Real dog lovers always, always feel some sort of separation anxiety whenever they have to be away from their furry friends for long periods of times. Did you know that the same could be said about the dog’s feelings for its owner? Dogs, too, experience separation anxiety – in fact, it is a pretty common problem.
While the lower end of the spectrum might have your dog barking frantically every time you leave the house, there are instances wherein a dog’s reactions become truly outrageous if this feeling is allowed to escalate.
A dog who inadvertently ends up making a mess of your home, destroying furniture and other fixtures, or is reported to have been barking for several hours straight following your departure are deep in the pits of separation anxiety.
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What Causes Dog Separation Anxiety?
By nature, dogs are used to being part of a pack. Feeling a strong attachment to their owners is inherent in them, which is why they start experiencing feelings of agitation every time you leave.
Digging deeper into the study of this condition, it was found that a good amount of the anxiety they experience is usually because they are attached to several actions of yours that become absent every time you leave.
While well-loved dogs in general are not happy that you leave them, their agitation is directly linked to the attention you shower upon them before you leave and its distinct absence when you are not around.
It becomes especially worse when you have a daily routine of leaving them, which results in these behaviors being reinforced. When this happens, the dog is then rendered unable to gain control over its feelings of anxiety when you leave.
Easing Your Dog’s Separation Anxiety
As a dog owner, you would naturally want to reduce the amount of anxiety your beloved pet experiences every time you leave it. Fortunately, there are several easy ways to go about it:
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Switching up your routine.
A change in your daily routine is a good way to break the cycle of dog separation anxiety. Make the necessary changes in your morning routine and you will find that your dog will not display particular behaviors it has linked to indicators that you will leave.
Some dogs begin barking the moment your alarm clock starts ringing, which means they have associated the ringing sound of the alarm clock with your impending departure. Experiment on waking up at different times every day for a week, dressing up a bit earlier than before, and even removing your keys off its hanging hook then waiting for a bit before you go.
These might seem like really simple changes, but trust that they will make the necessary difference in terms of lessening the anxiety that comes right before you leave.
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Stall for time.
Reducing the anxiety behaviors requires not reinforcing them – which means stopping the habit of petting your dog right before you leave, or giving them a big hug and all the attention in the world as soon as you arrive.
It might not seem like a big deal to you, but these seemingly harmless shows of affection are actually contributing to the reinforcement of the undesired behavior. What you need to do now is to sever the tie between your arrivals and departures and attention to the dog.
For example, only give your dog some attention fifteen minutes after you get home – attend to other tasks instead of automatically giving them hugs and kisses. When you are about to leave, don’t mind them when they start to make sad, whimpering noises.
This means they are looking for you to soothe them, which will all the more encourage them to proceed with the anxiety behaviors. Explore crate training and even having them stay in one room of the house when you leave and them coming back for them later on at an unpredictable time.
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Practice being gone for shorter periods.
This may seem tricky especially if you have a very tight schedule, but when time allows it then try it out. Whenever you notice that your dog becomes anxious as soon as you step out of the house, make the effort to come back earlier than your dog expects you to.
You can ease into this change by leaving, then coming back inside after a couple of seconds. Over time, increase this to minutes, then hours. Switching it up means your dog will not cling on to how long a time the dog has established you will be gone.
Reminder: You’re A Great Pet Owner
The solutions on how to ease dog separation anxiety mentioned in this article might come off as cruel to some people. After all, you are being asked to ignore your pet or deliberately confuse it.
Do not think yourself to be a mean dog owner when you do apply these strategies, because you have the responsibility to implement solutions-based strategies that will actually be beneficial to your dog in the end.
It might seem easier (and more loving) to just lavish attention on your dog before you leave and as soon as you arrive, but in the end you are just increasing the amount of anxiety it will feel right before you leave and all throughout the time you are gone.
Doing these tips will help your dog learn to relax instead of feeling agitated, because it will eventually realize that you will come home to it sooner or later. This way of treating dog separation anxiety will be beneficial not just to their mental state but also their physical health.
Being a dog owner means training up your dog to be a survivor and not dependent on the pack mentality: that whether you are present or absent, it will be able to have the personal means to get through the day without feeling anxious or translating this anxiety into destructive behavior.
In the long run, your pet will be healthier and happier – and your relationship with it will also improve.
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