Did You Know Dogs Can Suffer From Separation Anxiety?
Dogs, being the extremely social animals that they are, will form very strong bonds with their masters, so when they must be separated, it can be a traumatic experience. 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.
This dog separation anxiety can manifest itself in a variety of forms. Certain dogs will become depressed and slow, and seem very sleepy. Refusing food and water, along with being unwilling to go anywhere outside of where they are comfortable to use the bathroom, are some other signs of anxiety. 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 become highly destructive to show their dog separation anxiety. This behavior can take the form of extreme whining, barking, or howling, or destruction of property through means such as urinating or otherwise relieving themselves in and around your belongings. Even though this sort of behavior is considered a common way of displaying their anxiety, it’s certainly not what any pet owner wants to be forced to deal with.
But when your dog starts to feel fear at the idea of being separated from you or someone else in his “circle,” separation anxiety begins to take hold. If your dog is overly attached to you, this stands a high chance of happening. This can happen when a dog spends all of his time with the owner when the owner is at home. 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. Your dog needs to learn independence. Remind yourself this is important for the emotional well-being of both of you, even if it’s not that easy to do. You’ll need to discourage the constant affection your dog lavishes upon you. Other people in your house can also care for your dog, and you can even show it how to play by itself or with others. Doing this may be difficult and you might feel as if you are being insensitive, but this is the beginning of the treatment that will end up dramatically improving both your and your dog’s quality of life.
Next, it’s essential to desensitize the dog to separation anxiety. Much of the anxiety that your dog suffers through can happen before you’ve even left them behind. Whether you know it or not, your dog is always watching and quickly learns to associate actions like turning off the TV, putting on different clothes, or picking up your car keys as signs you will be leaving the house. Their fear and anxiety of you being gone starts when they see the actions they associate with you going away. Change things up by staying at the house after doing some of these things. The more you do this, the less the dog associates them with you being gone, and the calmer he becomes before you go out.
Of course, there are several other options available to you for help in alleviating separation anxiety. A lot of people have found that dog appeasement pheromones are successful in creating a sense of calm within the dog’s environment. Though odorless to humans, the pheromones create a more relaxing environment for your dog. You might also try leaving on the radio or TV to aid your pet’s separation anxiety.
