Dog separation anxiety is a real problem, especially among dogs who have been rescued from shelters or those who were purchased from pet stores. Dogs can exhibit annoying and disturbing behavior, from being destructive while you’re gone to whining, barking, licking, chewing and even self-mutilation. Dog owners with this problem need tried and true dog separation anxiety solutions.

There are different ways to treat separation anxiety, but it will require patience and understanding. Your dog is basically sick, so any scolding of his behavior is similar to punishing a child for being sick. Start by ignoring your dog’s demands for attention, such as his jumping up on you or licking you when you get home. If you baby or pet him, it reinforces the idea that there’s a reason he needs to be comforted. Instead, allow him to calm down first and then give him attention.

You’ll notice that your dog begins to get scared or nervous when you prepare to leave – either by putting your shoes on, grabbing your keys or purse, etc. Start your routine you commonly do as you get ready to leave the house. Go to the door, and then stand there for a few minutes. Remove your shoes, place your purse or keys down, etc. and then remain in the house. Doing this several times will help your dog get over the anxiety these actions cause.

After your dog has stopped exhibiting nervous behavior at your ‘leaving’ routine, actually go outside for five to ten minutes and then return inside. Remember to ignore the jumping and attention your dog gives you when you come back in. Continue this until he’s okay with you leaving for a short period of time. Slowly increase the amount of time you’re gone. As you remain patient with your dog and slowly use these dog separation anxiety solutions to help your dog, he will become more well-adjusted and fine with you leaving. Owners should also speak to their vets about the separation anxiety and supplemental help to ensure that their dogs are being treated effectively.

Separation anxiety makes your dog miserable, and in turn, he makes you miserable. There are cases ranging from mild to extremely severe, where dogs will engage in self-mutilation and worse. If you’ve tried behavior modification therapy and other tips that most commonly do relieve separation anxiety to no avail, you’re probably wondering if there’s anything else you can try. Veterinarians can prescribe dog anxiety medication, but there are a few things you might want to try first.

Lavendar Oil – Lavendar is very calming, and in combination with the behavior modification you’re already working on, it can help relieve your dog’s anxiety. Put the lavendar oil in a place that is already calming to your dog, such as his bed. Give your dog his treats, praise and affection, and any other attention in the bed. This will quickly become a calming place for your dog and can instantly put him in a calm state.

Calming Music - Another option, although it’s not dog separation anxiety medication, is calming music. As you get your things ready to ‘leave,’ place the calming music in the CD player and turn it on. Go outside, and allow the music to play while you wait five minutes. Return, and allow the music to play for a while longer. As your dog becomes comfortable with you leaving, increase the amount of time you wait outside before going back in. Eventually, he will be calmer, and the music you play will help with the loneliness he is experiencing.

Prescriptions – If the separation anxiety simply doesn’t go away at all, speak to your veterinarian. In some cases, vets will prescribe tranquilizers or even anti-depressants for dogs that aren’t responding to any other treatment at all. No matter what, it’s important that you remain patient and understanding of your dog’s condition. After all, separation anxiety is a sickness that your dog can’t help – but with time and treatment, he can get better.

Dogs usually exhibit signs of separation anxiety when their owners get ready to leave. The jingle of the keys, an owner retrieving a purse; these are all things that can make a dog begin to get nervous. Sometimes, when the owner is gone, the dog will engage in destructive behavior, such as chewing things up around the house, etc. Separation anxiety is a serious condition that if left untreated could have severe results. However, there are dog separation anxiety cures that will help your dog.

Behavior Modification

One of the best dog separation anxiety cures is behavior modification; a process of slowly changing your dog’s behavior by changing the way certain things make him feel. For instance, dogs with separation anxiety are commonly nervous as soon as their owners get ready to leave the house. Whether it’s the jingle of your keys, you putting your shoes on or grabbing your purse, your dog knows that you’re about to go and he doesn’t like it. Many owners will begin going through the process of leaving, only to pause at the door and wait before going back to what they were doing.

As the owners do this over and over, the dog begins to get accustomed to the idea so that it no longer causes anxiety. Then, they will leave for a small amount of time (a few minutes at a time) before coming back in. Gradually, dog owners will build up their dog’s confidence, so that he or she still feels confident after the owner leaves.

Medication

In some cases, doctors may prescribe medication for bad cases of separation anxiety. This is something owners will need to talk to their vets about. The veterinarian will go over the possible solutions for separation anxiety and your dog’s history. You can then both come up with a solution that is best for your dog’s unique situation.

