Dog Separation Anxiety
Dog separation anxiety is a common problem. Separation anxiety has been seen to take place among most breeds and through a cross of all ages. It should not be confused with boredom which does happen at times.
Dog separation anxiety develops if your dog becomes overtly reliant on you to such a degree that he cannot do without your presence. Without knowing it your dog looks up to you as his master – the single most important part of his being! If he could he would not let you go away from his side. Dog separation anxiety occurs when you leave your over attached pet for periods that leave him confused and lonely. The sense of loss each time that you are aware makes your dog insecure.
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You need to check on dog separation anxiety symptoms so that these can be determined as existent in your dog’s traits and treated.
- Your dog chews or likes staying closer to “your” personal belongings (socks, shoes etc that smell of you)
- He does this chewing while you are away
- House soiling or inappropriate urinating
- He whines and barks all day long when left alone, even is for a short period. Upon your return, he is overjoyed in a confused manner and wild with happiness.
- He will not sit away from you at anytime and will also insist on sleeping in your room.
- He wants you to be around him all the time
Treating dog separation anxiety requires the complete family’s involvement. You need to understand that your dog is disturbed and not being rowdy intentionally.
Start by first teaching your dog that he need not be with you all the time. Do this by ignoring his tantrums and spending time with him in short bursts so that he misses you for brief periods. This can be increased over a period of time. Next, reverse the inside/outside roles. Make him spend time in the yard while you are at home. Initially go and meet and play with him at short intervals and increase this period. Only greet him when he is quiet, else let him be.
See the dogs “distress signal build up” pattern while you are preparing to leave. Notice how he gets edgy when you start wearing your shoes, putting on your coat etc. You can then make him stop associating your actions with departure. So you could maybe put on your shoes and walk around for a few hours. Or wear your coat and stay at home. The idea is to him not associating your leaving him whenever you wear the coat.
When you return back from an outside visit, do not go over board in greeting your dog. Instead spend a few minutes settling yourself in before communicating with him. Hi’s and Bye’s should be low key as opposed to being loud. Also, keep your dog active and exercising in outdoor areas as much as possible. A dog park visit would be a good idea so that he diverts from your personality fixation.
You can also try crating your dog and see how he responds, and if not, do the total opposite and take him to a dog creche. You may also want to speak to your vet about using a comforting product such as Comfort Zone with Dap.
Remember not to punish your dog, an aggressive approach will never help.
We hope this outline to dog separation anxiety helps. The effort will take a few weeks at the least and if all fails, look for a dog trainer.