Many of us know the sad sound of our dogs howling when we leave them home alone. Some of them destroy valuable items or get into things that are dangerous to their well-being. My own dogs have gotten into prescription medications and ended up at the emergency room costing more money and worry. I would like to share with you the dog separation anxiety training that worked for me and my dogs.
The first thing you can do is to not make a big deal about exiting and entering. Be sure to practice leaving and returning. Make sure you come and go for different periods of time, going through the same routine you would go through for a five minute outing as you would if you were going away for eight hours. This way your dogs will never know if you are gone for a two minutes or ten hours. This is the most important aspect of the dog separation anxiety cure.
When you return be sure to completely ignore the dog, showing them that it is not big deal that you were away. Once they have calmed down you can give them a brief pet. Do not reward excitement.
The next most important thing you can do to cure separation anxiety in dogs is give them something to do when you are away. The thing that works best for me is a Kong stuffed with things your dog enjoys, their dinner, peanut butter, blueberries, or whatever treats your dog likes best. I like to use a mix of wet and dry ingredients and freeze the kong so that it takes them a long time to work at getting through the contents. This way they will be tired once they get to the end and might even fall asleep while you are away.
In order to cure separation anxiety in dogs do not leave the dog with access to watch people and animals walk by. This may cause additional stress to the dog if he/she sees other dogs or people walking by and they feel they need to protect their home. Also leave a radio on. Studies have shown that classical music is the most relaxing to dogs with separation anxiety.
A couple other important aspects of the dog separation anxiety cure More tips from the separation anxiety cure: purchase Rescue Remedy and put a few drops on their inside ear flap or their gums about an hour before you leave. You can also get a plug-in of Dog Appeasing Pharamone (DAP) or a spray that you can spray on their bed or on a bandanna around their neck to help them feel relaxed while you are away from home.
Make sure to give your dog lots of physical and mental stimulation every day. Dogs who do not get out of their living quarters are not having their needs met and may have built up energy that comes out as anxiety. A minimum thirty-minute walk just about every day is a great way to help them meet their need to roam with their pack. If you have an extremely anxious dog you may need to bike or jog to help cure separation anxiety in dogs
Equally as important is to integrate a mental workout into your everyday life. Dogs need to be challenged mentally as well as physically. Take an rally-o course so that you can build a deeper connection with your anxious dog. Training with your dog can be just as tiring (if not more) than physical exercise and is a great way to build your bond!
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