Most dogs can be left alone at home during the day and always be content. There is a limited percentage of dogs that are aggressive, house soilers, or otherwise unhappy. Although these are not all symptoms of separation anxiety, separation fear of dogs can be heartbreaking, but there are also ways to deal with it.
Dogs are social animals by nature, so being left alone is a skill that must be learned. Unfortunately, many owners do not devote adequate time and energy to this aspect of their dog’s training.
Transferring rescue dogs from house to home or shelter to home can be stressful. The weak, unsocialized, untrained dog is then put in a noisy, foreign, and at times frightening shelter. As they arrive at their new home, they are lavished with love with little boundaries that they have never got before, and the dog grows anxious as his newfound wealth leaves the house.
Finally, a stressful experience that occurred when you were away from home may cause anxiety such as thunderstorms, new neighbors, or attempted burglary.
Available Separation Anxiety Treatments
If you believe your dog is suffering from separation disorder, speak with a behavior consultant to devise a strategy. This strategy may require detailed instruction and will take weeks or months to complete. It’s important to collaborate with someone you can trust. When it comes to finding a cure to separation anxiety, there are normally a variety of feelings involved. Seeing the dog struggling can be really upsetting.
To rule out a medical reason, conduct a thorough medical examination. You must first recognize the fear causes for your dog, and then use desensitization and other techniques to help him overcome them.
Techniques for reducing them include counter-conditioning. Many puppies, on the other hand, only have mild to moderate anxiety, which can be alleviated by:
- Getting the dog into a training class straight away whether he or she can’t sit and wait. Self-control must be taught by positive reinforcement instruction.
- Confinement may take the form of a crate, a laundry room, or a kennel area in the garage, among other things. The crate should not be used as a punishment, and it should be used with caution to ensure that the dog is safe and protected.
- Teaching your dog that it’s safe to be away from you for a few minutes at a time in your home. The tie-down should be held in the middle of the home. A full guide to tie-down teaching can be found here. When the dog is home, never use a tie-down.
- When life gets in the way and the dog stops acting like a puppy, they don’t always have the time and conditioning they used to. Don’t let the dog free-feed by leaving food in the dish.
There are many different types of anxiety-relieving solutions for dogs, such medications are prescription or over-the-counter, and others are herbal remedies.
Despite your best efforts, separation anxiety in puppies and dogs is not necessarily avoidable. And treating nervous behavior after it has taken place can be a difficult task. Regardless of how bad this disorder is, behavior therapy has a good success rate. You may be able to alleviate your dog’s distress and put separation anxiety behind you if you have compassion and a good outlook. A good grooming can calm the dogs and a relaxing massage can be of a great help on your dogs.