Separation anxiety is a serious condition that can make dogs upset and can cause problems for the owners. From biting or tearing up the house and belongings to self-mutilation, dogs can really suffer from the condition, along with the extreme anxiety they feel. With patience and love, you can help your dog overcome his anxiety.

I am so thrilled with the progress that my poodle, Max, has made on the Sit, Stay, Fetch program that I absolutely had to share my experience with all of you. But before, we begin let me give you a little history.

When I first adopted Max from the dog shelter, I knew absolutely nothing about puppies. I just saw him in the window an he was just so darned cute and looked so sad in that horrible crate. My friend tried to talk me out of it but I just couldn’t leave him there. After all, it was love at first sight. Anyway, things were great at first. I mean, Max became very attached to me very soon. Wherever I went, this cute little ball of fur followed me everywhere. He was just so cut and was so full of life and spunk. Whenever I came home, he was so excited to see me. He even piddled on the floor to welcome me home. And, whenever I went from one room to the other, he was right behind me. He slept at the foot of my bed and cried whenever he couldn’t be near me.

I thought this was normal puppy behavior so I wasn’t too concerned. Well, as he grew, I began to notice changes in the way that Max would behave. When I got ready to leave for work in the morning, he would seem very upset. He’d jump up on me and whine like he was telling me not to leave him. The first couple of times Max did this, I thought it was weird but kinda cute. However, around the time when Max was a year old, things got worse.

I could see him scratching the window frantically when I would leave and he whined and cried so loud that I could hear him all the way outside. This was very upsetting to me because this wasn’t Max’s usual self. When I got home, Max would be extremely excited. I would spend half an hour trying to calm him down before I could move on away from him. When I did move away from him, I would find things destroyed, shoes and other items chewed to pieces, things knocked over. It would look like a burglar had come into my house and chewed up things while he searched for my valuables!

I took Max to the vet, who gave me a few pointers and asked me to monitor his behavior. He didn’t tell me what was wrong with Max, but suggested that he might have some sort of anxiety issue. I followed the tips he gave me and saw no improvement. Things got somewhat better because I basically had to ‘Max proof’ the house. I made sure that there was nothing he could damage and that he had treats and toys to play with while I was gone. However, I noticed that Max began getting sores on his paws and legs. Upset at this, I took Max back to the vet. I was absolutely heartbroken to learn that he was doing this to himself by licking and chewing and that it was due to his anxiety. I was absolutely at a loss. The vet recommended a local trainer to help me work with Max. The first day I took Max to the trainer, he was really rough with Max and jerked on his collar quite roughly to make him listen. Well, you can imagine the earful that I gave that man before I scooped Max up and took him back home. I can’t tell you how upset I was. Then, through research in trying to find out what I could possibly do, I ran across the page for the SitStayFetch Training package.

Reading through the reviews and the information that was on the page, I finally had a glimmer of hope to help my little buddy! I wish I would have found the Sit, Stay, Fetch Training package when I first got Max. There is information for individuals who have just gotten a puppy that is very likely to keep dogs from ever having to go through some of these behavior problems. From ownership responsibility to choosing the right kind of breed for you and choosing a veterinarian for your new puppy, this part is great for people who want or have just gotten a puppy.

The information that helped me the most, however, taught me how to understand dogs and how they communicate. They actually do have a whole language that consists of body movements and different attitudes! I recognized many of the tings that Max does in there right away! There is so much information that addresses behavior problems as well. From a jumping dog, a barking dog and an aggressive dog to a dog that fights with others, digs and chews things, this package covers it all! My favorite part, however was the part where I learned how to teach Max to do different tricks and things with commands. He’s just the perfect little entertainer and his behavior has improved ten fold!

Immediately I noticed that SitStayFetch Training program worked through positive reinforcement, and NOT punishing your dog. This is something I feel very strongly about and that’s one of the reasons I was so comfortable beginning this program. Also, the photos were great because I could actually see the images and understand exactly how to perform certain things. All this wrapped into one amazing program plus the bonuses which taught me so much! I am so happy with the progress that Max has made.

I then learned that through the Sit, Stay, Fetch Training program, poor Max suffered with severe separation anxiety as well as several other problems. When we started working with the program, within a week I saw amazing results in Max. I just couldn’t believe the progress that we made. He stopped being nervous every time I left and when I came home, he was happy to see me, but he wasn’t overboard like he had been. Soon the sores healed on Max and there was no more chewing or licking. I can’t tell you how happy I am that Max is happy and well adjusted. We have our old dog back now and I am thrilled! Thank you so very much!

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 »