How To Prevent Separation Anxiety
When you go to work every day, your dog experiences a feeling called ” separation anxiety “. In some breeds it is more pronounced and visible than in others. So in today’s article we’re going to give you some tips and recommendations on how to prevent your dog from suffering from separation anxiety .
Tips to avoid separation anxiety
The bond between humans and their pets is very strong. The animal sees you as a leader and therefore ultimately it doesn’t want to be without you for a minute. And that’s why it’s normal for your dog to even want to follow you into the bathroom. By the time you go to work, shop, or the gym, you’ve probably noticed that your dog is acting strangely. You may even hear his barking or yowling from the street.
Because dogs are distant relatives of wolves, and their nature tells them it is better to live in a pack, they feel depressed, stressed, and anxious when alone. As a result, your dog may dismantle your furniture, bite into objects, do his business where he shouldn’t, etc. The following tips and recommendations will help you to avoid separation anxiety in your dog:
1. Take him for a walk
Before going to work or leaving the house for a long time, you should take your dog for a short walk so that it gets a little tired and releases energy. That way he won’t be quite as awake and active during the day and will calm down. In addition, you should also provide him with enough food and water so that he can recover from his morning activity. The idea is that the dog needs to be in “sleep mode” while you are away from home.
2. Having a set routine helps with separation anxiety
Ideally, every time you leave the house, you should follow more or less the same routine: take your keys, turn off the lights, raise the blinds, etc. This is how your dog will associate these actions with your leaving the house shortly will. As a result, he can prepare for this situation. You should perform this ritual every time you leave the house (even if it is only for a short time).
3. Don’t pay undue attention to your dog before you leave the house
Many people make the mistake of giving their pets inordinate care (especially intense petting, talking to the animal a lot, etc.) just before they leave the house. However, you should know that this behavior is not good for your dog at all, as he will associate it with your absence.
Instead, you should make sure your dog understands that it is a normal and routine situation when you go out of the house. So you shouldn’t tell your dog things like: “Be good, I’ll be back soon, don’t miss me too much, take care of the house”.
4. Say goodbye with anticipation of seeing you again
This means that you should play with and keep busy with your dog about 20 minutes before you leave the house. This way you show him how much you love him. But he won’t associate your affection with leaving the house later. And he’ll be much calmer when you leave the house without saying goodbye to him excessively.
5. Put aside your guilty feelings
Once you have everything ready to leave the house, it is important to make sure that you do not feel guilty because you will shortly be leaving your dog alone for a while. Therefore, you shouldn’t feel sad, worry or have a guilty conscience. Because your dog can perceive your sensations and feelings. Also, you are the person who has control and authority in this relationship. If the leader (the caregiver) is calm, it calms the pack – in this case your dog.
6. Separation anxiety: Gradually get your dog used to your absence
A good way to avoid separation anxiety is to let the animal go through an adjustment phase. For this to work, you should leave your dog alone a little longer each time so that he can gradually get used to it.
For example, you can take a short walk at the beginning. In the next phase you go for a coffee. Then you leave your dog at home alone while you go shopping. If you do this consistently and gradually, you can eventually get your dog used to the fact that they can be alone for the 8 or 10 hours that you are at work.
7. Relax when you get home
When you open the front door after a long day, you will be greeted by your dog, who happily wags his tail, jumps up on you and barks with joy. But even if it’s difficult, you should wait for your dog to calm down a little before greeting him. Otherwise, he’ll think you support his behavior.
8. If your dog has separation anxiety, do not punish him under any circumstances!
Dogs associate punishments and rewards based on what they do. Separation anxiety is not something an animal actively chooses. So if he destroyed something while you weren’t home, he won’t understand what he did wrong. No matter how much you scold him. Instead, he’ll actually think that if you leave him home alone, you’re punishing him.
