Does your dog give you the sad face every time you leave the house?  It’s just awful to witness.  Do you leave the television on Animal Planet in an effort to help him cope?  Well that may not be the best thing for your dog.  Below we provide some expert tips to help your dog feel less stress when you leave.  These dog training tips come directly  from the Humane Society.

If your dog looks sad when you’re heading out, destroys or hides things when you leave the house, follows you around your home and gives you the hairy eyeball even before you leave—you may be dealing with a case of separation anxiety with your dog.

Dogs with separation anxiety exhibit distress and behavior problems when they’re left alone. Some of the most common ways they do this:

  • Scratching at doors or windows attempting to reunite with their owners
  • Destructive chewing
  • Howling, barking and whining
  • Urinating on floor (even with house-trained dogs)

What Causes Separation Anxiety With Dogs

It’s not fully understood why some dogs suffer from separation anxiety and others do not. But remember, your dog’s behaviors are part of a panic response. Your dog isn’t trying to punish you, they just want you to come home.

These are some of the scenarios that can trigger separation anxiety:

  • Being left alone for the first time
  • Being left alone when they typically are never alone
  • Suffering a traumatic event, such as time away from you in a boarding kennel
  • Change in the family’s routine, or the loss of a family member or other pet.

cure separation anxiety with your dog

How to Treat Minor Separation Anxiety With Your Dog

  • Don’t make a big deal out of arrivals and departures—talk to your dog in a calm voice when you’re leaving or returning.
  • Establish a word or action that you use every time you leave that tells your dog you’ll be back and they will be OK.
  • Consider using an over-the-counter calming product that reduces fearfulness in dogs.

How to Handle a More Severe Separation Anxiety With Your Dog

Use the techniques outlined above along with dog desensitization training. Desensitization is a technique that is used to modify the way a dog behaves in response to things that frighten them.  To desensitize your dog, you’ll need to provide a positive stimuli (usually treats) while they’re exposed to the frightening trigger.  This helps switch the negative association to a positive one.  Teach your dog the sit-stay and down-stay commands using positive reinforcement. This training will help them learn that they can remain calmly and happily in one place while you go to another room.

Exercise and mental stimulation are critical to reducing anxiety and stress. Be sure your dog receives adequate exercise before you leave. Walking the same city block each day won’t reduce anxiety, but sniffing and exploring new places will.

Create a “safe place” to limit your dog’s ability to be destructive while you’re away. A safe place should:

  • Confine the dog loosely (a room with a window and toys, not total isolation).
  • Contain busy toys for distraction.
  • Have dirty laundry to lend a calming scent cue or other safety cues.

How To Cope While Your Dog is Learning to be Calm

It can take time for your dog to unlearn their panic response to your departures. To help you and your dog cope in the short term, consider the following interim solutions:

  • Ask your veterinarian about drug therapy to reduce your dog’s overall anxiety
  • If your dog enjoys the company of other dogs, take your dog to a well-run doggie daycare facility or kennel when you must be away.
  • Leave your dog with a friend, family member or neighbor when you’re away.
  • Take your dog to work with you, if possible.

What Will Not Help Your Dog’s Separation Anxiety

  • Punishment – Punishment isn’t effective for treating separation anxiety and can make the situation worse.
  • Another dog – Getting your dog a companion usually doesn’t help an anxious dog because their anxiety is the result of their separation from you, not just the result of being alone.
  • Crating – Your dog will still engage in anxiety responses inside a crate, and they may urinate, defecate, howl or even injure themselves in an attempt to escape.
  • Radio/TV  – Leaving the radio or television on typically won’t help (unless the radio or TV is used as a safety cue), although if you’re going to use music, some studies have shown that soft rock and reggae can reduce stress and anxiety.
  • Obedience training – While formal training is always a good idea, separation anxiety isn’t the result of disobedience or lack of training. However, formal training can be a tool to tire out your pup before you leave. Don’t have time for a long, exploratory walk? Do 20 minutes of training.

If you need more assistance resolving separation anxiety with your dog, consult a professional animal behavior specialist who uses positive reinforcement training methods.

Thanks For Reading!

 

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