Separation Anxiety in Dogs
Separation anxiety is the number one cause of behavior problems in dogs. Separation anxiety occurs when you are away from your dog for any given amount of time and they simply aren’t comfortable unless they are around you. Dogs are ‘pack animals’ by nature, making them social creatures. This means that your dog requires social contact in order to feel secure and to be mentally stable. It’s just not natural for a dog to be alone or away from his pack.
Signs of separation anxiety aren’t always easy to pin point. Most of the time we think our dogs are simply misbehaving or being bad. The truth is, like people, acting out and misbehaving is usually a sign of a bigger issue. Less obvious signs of separation anxiety include coming home to find that your dog has engaged in destructive behavior, your dog constantly follows you around the house and is ‘under your feet’, or when you come home he is still displaying extreme levels of energy. The easiest way to tell your dog is experiencing serious separation anxiety is when you put on your coat and grab your keys to leave the house. This is usually the time when dogs with separation anxiety begin to whimper, pace back and forth, bark, scratch and claw at the door and windows and do just about anything to get your attention.
While the causes of separation anxiety differ for every dog, there are common steps we can take to help ease our dogs’ stress. The first and most crucial step to treating separation anxiety in dogs is to provide them with basic obedience training. It’s important that your dog can respond to basic commands like down, sit and stay. Another tip that will make this process easier for you is to always walk your dog and play with him before your leave the house. If your dog is unable to get out positive energy through walks and play time, then that stored-up energy is going to become nervous energy when they’re alone. Dogs that don’t get enough exercise are more likely to engage in destructive behavior and suffer from extreme anxiety when you are gone.
Always leave toys for your dog to play with when you are gone. Toys will keep your furry friend busy and out of trouble. If you are anything like me, always spoiling your pooch, make sure you throw a new toy into the mix every so often to keep your dog from getting bored. Here are a few toys and aids that can be very helpful when working on your pup’s anxiety:
To help ease your dog’s fears of being left to fend for himself when you leave the house, it’s a great idea to feed your dog the largest meal of the day before you leave. Keep in mind that most dogs will need to go to the bathroom twenty minutes after they eat. The reason you should feed your dog a large meal before you go is because it will give him something to focus on aside from you leaving. Filling their belly will also cause a high degree of comfort, in a natural and healthy way. As your dog grows accustomed to this regimen he will begin to associate being well-fed and comfortable with your leaving, which will eventually reduce the level of stress he feels when you leave.
A trick that I have always found to be helpful with my dogs is to take a t-shirt I have just slept in and put it in their bed when I am getting ready to leave the house. This is just another added comfort to help break the stress your dog feels being away from you. Although you are gone for several hours, your dog will still comforted by you through their sense of smell.
The best thing you could do for your dog, and perhaps the most difficult for us pet owners, is to not reward your dog’s anxious behavior. Never allow your puppy’s whining and crying to be a behavior that you reward through extra attention. When you are about to leave your house and your dog begins to act out by crying and jumping on you, the worst thing you can do is sit on the floor and coddle him. By making a big fuss when you are about to leave the house, you are also confirming your dog’s fears about your leaving. The best thing you can do is pat him on the head and say goodbye.
In more severe cases of separation anxiety, it helps to practice leaving the house. Whether you realize it or not, we all have our own routine every time we leave the house. Start by putting on your coat, grabbing your keys and go as far as opening the door, then sit back down. Doing this several times a day will eventually desensitize your dog to your ‘leaving routine.’ Once your dog seems calmer during your ‘leaving routine’ you can take it a step further by walking outside and coming back in. If your dog displays any signs of separation anxiety during this process, do not pay attention to him. Do this several times until your puppy is no longer upset. Once he is quiet again, reward him with a treat and praise him.
Almost every puppy goes through a period of separation anxiety. It is beneficial to both you and your pet to recognize the signs of separation anxiety early on and know how to stop it. By resolving your pet’s fears of being away from you, you will also strengthen the bond between you. As pet owners, we hate to see our best friends suffer. If separation anxiety is not treated, it can be debilitating for your pup. In addition to all of these training tricks, constancy is your key to success.
