How To Deal With Dog Separation Anxiety

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic by 10 people | Log in to rate

Ranked #2,362 in Animals, #52,114 overall

Dog Separation Anxiety

You leave and your Dog howls.  Not just for a moment, but seemingly forever.  When the howling finally abates, it is replaced by a whine. 

When you return, you find your home a mess — he has engaged in destructive behavior that is completely out of character. 

Your dog has a real problem:  dog separation anxiety.

The Dog Separation Anxiety Poll 

Loading poll. Please Wait...

Why Do Dogs Have Separation Anxiety? 

Dogs love their owners and develop a very close relationship with them.

Sometimes the closeness of that relationship can leave them confused and frightened when the owner is gone. Thy dog may seem confused, angry or sullen when the owner leaves and may appear to "lash out" against being left alone by ruining furniture, creating messes or otherwise acting in ways wholly inconsistent with his training.

Dog Separation anxiety is relatively easy to diagnose: an otherwise well-adjusted dog seems to transform into a monster when left alone. Unfortunately, it is not always quite as easy to treat the disorder.

Helping a dog to overcome problems with separation anxiety is a process, just like other aspects of training, it takes time and repetition to be truly successful.

The idea of "training away" separation anxiety seems unlikely-how can you address a behavior when you are not present to see, prevent or correct it? Fortunately, there are actions one can take to decrease dog separation anxiety and to prevent your dog's frustrated behavior from spiraling out of control during your absence.

Dog Separation Anxiety and Preparing Your Dog For Your Departure 

Prepare the dog for your departure. Many people have a tendency to lavish attention on their dog before leaving. They may take extra time to play with the dog or find other ways to try to squeeze in a little extra "quality time" with their canine friend. Though well intended, this only makes the owner's departure even more noticeable and worrisome for the dog. Instead of petting and kissing the dog goodbye, owners dealing with separation anxiety should take measures to correctly prepare the pet for their absence.

This can be done by intentionally decreasing interaction with the pet prior to leaving. Although one may want to spend extra time with a pet before leaving him alone, the best practice is to actually come close to ignoring your pet for several minutes prior to leaving. This will make your departure less jarring and should serve to decrease the dog's level of anxiety.

If you are leaving for an extended period and feel the need to connect with your pet and to enjoy their company, find ways to do so earlier in the day. Resist the urge to say "goodbye" before actually leaving.

Healthy Dog Food 

I have what I hope you will find to be a very special offer for you!

Are You Like Many Other People Who Are Concerned About What They are Feeding Their Precious Dog? Who Really Knows What Is In The Food You Feed Him? Are You Feeding Them Healthy Dog Food?

It Doesn't Need To Be Like That!

Homemade Healthy Dog Food Recipes Take The Worry Out of Feeding Your Dog! They also bring some pleasure back into the life of not only your dog but you too!

Take a look at Healthy Dog Food (click on the link) and I think you will be delighted!

Some Useful Dog Toys 

Chuckit Ball Launcher

Chuckit Ball Launcher

The amount of saliva that Buckley your chocolate l more...0 points

Dog Separation Anxiety - Distracting Him As You Leave 

Provide an immediate distraction for the dog. Right before leaving, it is desirable to provide the pet with some sort of distraction. A new toy, for instance, may serve to occupy his attentions, allowing for a smoother transition to his "alone time." Whatever immediate distraction is provided, make sure it is something that is likely to interest the dog for several minutes. The objective, after all is to maintain his attention on something other than your absence for as long as can be reasonably expected.

This technique has the added benefit of teaching your pet that his time alone will result in a pleasurable experience. He will begin to connect your departure with a fun toy or diversion instead of feeling it will only bring anxiety and loneliness.

One should also provide a more lasting distraction. Dogs crave human contact and will unavoidably miss it while alone. However, maintaining something of a human element to their surroundings can decrease the separation anxiety the feel when left without company.

Many have experienced success by keeping a radio or television tuned to programming featuring a great deal of dialogue. The dog will hear human voices and although he certainly won't be fooled into believing he is in the company of human friends, the sound is still soothing and can reduce feelings of stress and loneliness.

Separation anxiety can be an absolutely befuddling issue for a dog owner. Even the most well-mannered and well-trained dogs can suddenly transform into destructive troublemakers as a result of separation anxiety.

Training away this difficulty can be hard, especially when a dog feels very connected to his owner. However, by preparing your dog and utilizing appropriate immediate and lasting distractions, one can reasonably expect to reduce the anxiety experienced by their dog.

