Dog Separation Anxiety
Puppy separation anxiety is anguish felt by puppies when they are left alone. When you leave home, your anxious pup may bark or whine. In addition, he may be destructive or have potty accidents. A dog that forms a strong attachment to his owner is likely to experience puppy separation anxiety.
Stopping puppy separation anxiety can commence before you adopt your puppy. First of all, you should let your puppy be fully weaned away from his mom, normally by the time he is eight weeks old. Puppies need to be given some independence from their mother. Puppy separation anxiety may be experienced if the dog is taken away earlier.
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Anti-separation anxiety training can be started as soon as you bring your puppy home. When you plan on leaving your puppy, you shouldn’t make a huge fuss. Don’t tell your puppy you’re sad to leave him and give him extra hugs and kisses. Initially, puppies should only be left on their own for short periods of time. Make sure you carry on as normal when you get home and don’t make any fuss.
Training may be more difficult if your dog already displays signs of puppy separation anxiety when you adopt him. Don’t worry, your extra effort will make a difference. Strays or dogs from shelters are the most likely adult dogs to suffer from separation anxiety. It is highly probable that they had a rough life before being lucky enough to be adopted into your household. Don’t give up on them! Frequently, these adult dogs will show greater trust and loyalty.
Approximately fifty per cent of adult dogs will get better with the correct training. That said, your routine may need to be changed to make them less sensitive to being left on their own.
By taking a look at your dog’s environment you may be able to understand what is causing your dog’s separation anxiety. Don’t make a huge fuss when you leave home. Begin slowly by leaving the older dogs for a little while, and eventually work up to longer periods of time.
When you leave, make sure you give your puppy plenty of distractions. Your puppy will usually calm down within 30 minutes to an hour after his bout of puppy separation anxiety. Toys or chewies are a good way to keep him occupied while you’re away. This may assist him in getting over the first barrier. Another option is toys filled with peanut butter or cheese. It will take your dog some time to get to the treat and he will work away at it until he reaches it. This will assist him in forgetting about you and his separation anxiety.
Crate training is another good option. Crates are especially effective with dogs that tend to be destructive. Do not destroy their crate as they think of it as home. Your dog should feel positively about his crate so you should never use it to punish him. It is important for a dog to feel safe in his crate. Feed him food and treats while he is in there so he will have positive feelings about the crate. Once you feel sufficiently confident that your puppy or dog will not destroy your property during your absence, leave him for a short period of time. To make your dog feel secure, make sure that the door of the crate is left open so he is able to access his sanctuary.
Your veterinarian may have other suggestions to stop puppy separation anxiety. You must realize that puppy and dog separation anxiety occurs for a number of reasons.
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