Dog With Separation Anxiety
How Much Does Your Doggie Miss You?
Though all of us would love to be able to take our dogs to work with us, for most of us this simply isn’t an option. Sadly, our furry little companions have to be left at home during the day which can lead to a case of a dog with separation anxiety.
A dog with separation anxiety can cause behavioral issues for the dog, so it is important that you find a way to remedy this problem before it’s too late. If not taken care of, a dog with separation anxiety can lead to destructive behavior that you will find hard to live with, and can even lead to depression for your furry friend. Fortunately, there are many ways that you can deal with a dog with separation anxiety and help your pup get through the day while you are gone.
A dog with separation anxiety is common in young puppies, particularly because they are so used to always having their mom and litter mates around. So, when you bring them home with you and then have to leave them by themselves, they are not only dealing with separation from you, but from their mother and playmates as well. This is a very difficult time for puppies, so it is up to you as their new mom or dad to help them get through it.
Since crate training has become so common, and many people are now opting to house their dogs in a crate while they are gone, you can try putting a blanket or piece of clothing in the crate that has your scent on it. This can be quite comforting to the pet and help ease some of the anxiety they are feeling. You will still need to pay close attention to your dog’s behavior and physical well-being. Since they are in a crate, they obviously cannot destroy your house to express their displeasure at you being gone. Instead, they may develop behaviors such as excessive licking or chewing on themselves to relieve boredom or express anxiety, or they may become very lethargic expressing extreme depression.
If any of these issues occur, you will have to re-evaluate your situation with keeping your dog home by itself. While in most cases, you can find ways to remedy a dog with separation anxiety and help your puppy get used to the fact that you will be gone all day, in some cases a dog simply cannot handle being cooped up by themselves all day long. If this is the case for you, you are going to have to either find a pet sitter that can spend time with your dog during the day, or possibly find a new home for your dog.
If you have a friend or neighbor that is home during the day, you could possibly ask them to come over periodically to let your dog out to play and spend a little time with it. This can greatly help to relieve separation anxiety that your pet is feeling and can make a huge difference in their behavior. Even better, if you work close to where you live you can try coming home on your lunch breaks to give your dog a little “you-time” which will make them very happy.
If you are not one for crating your dog, and prefer letting them have run of the house while you are away, make sure you have plenty of safe toys for them to play with while you are gone that can help curb any boredom they may have and take attention away from the fact that you are not home. Interactive toys, such as toys that you stuff with treats are great for helping a dog with these issues because the dog will spend a great deal of time focusing on the toy, and not focusing on the fact that mom and dad aren’t home.
Probably one of the most important things you can do to help a dog deal with separation anxiety is to make sure you spend adequate time with your pet when you are home, and make sure you are home regularly. If you are an on-the-go type person that is rarely home, having a dog is probably not the ideal choice for you. Your dog will need quality time with you each day to help them deal with their anxiety of being away from you. For dogs that have severe separation anxiety, the first thing you should do when you return home is spend some quality time playing with them. This will help to quell their fear that you are not coming back. They will start to realize that mom or dad will be home again, and that when they get home that means playtime! This will go a long way in helping them to get through their day without you and make their anxiety a thing of the past.