Cure My Separation Anxiety Dog

If you haven't acquired your dog yet, then you need to do a little research about this disorder before you do. Look at your schedule, and determine if you are the type of person who spends a lot of time away from home. If this is the case, then there are some dog breeds that seem to have separation anxiety built in, and you should steer clear of them. A few of these breeds include:

Springer Spaniels

German Shorthaired Pointers

Weimaraners

German Shepherds

Airedales

These breeds seem to have the most serious cases, other breeds tend to have anxiety, but on a little lesser scale. There are dog owners who own some of the above breeds who swear that their dogs do not have any of the symptoms, but I will tell you that the vast majority of these breeds do in fact have it, they just ease their anxiety in ways that are not destructive to your house or themselves. Some will just pace constantly while you are gone, or whine endlessly. When a dog is a puppy, you have know idea what kind of behaviors he will exhibit when he is full grown.

You will also want to think twice about getting your dog from a shelter if you will not be around your house much. Many shelter dogs, regardless of breed, seem to have this problem. Most of these dogs have had some kind of trauma in their past, or they were abandoned by their owners. They will have very little trust that you will not do the same thing to them.

Another situation that seems to create a separation issues is if they were removed from their mother and/or siblings too soon. This is a common problem, as most people are anxious to get the new puppy they picked out, and most "breeders" are anxious to get rid of the puppies as soon as possible. The rule of thumb is: puppies should not be removed from their mother before 8 weeks, at the earliest. Be careful purchasing a puppy from a pet store, these dogs are usually removed from the mother too soon.

If you are away from your dog more than with him, then some anxiety is inevitable. Your dog will easily learn when you are leaving, all he has to do is listen for your jingling keys or notice that you are putting your "going away" clothes on. At this point, he will become anxious and show you his displeasure by whining, crying, trembling and following you everywhere. Some dogs will become aggressive in an attempt to keep you from leaving.

When you've left, the anxious behavior will rapidly worsen and usually will peak within half an hour. She may bark incessantly, scratch and dig at windows and doors , chew anything she can get her paws on, even urinate and defecate inside the house. In extreme cases, she might self-mutilate by licking or chewing her skin until it's raw, or pulling out fur; or will engage in obsessive-compulsive behaviors, like spinning and tail-chasing.

Once you have returned home, your dog will show the opposite behavior and leap around you with delight for an extended period of time. You will have the urge to encourage this behavior, don't do it! This is the worst thing you can do, as you will reinforce her feeling that your return is the highlight of her day, and your leaving is a disaster.

Fortunately, there are things you can do to minimize dog separation anxiety. Here's a short list of do's and don'ts:

1. Exercise your dog. Wear your dog out. The longer you are going to be gone, the more you need to wear her out.

2. Distract him from his boredom, loneliness, and anxiety by making sure there are plenty of appropriate things to chew on. Chewing is a dogs favorite activity, and this will help her take her mind off of it.

3. Turn on a radio or the TV. Keep the volume low, and either set it to classical music or a staion where there is plenty of talking.

4. If possible, make sure your dog has an adequate view of the outside world.

5. Gradually work into leaving the house. Give your dog signs that you are leaving, and then don't. Then, actually leave the house, but come right back in the door. Then leave, but only for a few minutes or so. Over time, your dog will grow acclimated to your leaving, and won't be able to tell how long you are going to be gone. It will lessen the severity of his anxiety

6. Do not act overly sympathetic when your dog is crying or giving other signs of anxiety as you are about to leave.

Sometimes, there is nothing you can do to curb this problem, and you will need to visit your vet to get more help and possible some kind of medication if the situation is severe.

For further information on typical doggie behavior, including a fantastic resource for training how-to's and loads of detailed information on preventing and dealing with problem behaviors, check out Secrets To Dog Training...an absorbing guide that deals with all the subjects a responsible dog-owner could ever want to know about - well worth a look. To visit the Secrets to Dog Training website, just click on the link below:

Click Here!

Here are some other opinions on how to treat/cure canine separation anxiety:

The Humane Society

The Dog Whisperer