Dog Owner Feedback 

Please do let us know that you dropped by and if you found this information helpful!

submit
  • Reply
    pkmcr pkmcr Dec 14, 2008 @ 3:56 am
    Thanks for the kind comments and I hope that readers are finding the information useful

    Take care

    Paul
  • Reply
    AndyPo AndyPo Dec 4, 2008 @ 3:11 am
    Great lens
  • Reply
    nightbear nightbear Nov 29, 2008 @ 11:18 pm
    My golden retriever has SA, and in her senior years has started destructive chewing, Someone suggested boredom might be involved. So I have begun to leave her a large donkey kong toy stuffed with different favorite treats. It takes her several hours to get all the treats out and my home remains intact. Important information.
  • Reply
    Tiddledeewinks Tiddledeewinks Aug 27, 2008 @ 3:14 am
    I lost my beloved Tobie (Old English Sheepdog)last November. She was my best friend. She would stare at the t.v. if she heard a dog on it and stare at airplanes in the sky, as if to wonder what they were. She hated to be out of my sight and was afraid of thunderstorms.See my lens at DoAnimalsGoToHeaven.
  • Reply
    lens4Him lens4Him Jul 13, 2008 @ 3:47 pm
    I always leave the TV on tuned to Animal Planet when I go out and leave our dog on his own. I don't know why, it's not as if he can understand it!
  • Load More

Great Value Dog Training Aids 

Loading Fetching RSS feed... please stand by

Dog Training 

Loading Fetching RSS feed... please stand by

Ergo Centers No Bark Trainer Reviewed 

The purpose of the Ergo Centers No Bark Trainer is to stop dogs from barking at nothing.

Pros: There isn't anything that is much more irritating than hearing a dog barking incessantly%u2026at nothing. The Ergo Centers No Bark Trainer is an ingenious product that can stop a dog from just barking, barking, barking. It inflicts no pain on the dog at all.

The Ergo Centers No Bark Trainer is designed to work with all breeds and all size dogs. No Bark generates an ultrasonic tone that only pets can hear and also a sound in the audible range for humans to hear and setup the unit. The whole system is automatic. When the dog starts barking, the unit turns itself on. No Bark comes with an AC adaptor and an extended power cord. It covers up to a 30ft radius and has variable levels of sensitivity settings. The unit can be used both indoors and outdoors.

Cons: A very effective solution to a difficult problem! Just remember to remove the collar once your dog learns not to bark.

Guarantee: There is a guarantee of satisfaction. The return policy for Petco.com states in part: "For returns made within 45 days of the initial shipment date, we will issue you a refund in the form of your original payment method. For all returns made after 45 days of the initial shipment date, we will issue your refund in the form of a PETCO.com Online Gift Certificate."

Value for money: The Ergo Centers No Bark Trainer is a very good value.

Where to buy: Click On The Image Below

Ergo Systems No Bark Trainer (30 Foot Radius; Indoor Use)

Starter Series Home Training Dog Crate 

Starter Series Home Training Dog Crate

Starter Series Home Training Dog Crate


Usually leaves our warehouse in 1 - 3 business days. The Midwest Starter Series dog crate is designed for the price conscious pet owner. It features a durable black epoxy finish and matching ABS plastic pans which are held in the home by the door, and are easy to clean. The doors are pin constructed, combining safety and security for your pet, while remaining affordable. It assembles in minutes without requiring any tools for assembly! The crate has 6 separate panels which are secured together with a drop-pin in each of the 4 corners. These are the ideal dog crates for the first time dog owner providing you with a strong durable crate that is inexpensive.



Starter Series Home Training Dog Crate

Ask About Dogs 

Loading Fetching RSS feed... please stand by

The Dog Lover's Megapack 

The Dog Lover's Essentials MegaPack is a complete and exhaustive package of information that'll have your dog begging for more home-made treats, you revelling in the newfound bond you have through communicating with your dog, your bank account thriving, and your mind at ease because you know what to do in a health emergency. You won't find anything like it anywhere else, and certainly not for such an incredibly low price!

Do have a look at The Dog Lover's Pack

About Paul Duxbury 

Lensmaster pkmcr has been a member since September 17 2006, has rated 740 lenses, favorited 259, and has created 462 lenses from scratch. This member's top-ranked page is "How To Use Twitter". See all my lenses

Check out these great lenses...

lens image
How To Use Twitter
Welcome to How To Use Twitter! Before we get into the detail let me make one thing very clear! Twitter is a way of connecting with other people who share your interests or who might be interested in what you have to say. Please do not view it simply... view lens
lens image
The Christmas Fair
Welcome to the Christmas Fair on Squidoo! Do you want to have a wander round the stalls or are you a Lensmaster looking to set up your own Christmas Fair Stall? Here you will find everything you could possibly want for the coming Christmas season. Th... view lens
lens image
Men's Luxury Watches
Let's take a look at some of the Men's Luxury Watches that are available as gifts for you to buy for that special person in your life or even for yourself. Almost one hundred and fifty years ago, a watchmaker wanted to created watches that wo... view lens
lens image
Women's Luxury Watches
Let's take a look at some of the Women's Luxury Watches that are available as gifts for you to buy for that special person in your life. Shopping for Christmas gifts is easy when you buy women’s luxury watches for yourself or for the sp... view lens
lens image
Dolce and Gabbana Light Blue Perfume
Is Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Perfume for Women on the horizon for someone special in your life or maybe to treat yourself with? The Dolce & Gabbana name is well known for bringing a fresh and upscale quality to fashion and fragrance, and one... view lens

by pkmcr

Paul is a learning and development specialist who is passionate about helping others to succeed. Paul draws on extensive experience of Coaching and wo...

(more)

Explore related pages

Create a Lens!