Did You Know Dogs Can Suffer From Separation Anxiety?

Become The Alpha Dog

Dogs are pack animals and very social, so once they have formed a bond with a family being separated from their “pack” is traumatic for them. A separation anxiety issue can become a great problem unless it’s corrected, but it’s a behavioral issue that can be changed when you’re willing to give it some time and attention.

There are several ways that separation anxiety can manifest. Some dogs tend to get depressed, sullen, and downright moody as many humans can get when presented with a separation. They will stop eating and drinking, and they might not leave very familiar areas to use the bathroom. This kind of dog separation anxiety can even be dangerous for the health of the dog, as it will allow itself to become ill and malnourished.

Other dogs will show their problems with separation anxiety by extremely destructive behaviors. This can run the gamut of defecating inside the house, or on personal items, to continual barking, or even major destruction of the household in general. No one who owns pets needs to cope with this kind of dog separation anxiety, which is relatively commonplace.

Your dog will experience separation anxiety if it is afraid that it will be away from you for any period of time. Obviously this happens most frequently when dogs have an unhealthy level of dependence on or attachment to the owner. For most dogs this extreme attachment to their owners comes from being with them on an almost constant basis. he dog will perpetually seek attention and trail their owner everywhere they go. Most of the time the owner is responsible for encouraging this behavior in its beginning stages. It is absolutely essential to instill a sense of independence in a dog in order to avoid this situation, and there are ways to do this while still appreciating the wonderful qualities of loyalty and unconditional love that dog’s exhibit.

A hyperattached dog can suffer through horrible emotional pain during their separation anxiety. In order to fix this issue, the attachment needs to be broken to some small degree. The dog needs to be taught a measure of independence. Remind yourself this is important for the emotional well-being of both of you, even if it’s not that easy to do. Other people in the house can start taking care of the dog, you can teach the dog to play on its own more, and try not to give constant attention. While it might sound cruel to start with, you’ll find that there are benefits to you and the dog from this decision.

Next you will want to work on removing any sense of anxiety from the idea of your leaving. Keep in mind a major part of the anxiety starts for the dog long before you have left. They will notice when you engage in behaviors that will lead to your leaving them, such as changing your clothes, turning off household appliances, and getting your wallet, purse, or keys. Their fear and anxiety of you being gone starts when they see the actions they associate with you going away. A great way to desensitize them to these learned patterns is to do them without actually leaving. The more you do this, the less the dog associates them with you being gone, and the calmer he becomes before you go out.

Obviously other methods of dealing with separation anxiety also exist. You may opt to use certain dog pheromones that are designed to calm your dog and free them from anxiety. Human’s can smell these pheromones, but they can certainly work well on your pets’ mood. Leaving a radio or television turned on while you are away can also help to relieve your dog’s anxiety until you return.