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Dealing With Separation Anxiety In Dogs |
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Written by Adrian Fletcher
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Thursday, 24 April 2008 |
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Separation anxiety is the kind of sensation that we can relate to. Young children have the same sort of anxiety when their parents leave for a night out. They learn that their parents will return and do not feel anxiety anymore. The same process has to happen for our dogs so that their anxiety is reduced. Anxiety in dogs will often manifest as disconsolate howling, chewing things or uncontrolled urination. If the dogs stays indoors this can be a problem for you. This article will give you some ideas on how to ease separation anxiety in dogs.
by AdrianFletcher
Separation anxiety is the kind of sensation that we can relate to. Young children have the same sort of anxiety when their parents leave for a night out. They learn that their parents will return and do not feel anxiety anymore. The same process has to happen for our dogs so that their anxiety is reduced. Anxiety in dogs will often manifest as disconsolate howling, chewing things or uncontrolled urination. If the dogs stays indoors this can be a problem for you. This article will give you some ideas on how to ease separation anxiety in dogs.
Separation anxiety prevention should begin at birth. A puppy that is not allowed to wean off it's mother could display separation anxiety in later life. It should be weaned off and relatively independent by around the eight week period so don't get a puppy that is younger than this.
Start teaching your puppy about separation anxiety as soon as it gets into it's new home. although it is hard not to cuddle a puppy, try not to be too affectionate. This is pertinent at night times when you are going to bed. Place you puppy in it's sleeping basket and walk away. Don't make a fuss of it. It will learn that there will be times when it is alone.
Try to communicate the fact that you will not always be there and your dog should not suffer form separation anxiety when it gets older.
It might not be as straightforward to train a grown dog to not suffer from separation anxiety. Often grown dogs may have come from a shelter, the pound or have been given to you by the previous owner.
A dog that has spent any time in a shelter or pound has effectively been abandoned by it's previous owner. Thus anxiety over a past or future separation may be a completely rational conclusion to draw from past experience. It may also have had little affection in the shelter making it even more anxious.
If a dog has been given away by a previous owner there is generally a good reason for this. The dog may have behavioral problems but it may also be that the family has had it own share of problems. The couple may be going through a divorce or maybe they are having financial difficulties. All these problems will filter through to the dog and could manifest as separation anxiety.
So older dogs have a genuine reason to feel anxiety from their past experiences. You should try to reassure them that the future will be different. In terms of leaving the home, you should start slowly and build up the separation time. Initially you should go away for a few minutes. Don't fuss about leaving or returning. This will calmness will translate to the dog and it will understand that this is a normal behavior.
Continue this mock separation process but increase the time each time you separate. If you hear the dog getting anxious then return to a separation interval that he is comfortable with. Gradually the dog will be completely adjusted to separation and will not get anxious.
Other strategies that may work are to keep you pet bust while you are out. So you could hide some tasty treats in the garden to take his mind off the fact that he is alone.
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