Archive for July 30th, 2010

Dealing With Anxiety separation dogs When your dog suffers from Anxiety separation, it is very difficult to leave home, expecting the worse when you get back. Your dog self-mutilates, your home gets damaged significantly, and your neighbour complains of the noise. Not a nice situation to be in, for sure. The good news is that you can act upon this problem, and the solution does not include giving your dog away to a shelter.

Read on to find out about what you can do to get rid of separation anxiety in dogs:

1. Let your dog get used to being alone. But do this slowly, start by leaving him start alone for not too long periods (5-10 minutes) and then lengthening the duration as he progresses.

2. Do away with emotional greetings and goodbyes. This will make it harder for him to separate from you. A simple pat on the head will do.

3. See to it that before you leave home, your dog is in a safe place. One of the triggers of separation anxiety is a traumatic experience, such as injury or a thunderstorm.

4. Give him something to do when he’s alone. Chew toys are great. Also see to it that he has a great deal of water and has an access to an area where he can defecate.

5. Be generous in giving praises and encouragement to your pet. This helps build his confidence. If you punish him, it will only worsen the situation.

6. Make sure your dog exercises daily. At the lowest, an hour of walking or playing in the yard would do. This usually relieves him of anxiety and stress.

7. You can try a technique named desensitizing. This works by having him feel comfortable with the actions that cause him to be anxious. For example, if the mere act of putting your keys in your coat pockets will cause him to whine and bark excessively, what you need to do is to change his perception of what goes on. You can put the keys in your coat pocket and then read the paper. You can put your shoes on, walk around the house, and then find a place to sit down. If you do this repeatedly, he will eventually get used to it and no longer feel anxious.

8. If none of the above tips work, you can consult with the vet. Your dog could be suffering from another condition or illness. The vet can give a correct diagnosis of what is going on. He will provide a medical treatment, or refer you to a specialist who can provide drug therapies to help your dog get rid of separation anxiety. Read more about Anxiety Separation Dogs at Anxiety Separation Dogs