Pet University
Separation Anxiety
Separation anxiety is one of the most common canine behaviourial problems. It is estimated that about 15 percent of dogs in the United States suffer from this. A dog with separation anxiety will become enormously distressed when he realizes that you’re about to leave home. Once your gone, he may howl, bark, urinate, defecate, or otherwise wreak havoc throughout the house. If your dog is misbehaving, either when you’re getting ready to leave, after you leave, or at both times, consider the possibility that he may have separation anxiety. Before getting upset with your dog, you should take a moment to consider what underlying causes might be.
First, your dog may be afraid that when you leave you may not come back. If your dog was previously abandoned, he will be especially susceptible to this fear. Another could be confusion. If you spent a few weeks at home with your new dog or were home for summer vacation, for example, your dog will have gotten used to spending time with you. Once you return to work or are away from your dog for any given reason for an extended amount of time, your dog will be confused by this unexpected alone time and will perhaps think you’re gone for good. For both of these scenarios, it may take some time for your dog to understand that you are not leaving permanently.
So how can you help your dog with this awful feeling? Try to gradually desensitize your dog to being left alone. First, discourage him from following you around the house when your home by giving him something to play with or chew on. You can also periodically jingle your keys or the doorknob with actually leaving the house so your pup stops associating these actions with being left alone. When its time to leave, don’t make a big deal out of the situation, but simply walk out the door without eye contact. It may also help to leave some things on such as the television or radio so that the house is not completely quite.
Remember dogs need companionship. They covet quality time with their owners and would love nothing more to spend every waking minute with you. Even if its not a possibility, try to spend at least one or two hours a day with your pup, playing, walking, training, or simply cuddling. If you know that you will not have enough spare time for your pup during the day, consider enrolling him in a doggie daycare program or hiring a dog walker to visit with him and get some exercise when you can’t be there.
In the wild, dogs live in packs. They use barking and howling as a means of communication and getting the pack back together. If your dog is doing so, he is probably lonely and trying to call in some companionship. Another way of eliminating separation anxiety is to try adding another dog to the household. Another furry friend can help calm done your dog during these tough moment of anxiety.
Another way to help rid your pup of this problem or to keep him from developing in the first place is to teach him some basic obedience commands. When your dog has learned some of these skills, he will become more confident and will naturally lose some of this anxiety.
If you feel like you’ve tried everything and your dog is still exhibiting significant problem behaviors, you made need to seek the help of a professional. Don’t be afraid to seek professional help to assist your dog in overcoming this problem.
