Dog Separation Anxiety - Is it Really Possible to Solve?

In order to solve dog separation anxiety you will need to first understand this anxiety disorder that brings on a state of extreme panic in your dog. The main cause of the distress is the separation or isolation from their owner.

There are different levels of the anxiety, some dog are okay being left alone for a few hours while others will start worrying almost the minute they are left to vent for themselves and your relationship with your pet will have a big influence on the level of anxiety he is showing when you leave.

Before buying a dog you should take this problem in account if you are planning on leaving the house for longer periods during the day like if you are going to your work. Some breeds are more prone to anxiety and insecurity, like the German Shepherds, Airedales, Springer Spaniels and Weimaraners.

Plus a higher number of dogs that come from a shelter seem to develop dog separation anxiety easily. These dogs might have gone through some severe trauma before ending up in the shelter and once they are placed in a home with an owner they can trust, they will start relying on that owner a lot faster than dogs that haven't experienced any trauma in their life already.

Another class of dogs with a higher risk of developing dog separation anxiety are the pups being taken away from their mother too early on in life. This is particularly common in the puppies you can buy in pet stores.

They are separated well before the minimum age of 8 weeks and then left in cages waiting for their new owner to come along, which causes feeling of insecurity and anxiety.

Treating puppies this way is a good way to ensure they develop dog separation anxiety later on in their life. Especially if they end up with an owner that spends a lot of time with them and they grow and intense bond.

So now that you know the particular case in which dog separation anxiety is more prevalent, let's look at why your dog can develop this behavior disorder.

Neglect is the number one cause of your dog developing separation anxiety, if you are gone most of the day leaving your dog alone, you can almost be sure that your dog will end up with this problem. You as an owner should give plenty company, attention and love to your pet for it to be happy.

Being left alone, your dog will start looking for you and when unable to find you or unable to get to you, all sorts of anxiety symptoms will appear.

The signs can range from mild anxiety and becoming nervous whenever noticing you are about to leave, to a full blown dog separation anxiety problem where you will find your house trashed by the time you do get back.

• Peeing around the house even though you did walk your dog extensively
  
• Chewing on furniture and anything they can get their teeth in
  
• Behavior your dog wouldn´t be showing when you are at home
  
• Extreme barking and whining (are you still best friends with your neighbor?)
  
• Heavy panting and looking exhausted when you come home
  

Finding the solution and helping your animal deal with dog separation anxiety can be a tedious time consuming process but when you are taking the right steps and doing the right things in order to build confidence in your dog, great improvement can be achieved.

If you have a dog with separation anxiety and are completely at loss, having tried all common tips to help you pet deal with this behavior problem I am happy to be able to tell you that there is a solution.

As a dog owner myself and having dealt with dog separation anxiety on several occasions already, I know how hard it can be, coming home each time and find that your dog has been chewing on furniture, peeing everywhere and basically trashing the house, not to mention the number of angry calls from the neighbors.