, 2010 Subscribe To Our Feed
Leaving your canine alone is a necessity if you work outside of the home and there is no one else to keep him company. As a result, dog separation anxiety may occur. This article will show you what to look for and hopefully prevent this from happening altogether.
Separation anxiety in dogs is a common occurrence, especially if your pet has been rescued from a shelter and was previously abandoned. This canine has self esteem issues and needs reassurance that your absence will not be forever. First, how to spot this issue.
Dogs with separation anxiety will exhibit these types of behaviors:
Excessive barking, destruction of furniture, clawing at the door, (which will be evident when you return home) inappropriate urination and defecation if he has been otherwise house broken; and other behaviors not within the norm.
They will bark, howl, chew and generally destroy your belongings and furniture. My dog “Co-Co” once managed to plant garbage inside my perfectly made bed! I had cleaned up the trail of trash and went to retire for the night. Upon pulling back the covers, there it was: a pile of coffee grounds-along with the filter!
She had grown accustomed to being with me everywhere I went-even in the car for trips to the store. When I abruptly changed this routine, she reacted with inappropriate behavior. I looked for ways to cure dog separation anxiety and gradually broke her of it.
First of all, do not make a big production out of leaving the house with long good-byes and lots of cooing and carrying on. This will get the dog excited, perhaps getting the impression that he will be joining you. Then once you leave, this energy will go into destroying the house.
Another mistake people make is a dramatic return to reassure the dog. The last thing you want to do is encourage destructive behavior, so if there is evidence of “fowl play” when you walk in the door, express your dislike for the mess with saying “shame” in a disapproving tone, but do not look at the dog or interact with him until it is clean.
If your dog is naturally full of energy, set aside the time for a walk and play before you depart your residence. Helping him to work off some of this energy may help. It’s always good to keep a routine, but if you will be changing it, plan in advance, or you will have a problem.
To help avoid dog separation anxiety, gradually get him adjusted to being alone by leaving for very short periods and different intervals. Remember not to make a big deal of your departure or when you return.
Some people will leave the television on for their pooch to alleviate the sense of isolation. Or perhaps introduce a play pal if that is feasible: another pet or someone to come in and walk him in the afternoons to break up a long lonely day.
copyright Danny Taylor
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