In life nothing is perfect. We all have jobs, bills, family and other responsibilities. Always remember your pets are also a responsibility and ignoring them can often trigger unwanted behavior as a result of separation anxiety.
If you are unfamiliar with separation anxiety you should continue reading it is the second most common reason for dogs being euthanized or given away by their owners and can be prevented.
- Dogs are pack animals, and therefore it is un-natural for a dog to be left alone.
- The main signs of separation anxiety begin with your dog panicking as soon as you leave the house and leave him alone, becoming upset and often destructive, barking, or defecating in the house.
- Every dog reacts differently to being left alone, and you may actually mistake these behaviors as "breed traits", but you should be aware that in reality it could be a form of separation anxiety.
- Other signs of separation anxiety are personality changes, like your dog may become more aggressive or shy, depressed and can even make himself sick. He may even chew parts of his body leaving sores.
- The causes of separation anxiety are multiple and varied, it may be genetic predisposition, or maybe neglect as a puppy, removal from the mother when they were still too young, poor maternal health, etc.
Though the causes are numerous, there are also a series of steps that can help:
- Find a room in your house that is not easily destroyed and place the dog in it with his favorite toys, stay for a while then leave. Come back in a few minutes and pet him when entering, give him a treat. Repeat for several days.
- Don't make a big deal when leaving the house, and when you come back, do other things first before getting to the dog, like putting your stuff away, taking off your coat, etc. This will help to reinforce that leaving is not a big deal.
- Make sure your dog gets plenty of exercise, and that he is properly socialized with other dogs when possible.
- Don't reward bad behavior: if your dog cries after you leave the house, do not go back to pet him and comfort him. You have to be strong enough to leave and this will signal that crying or barking will bring you back.
- Some people think that even diet can affect dogs with separation anxiety. Though the opinions on this vary, you cannot really go wrong with feeding your dog a raw diet.
- Having another pet to keep your dog suffering from separation anxiety is also helpful.
- You should ignore your dog about 20 minutes before leaving the house and for 20 minutes after getting home.
- There are of course drug therapies that can be used however this should be discussed with a veterinarian and used as a last resort.
- It is important to know that your dog is not getting separation anxiety because he is a bad pet, he is insecure and unsure if you will return and that scares him. Always treat your dog with love, affection, patience and devotion, just as he treats you.
