Separation anxiety is a common canine behavioral problem and one that many dog owners are faced with. These problems can manifest in a number of ways, from barking or whining right through to property destruction and even self harm.
The Sources of Dog Separation Anxiety
Dogs are social animals by nature and they bond strongly with the members of there pack. They are also highly observant and pay particular attention to patterns of behavior. So it’s no surprise that they pick up on the things you routinely do as you prepare to leave home.
You probably have familiar rituals that you go through as you prepare to leave the house. Every day you repeat these behaviors and, as your dog recognizes the pattern, he starts to become increasingly anxious.
How to Reduce Your Dog’s Anxiety IssuesYou can do a number of things to reduce, or even cure, your dog’s separation anxiety problem. In many cases it will be a relatively easy job to change to behavior. In others, it may be nigh on impossible without professional help. Here are some things you can try, that are known to work.
Change Your Routine – A good place to start is by changing your regular routines. If your dog starts acting up the minute you do a particular action, he has likely marked that action as a sign you are about to leave. Mixing up your routine means the dog no longer sees a recognizable pattern. As a result there is no anxiety trigger.
Don’t Incentivize the Behavior – If you provide an incentive for your dog to act in a certain way you can guarantee that he will. So if the first thing you do on arriving home is lavish attention and affection on the dog, you are reinforcing his anxious behavior. You need to remove the link between your returning home and the payoff the dog receives when you do.
The simplest way to do this is to leave home quickly, without any fanfare. Then, when you come home, totally ignore your dog for about 10 minutes, or at least until he has calmed down. Many dog owners refuse to do this, believing it is cruel, but you need to ask yourself whether it is any crueler than a dog spending his days in a state of anxiety, awaiting your return.
Teaching Your Dog to Be Alone – Another way of addressing separation anxiety is to change your dog’s perception about how long you’re going to be alone, and when you’re likely to return. You can teach your dog how to be alone by getting him used to your absence.
Start by going outside for a short while, then coming back in. Once the dog accepts that you always return, gradually start increasing the time you’re away.
It’s Not Cruel
Many people believe that the steps suggested above is in some way cruel to the dog. In fact, it is anything but. You are taking positive action to correct a problem that causes your dog considerable stress, and that can only be good for his physical, and mental well-being.
If your dog has separation anxiety issues, you need to take action right away. The steps recommended above should bring results in most cases of mild to medium anxiety.
On the other hand if the dogs is causing damage to the property and/or injuring himself, you should consult your vet or a professional dog trainer.
There’s plenty more about dog training, dog care, dog walking and other helpful dog information at www.dogsanddogtraining.com
