Dog Separation Anxiety is one of the most common issues that face dog parents. A dog with separation anxiety acts in a different way than a normal dog when you leave him alone even for a short time.
You may notice that your dog starts to follow you wherever you go, they become very sad when you leave the house even for a couple of hours, when you come back home you find that your dog has sabotaged a lot of things in the house, eliminated indoors or hear your neighbors complain about your dog’s excessive barking when you aren’t home.
All these symptoms are cues that your dog is suffering from dog separation anxiety. Dog separation anxiety sometimes is not obvious for the owner until it reaches a serious level that threatens the dogs’ mental health.
So knowing more about dog separation anxiety will save your canine from suffering and also, save you from a lot of frustrations caused by it.
Here, you will know everything about dog separation anxiety and how to deal with it. Are you ready to start your journey and enrich your knowledge with new information about dog separation anxiety? Perfect! Let’s dive in!
Table of Contents
Dog Separation Anxiety: Why Do Dogs Get It?
It’s unclear why a dog may get separation anxiety because every dog has their own unique personality that differs from other dogs.
Some dogs can handle being on their own in the house while others freak out and literally panic if left alone for a little period of time and, unfortunately, things may get even worse!
In most cases, these dogs have been abandoned before by their previous owners and have suffered being lonely so they become very fragile to the potential of being abandoned again.
How to Know If Your Dog Suffers From Dog Separation Anxiety?
First of all, you need to understand that if a dog suffers separation anxiety, this means they are in a state of horrible panic of being lonely. In order to know if your dog is facing separation anxiety or not, you have to get it examined by an expert vet to diagnose their behavior.
In most cases, canines that have dog separation anxiety become very clingy to a certain person and whenever that person isn’t around, they go into the separation mode, thus the unusual behaviors.
However, not all dogs that suffer being alone have symptoms of dog separation anxiety. If you detect any of these signs in your dog, most probably your dog is having dog separation anxiety.
Signs and Cues That Indicates Dog Separation Anxiety
If you find that your dog is suffering from more than one of these signs, then probably your dog is having a battle with dog separation anxiety…
- Trying to escape from home while you’re away
- Becoming very clingy, more than the usual clinginess
- Barking, whining, howling, jumping, and screaming when you come home and when you are not there too[you can learn about this if you watched your dog from a window or having cameras fixed in your house]
- Doing some destructive behaviors such as chewing, digging or urinating in the house
- Stop eating
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How to Handle Dog Separation Anxiety?
As a dog parent, your first goal is doing your best to make sure they’re happy and safe. Here, your role is to help them overcome separation anxiety. You can do your dog a great favor if you have enough patience and determination to actually help them.
Separation anxiety in dogs can be handled by doing some simple, yet effective, behavioral changes that will let your dog handle being alone.
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Tips to Help You Deal with Dog Separation Anxiety
Start Training at a Young Age
Training your puppies to handle being alone can effectively prevent potential separation anxiety. If you adopted a puppy, start with encouraging them by giving interactive toys that will attract their minds and will keep them busy.
Leave Comfort Toys and Background Music
Start leaving some music in the background to ease your dog and also, leave them some of their favorite toys on the floor. You may get them Pet Chew Toy that will definitely make them entertained and busy when you’re not around.
Give Your Dog Their Personal Space
Create a personal space for your dog instead of sleeping with them in the same place. You should start by separating them with a unique dog bed that matches your dog’s personality. In order to find the one, check this dog bed
Giving your dog a special bed will give them the chance to learn how to enjoy on their own and will definitely fight any potential separation anxiety.
Stay Calm When Leaving the House
When you return home to your dog, do your best to remain calm and do not make a big deal of you coming and leaving the house. Train your dog to remain calm and not to jump on you, it would be difficult at the beginning, but with time it will become easier.
Get a Dog Walker
You may consider getting a dog walker if you leave your dog home alone for a long time. Like other dog parents who face the same problem with their dog and how they handle it.
Consult Your Vet
If you are worried your dog is showing some kind of extreme anxiety and start to hurt themselves, keep in mind that you need to consult your vet for a diagnosis and to give you the right medications to ease the symptoms of your dog separation anxiety. Make sure to discuss all the options of treatment with your vet.
Overall, raising a dog is so much similar to raising a child.
You have to understand your dog’s psychology to understand their needs. If you detect any change in their behavior, take it seriously as it could be an indicator of a serious issue.
Don’t forget to share this article with all the dog parents you know to raise awareness!
