How to Help Your Dog Through Separation Anxiety

Most dogs get super excited when their owners arrive back home from work and it's always nice to be greeted in a loving way by a canine companion. However, some dogs take things a little too far getting so excited that it becomes a nuisance. They jump up, spin around and basically get out of control. When dogs stress out when their owners are not at home, they can get up to all sorts of things and this includes being destructive which is a condition known as separation anxiety. The good news is there are things that can be done to help a dog through this type of stress so it is possible to help your dog through separation anxiety.

Making sure a dog is tired

One of the best ways of helping a dog is to take them for a nice long walk before they are going to be left on their own. A tired dog is less likely to be stressed out when an owner leaves the house especially if they have been taken for an extra brisk walk. Once back at home and dogs are nice and calm, they can be rewarded with a treat, but only if they are in submissive, calm mode. This means an owner can then calmly leave home knowing their pets are too tired to get up to any mischief or anxious at being left on their own.

Avoid touching, talking and eye contact

It's best not to make a big deal about having to go out or when you get home again. The calmer the situation is when leaving and returning home, the calmer a dog would understand things to be. As such they would be less likely to get excited or stressed out, it helps an anxious dog take things in their stride. With this said, if a dog suffers from severe separation anxiety, it's a good idea to get them used to a calming routine before leaving them on their own. This would involve getting them in the right frame of mind before leaving the house and then again when you get home. This means not touching them and avoiding any eye contact or talking to a dog which would just get them more excited about things.

A routine is essential

Saying goodbye to a dog in a calm way long before you actually leave home goes a long way in preparing them for being left on their own. It means that when you do leave, it would be less of a big deal which is more for you than it is for your canine companion. Practice always makes perfect when it comes to training dogs to not only be obedient and well behaved, but also when it comes to their attitude to situations. By leaving an anxious dog for a few minutes and then returning, it goes a long way in preparing them for being left on their own for longer periods of time. The best way is to increase the time they are left gradually until they are quite happy to be left for a few hours without getting stressed out.

Staying assertive and calm

Staying calm when you are about to leave the house is important because your dog will feed off your energy. If you stress at the idea of your canine companion being on their own, they will pick up on this and will stress out and become anxious too. If a dog thinks that all is well with you, they are going to feel a lot happier about things including when they see you walk out the door.

Conclusion

Some dogs suffer from very severe separation anxiety and as such they have a hard time when they are left on their own. Dogs with this level of stress are best suited to owners who either work from home or in households where at least one person stays at home when everyone else is out of the house so their pets are never left on their own for any length of time. However, if you share a home with a dog that just gets a little stressed out when you are out, by taking the time to show them that it is not a big deal by including the suggestions above will go a long way in making it an all-round better experience for both you and your dog.