By: Kelly Marshall
Submitted: 2011-10-09 20:39:12 | Word Count: 532
When you own a dog you hate to see it upset or in distress, the greatest thing you will have with your dog is the bond between you. However it is not healthy for your dog to become too attached to you, and if they do then dog separation anxiety can occur. Anxiety in dogs is a big problem, and is known to affect up to 10% of the canine world. Separation anxiety within dogs is the biggest factor of how puppies and dogs end up in a dog shelter you can however help to prevent this happening.
The first thing to do is look at what is happening from your dog's point of view, you would have become the most important thing in your dog's life. As their main carer you feed, walk and play with your dog and if possible he would stay with every moment of every day. Dogs are very sociable creatures and hate to be left alone they prefer to be around humans. This is the reason that when you leave your house your dog will get distressed and become anxious. Often it is confusing for your dog and he will be worried that you won't be returning in the near future. He will be confused, and the whole time you are away your dog is worrying about where you are.
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Deciding if your dog is suffering from anxiety is easy to determine, you will need to watch how your dog reacts to you preparing to leave. If your dog begins to get anxious and follows you around your home when you prepare to leave then he is certainly anxious. Simple tasks as putting your coat on or picking up your keys can trigger a reaction in your dog. He may become very distressed thinking that you are leaving the house and whilst you are gone his behavior might deteriorate. Separation anxiety in dogs can trigger some very bad behavior and some dogs will urinate inside, bark for the whole time you are gone and generally be destructive in the house.
You will need to find out the reason behind your dog feeling this way and then try to cure it, you have to be able to leave the house during the day and your dog needs to understand that you will be returning. Sometimes there is no apparent reason for your dogs behavior, finding the trigger in your dog's behavior is the first thing to do. Dogs are creatures of great habit and they hate change of any kind, if your routine has changed recently then this may be the reason your dog is anxious.
Treatment is different with every dog as some respond well and others take time to adjust, all techniques do however take time and patience. You need to ensure that your dog has basic training and is well exercised. You then need to teach your dog that he shouldn't totally rely on you, and stop the trigger happening. You will need to slowly increase the time you spend apart, until your dog is happy to be alone, always ensure you give your dog treats as he will respond well to a reward scheme.
Author Resource:-
Kelly Marshall is a popular contributor at http://www.ohmydogsupplies.com - where you can find elevated dog beds, dog steps, pet ramps, and more unique dog gear that you'll never find at your local pet store.
