Dogs And Separation Anxiety

For many pet owners, dogs and separation anxiety seem to go hand in hand. But before you can learn how to effectively treat it, you first need to understand what dog separation anxiety is and what some of the potential causes are.

You may find that your have a perfectly loving pet that you've had for years. He loves being around you and the family, and seems happy all the time and is always willing to do what is asked.

But when you leave the house, it's like another animal takes over his body. He'll chew up everything in site, your clothes and shoes are torn into little pieces, the trash can is upside down and in effect, it looks like a tornado landed inside your house alone. Now you understand what dogs and separation anxiety are all about.

Basically, a dog with separation anxiety hates to be alone. It's a panic disorder that reveals itself when you are gone and results in any number of unwanted behaviors.

Dogs are very social. From birth they are quickly attached to their mother, brothers and sisters. When he comes to your house, he transfers that attachment to you. But not all dogs suffer from separation anxiety. So what makes one dog suffer while another one doesn't?

Well there are many possibilities. The dogs most at risk are rescues, ones that have been in shelters, on the streets, or locked in a kennel for a long time. Perhaps something happened before he came into your home, such as abandonment by a previous owner. Maybe a traumatic experience is the cause. This can be anything from an injury, a major thurnderstorm or even your alarm going off while you are away.

Have you added or lost a family member? Was he removed from his litter and mother while he was still too young? Is there a new pet or child in the house that has reduced your time with him? These are all possible causes of dogs with separation anxiety. Even a change in schedule or a move to a new home could be the reason.

Finally, aging dogs go through physiological and mental changes. These too can be at fault. The point here is that with so many possible causes, dog training separation anxiety can become problematic.

Cases can range from mild to severe. Less troubling is the dog who paces, consistantly grooms himself, or pants in your absence. But the dog that goes potty everywhere, cries, barks or howls constantly, and just destroys everything in site is a real problem. He needs to taught not to panic when you are gone. And this is difficult because you are obviously not there to correct the bad behavior. Unfortunately because there is no one cure fits all, it will require some trial and error on your part. Here are a few options.

• You need to get your dog used to being by himself, even when you are in the house. Work on this slowly by just going into another room and closing the door. Do this for a few minutes several times each day, gradually increasing your time away. Then progress to leaving the house for a few minutes, again, gradually increasing your time away. What you are trying to do is make him comfortable with you not being home.

• You may need to confine your pet while you are gone. If this is necessary, you'll need to make sure that the room you will leave him in has a positive association for him. He need to see it as a fun room. Using a crate can make the feel lonely even more, so pick a room that is safe and where he feels secure. Before you do, make sure you spend plenty of time playing with him in there so the room is a place he associated with fun.

• Some dogs may actually prefer the crate. Remember they are den animals. But if you use it, put it where he can see the outside world, perhaps in frong of a sliding glass door. But don't push the crate too much and don't force it if he shows any resistance since this will only make the situation worse.

• Some people have had success by exercising him a lot before leaving. This means taking him out for a jog or something else that will both tire and relax him. He'll be ready for a nap when you leave.

• Don't make a big deal of your leaving. No long goodbyes or anything like. Try ignoring him for about ten minutes before you go, and ignore him a short while more when you get back. This takes the excitement out of both.

• You want to make being home alone a pleasant experience. In his mind, you need to link your leaving with something positive. Give him plenty of toys or even a rawhide that will take a while to chew. But make sure you do this while you are home as well. You don't want him to associate new toys with you leaving. Just make sure he has something to do that he likes while you are gone. All too often dog separation anxiety is a result of boredom.

• Finally, try leaving on the television or play soft music. There's been plenty of research that shows how classical music relaxes dogs. It's best however to pick something that you would normally listen to. You don't want him associating the music to your being gone.

There's a lot of choices there, but dogs and separation anxiety are not easily fixed. Experiment and see what works. If nothing seems to help, talk to your vet. It's possible that medication may be your only answer.

And if you want to try any of the natural remedies for relaxing separation anxiety in your dog, then visit Only Natural Pet Store for a great selection that many people have had success with.