Separation anxiety in dogs can be challenging, affecting not only your dog’s happiness but also your daily life.
💔 If your dog becomes distressed when left alone, barking, whining, or becoming destructive, you’re not alone. Many dog owners face this issue, and it can be heartbreaking to see your pet struggle.
It's that time of year (for most of us). The summer holidays are coming to an end and we're back to the grindstone. Our dogs, meanwhile, have gotten used to having us around 24/7 and are now faced with home alone time…and some of them might be struggling with this.
Here are some tips to help your furry friend adjust
Well…firstly, you can never have enough dogs, obviously….in my opinion.
But on a more serious note; it depends, of course, but usually it actually won’t help and here are a couple of things to consider:
Your dog’s anxiety comes from being separated from you, the human, not just from being home alone. So while another dog might make your dog less lonely, it’s not likely to cure your dog’s anxiety when you’re away.
Also your current dog’s anxiety when you are not around may rub off on your second dog and then you have a double-trouble kind of situation.
So, I’m definitely all for getting a second, third, fourth dog, but do it for the right reasons, prepare yourself accordingly and enjoy your furry family.
The internet and world of social media is still full of advice to simply pop your dog in a crate to prevent him or her feeling anxious when home alone.
But fact is: a lot of dogs who struggle with separation related behaviours are prone to being easily overwhelmed by extra stressors. And for a lot of dogs, a crate does cause extra stress.
Firstly, ask yourself, does my dog actually like being in a crate. And REALLY have a good think about it. Plenty of dogs have learned to ‘shut down’ when in the crate AKA they’ve learned that there’s no way out, and this can often look like they are ok when in fact they are certainly not.
So if in doubt, don’t use the crate.
Also, it’s been my experience that most dogs, even if they have been positively conditioned to enjoy being in a crate, prefer to have more of a choice when it comes to where to settle during alone time training (or at any other times). Especially when it comes to longer duration absences.
So instead, you can leave the crate in place, with its door open, so your dog can choose to rest inside the crate or somewhere else within your home.
If you’ve been considering using a crate because you feel worried about your dog’s, or your home’s, safety during alone time training - you may have a puppy or teenager on your hand - then I would recommend creating a safe space via sectioning off an area or a room with a baby gate.
If you need help with your dog’s separation issues, get in touch.
Alex & Wolfgang
