Separation Anxiety
We love our dog and give them special care and lots of our attention. Dogs love this attention. Playful, always ready to interact their owners, their family and other adult not to mention when they meet other dogs as well. They show they love their owner in many ways. Dogs help us in many ways inside and outside the home.
All dogs have different personalities and should be appreciated for what they are. It does depends on the breed and the family history of the dog. From when your puppy is introduced in to your home they spend many hours in the company of those they love. The everyday routine for the dog revolves round the life of their owner.
Owners cannot always be with their dog and must leave them alone at some time. Some dogs find this very difficult to cope with and they experience anxiety from the moment they are left. This anxiety can show itself in a number of ways. Destructiveness is quite often experience where the dogs take out their frustrations on anything that is around them. Excessive barking which will anoy the neighbours. This is called separation anxiety in dogs.
So how can you deal with this anxiety. It needs to be taken slowly and carefully. Start with very short separations and then depending on your dog, extend the time. First time, just go outside a door and close it, return within a few second. When you leave and when you return just ignore your dog. Say nothing, just get on with what you are doing. Keep repeating this process make the time you are away slightly longer each time.
When you leave your dog, give him something to do, give him a toy stuffed with his favourite food. Do not do this practice after your dog has just had his breakfast. A Dog Pyramid, food ball or Kong stuffed with his usual food mashed with water and then frozen will give your dog something to do for quite a considerable time.
Take your time and don’t rush your dog. If he does get upset don’t comfort him. He is in his own home so he is quite safe. Making a fuss of him when he is upset encourages the wrong message in your dog’s mind. Just ignore the behaviour and move life on for both you and your dog.
Using a Dog’s Hearing Ability to help Training
Train my dog to Come – the recall
Train my dog not to jump up at visitors
Train my dog to stop pulling on the lead
Train my dog to not show anxiety when I leave him along
Training my dog to use a crate
