Phantom pregnancy, also known as pseudopregnancy or false pregnancy, is a condition where an intact female dog exhibits signs of pregnancy despite not being pregnant.
This phenomenon is primarily due to hormonal fluctuations and understanding how a phantom pregnancy can impact a dog's behaviour, especially concerning separation anxiety, is crucial for effective training and overall well-being.
Separation anxiety in dogs can be challenging, affecting not only your dogâs happiness but also your daily life.
đ If your dog becomes distressed when left alone, barking, whining, or becoming destructive, youâre 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 timeâŠand some of them might be struggling with this.
Here are some tips to help your furry friend adjust
WellâŠfirstly, you can never have enough dogs, obviouslyâŠ.in my opinion.
But on a more serious note; it depends, of course, but usually it actually wonât help and here are a couple of things to consider:
Your dogâs 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, itâs not likely to cure your dogâs anxiety when youâre away.
Also your current dogâs anxiety when you are not around may rub off on your second dog and then you have a double-trouble kind of situation.
So, Iâm 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 âshut downâ when in the crate AKA theyâve learned that thereâs no way out, and this can often look like they are ok when in fact they are certainly not.
So if in doubt, donât use the crate.
Also, itâs 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 youâve been considering using a crate because you feel worried about your dogâs, or your homeâs, 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 dogâs separation issues, get in touch.
Alex & Wolfgang
