You love your dog, but coming home after a long day of work can be very stressful if your dog suffers from separation anxiety.  This seems like an overwhelming problem with no end in sight, but your dog’s separation anxiety can be relieved.  Here are 10 tips that will help cure your dog’s separation anxiety.

1. If your dog is not crate trained, now is the time to start training your dog.  Crate training can provide your dog with the positive reinforcement he needs in order to cope with his separation anxiety. 

2. Many dogs have an extremely difficult time when their owner leaves for work in the morning.  In order to leave the house quickly, it is a good idea to distract your dog as you are leaving the house.  By doing this, your dog will not realize you are leaving. Continue »

Successfully treating your dog’s separation anxiety is aided in realizing that the dog is stressed out while it is being left alone.  The common denominator for all dogs with separation anxiety is that their stress induced acting out occurs while they are left totally alone.  These types of actions happening while the dog has company, have nothing to do with dog separation anxiety, and should be handled differently.

As in teaching any dog a new trick, you as the owner must keep your cool and be patient with consistent praise for the dog’s good deeds.  Punishment has no place in training an animal.  In fact, acts of punishment only stress your dog further and may increase his sense of separation anxiety. Continue »

Coping with a dog with separation anxiety can be very difficult and trying.  It may seem as if nothing helps, which can be very overwhelming.  However, one solution that requires some consistency and hard work on your part is often an effective solution to help treat separation anxiety in dogs.  That solution is crate training.

When your dog first became a member of your family, you probably read all about crate training.  You also probably read that it requires both hard work and consistency on your part.  This is why many dog owners do not pursue crate training initially.  In fact, a large number of owners only pursue crate training as a way of helping their dog cope with their separation anxiety.  Continue »

Dog Separation Anxiety can be extremely frustrating for pet owners however it is extremely manageable. The key is to understand that it is caused by your dog’s personal anxiety and stress of being separated from you. In some instances, behavior modification and holistic treatments work well to aide your dog in overcoming this condition. However, in other instances, your dog may need medical treatments. If this is the case, you should seek the assistance of your veterinarian to help you successfully manage your dog’s separation anxiety.

When you take your dog in for treatments, make sure that you discuss your dog’s behavior when separated. For instance, if you observe any particular behaviors like defecating, panting, urinating, barking, whining, etc then take note of them and tell your veterinarian. He will likely do a complete blood workup and discuss holistic, behavioral or medical treatment options. Continue »

A dog owner has a huge responsibility to keep his or her pet healthy and happy.  It might seem that all a dog needs is food, clean water, and exercise to stay healthy, but this prescription doesn’t address the dog’s emotional wellness.  Dogs are gregarious animals, meaning that they naturally belong in groups.  Unlike the sloth, for instance, dogs live in a pack for survival’s sake, and because they enjoy the company of the other dogs.  When humans take a dog out of its natural pack situation, the human family becomes the dog’s society.  To then abandon it for hours everyday is unethical and harmful to the dog’s well being.  If you’re curious if your dog has separation anxiety, one question to ask yourself is “How much time does my dog spend alone every day?”  Remember that a dog has no concept of time.  He can’t check the clock to reassure himself that his exile is almost over.  To the dog, each minute is an eternity, as he doesn’t know how much time has passed or how much is left before your return.  If you leave your dog completely alone, he probably does have some degree of separation anxiety.  Continue »