Does Your Dog Suffer From Canine Separation Anxiety Disorder?

If you have children you will know that they can often suffer from separation anxiety when left with others or when starting school.  Just like children, dogs can also suffer from this disorder because they miss you when you leave them at home.  Even if they are left with another person to care for them it is not the same as having their beloved owner with them and can be quite distressing for them.

One obvious symptom of separation anxiety disorder in a dog is that they may whine, cry and chew everything in sight whenever they are left alone.  To deal with your dog’s separation anxiety you need to help your dog to adjust to spending time alone.

This problem will not get better on its own if you just ignore it.  Your dog is upset and being left alone and you need to face the problem to solve it.  Your dog is already upset and you will only upset him more by punishing him for his destruction which may only aggravate the situation more.  It is important to understand that your dog is acting this way because they are anxious and probably bored and not because they are trying to upset you.

When you are home try to give your puppy some alone time so that they can learn how to handle being alone.  In other words, don’t spoil your puppy be spending every single minute with them.  When you are leaving the home, say a quick goodbye and then leave, don’t spend too much time leaving as this will add to your dog’s anxiety.

When you leave the home your puppy doesn’t know where you are going and doesn’t know if you are coming back.  This is what can be very stressful for your puppy if he thinks he has been abandoned.  Try leaving for just short periods of about five to ten minutes and then come back so that your puppy will learn that when you leave you will come back.

Vary the time that you are out and soon your puppy will learn that you are going out but you will come back and sometimes the time that you are gone will vary.

When you do go out it can help to leave your dog some play toys and in particular a food ball that released the food when they play with it.  This can help to keep your dog occupied and will help stop him from chewing everything else.

Many dogs will suffer from separation anxiety and it is best to intervene early and help him to overcome his anxiety.  A little love and understanding will go a long way to keeping your pampered pooch a happy little dog with no anxiety.