Dog Separation Anxiety

How many times has your dog started barking when you get out of the house? This is one of the most typical problems that almost every pet owner - dog separation anxiety. Although this is mildly irritating to some, but in extreme cases your dogs might start to destroy your house, or barking continuously for hours when you leave. So here is what you should know about dog separation anxiety.

The Sources of Dog Separation Anxiety

You should know that dogs are pack animals and they sense a direct bond to their masters. And they will grow agitated when you get out of the house. However, almost all of the anxiety that they feel is because they are attached to the specific actions you take on your absence.

Your dog doesn't really have a direct motive why they grow upset when you leave. This is because their behaviors are reinforced on a regular basis; you give them attention after and before you leave or you go through the same routine each morning. This makes your dog unable to control their anxious feelings when you get out of the house.

Ways to Reduce Dog Separation Anxiety

There are a lot of ways to reduce the dog separation anxiety. Here are a few of the easiest methods.

Change Your Routine - By modifying your morning routine you can reduce pre-leaving nervousness. You can get up at different times, take your keys down before you leave and wait for a while or get dressed sooner. You can also alter your routines to further reduce the pre-leaving anxiety of your dog.

Don't Reinforce It - When you lavish or pet your dog with attention just before you leave and when you come back, you're actually reinforcing the behavior. One of the simplest ways to reduce dog separation anxiety is to ignore your dog for 10-15 minutes when you go out or return from work. By doing this you are removing the relationship between you're comings and goings and their attention. This can be done by using crate training or putting them in a separate room in your house then leaving and coming back in intervals.

Building Up to Longer Times - If your dog grows nervous the moment you walk out the door, you should start leaving the house for quicker periods of time. This can be done by leaving for a few seconds and then come back. By doing this, you are changing the dog's expectations for how long you'll be gone and when will you come again and also increasing how long you are able to leave every time. This will help reduce dog separation anxiety can be treated by changing the dog's anticipation for how long you'll be away and when you'll return.

You're Not Being Mean

You might think that you are being cruel or mean to your dog by using these ways. But in reality, you are really helping them to relax, and letting them know that you're coming back and also that you're in control of the domain and there is absolutely no reason for them to feel that anxious. Not to mention that reducing dog separation anxiety is good for your dog's health - both physical and mental.

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