Be Familiar With Dog Separation Anxiety
Dog separation anxiety is what your pet dog feels when it is left alone. These dogs that are having separation anxiety attacks usually whine and bark so much. This can be very irritating and will surely be a source of complaints from your neighbors. There are also instances when some dogs lose bowel movement control when anxious. There are even severe cases where destructive behavior is exhibited by a pet experiencing dog separation anxiety.
If you want to prevent dog separation anxiety, start even before you take home the dog you adopted. Waiting until it is weaned completely will let it have some level of independence from its mother. The best time to take a puppy away from its mother is when it is eight weeks old. If you take a puppy earlier than this, it is more likely to develop dog separation anxiety. Dog separation anxiety is also common among adopted stray dogs and those that came from shelters.
After bringing your new pet home, you should train it if you want to prevent the occurrence of dog separation anxiety. One important thing to remember is not to make so much fuss about your leaving. It would also be good if you could leave behind toys or chewies for your dog in order to distract and to keep it busy while you are away especially during the early parts of the training. You can also try giving your dog treats if it behaves well.
Keep things as normal as possible. When you are about to leave, you should avoid giving your pet extra kisses and hugs. Upon coming back, carry on with your normal tasks as if nothing is the matter. During the early phases of your training, leave your dog alone for short periods of time only.
Slowly and gradually lengthen the time you are away until your dog becomes accustomed to not having you around all the time. If you can resolve the problem of dog separation anxiety with your pet, you will not have to worry every time you go away.