What to do For a Dog With Separation Anxiety
What to do For a Dog With Separation Anxiety
By Amy Nutt
Just like people, dogs have separation anxiety. As for what
causes it, there are many. As a result, the dog and the owner
can have quite the difficult experience. Overcoming the
separation anxiety can be work, but it pays off for both the dog
and the owner in the end because it is healthier and makes the
overall environment more bearable.
However, you have to determine that what your dog is suffering
from is really separation anxiety. Separation anxiety can mimic
a number of other issues. Just because your dog may chew things,
tear things up, and have accidents in your house when you’re
gone, that doesn’t mean your dog has separation anxiety. These
are non-anxiety issues that need to be addressed. Excessive
barking does not indicate separation anxiety because barking can
sometimes mean the dog is just bored. Sometimes the way to
remedy this is by incorporating more exercise.
The sure fire sign of separation anxiety
The number one way to determine if your dog is suffering from
separation anxiety is to look at your dog when you’re leaving.
If your dog seems nervous as you leave, that is the anxiety
kicking in. These nervous symptoms include pacing, trembling, a
wild look in their eye, and panting. After you leave, there are
things that are going on that you don’t know about. Your
neighbors may know more about what your dog is doing than what
you do because they may hear your dog bark and howl
continuously. A dog without separation anxiety will whine, bark,
and howl for about five to ten minutes. A dog with separation
anxiety will do these things for hours on end.
When a dog has separation anxiety, he or she may try to hurt
themselves by trying to jump out windows, get out of their
crate, etc. Their entire focus is on areas in which you can exit
the house because they want to find you.
The treatment
How fast treatment works depends on the severity of the
separation anxiety. If you can figure out how to calm down the
reaction, then you can start to deal with the problem itself. If
the dog is whining before you leave, try to calm that instead of
standing there and worrying. It is hard to know what to do, but
try to calm it.
You can also talk to your veterinarian about anti-anxiety
medication. In addition to the medication, you can work on
training. Counter conditioning is commonly used in combination
with medication because counter conditioning takes the negative
experience and turns it into a positive one. For example: Simply
putting on your shoes may make your dog nervous. However, do
something positive. Give the dog a treat when you put on your
shoes, it’s ideal for puppy training as well.
The most effective way of treatment is prevention. This usually
starts with crate training and spending time away while in the
crate. Each time you leave you can leave them with a treat so
that the experience is a positive one from the beginning. Even
if you’re always home with your dog, make arrangements to leave
and leave them with a treat because you never know what’s going
to happen in the future that is going to take you away.
Another effective way to help a dog with separation anxiety is
to know that it isn’t your fault. Abuse before you owned the
dog, being left alone a lot as a puppy, a naturally nervous
personality, not being socialized, and simple moving to a new
home can be triggers. By not feeling guilty, you can initiate
the most effective treatment possible for your puppy training.
About the Author: Dog training company offers in-home obedience
to create happier dogs and happier families. When looking for
puppy training and dog obedience services, consider Bark
Busters. http://www.barkbusters.ca
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