Separation Anxiety

Like us, dogs like routine and often get stressed over large changes in their schedule. This is especially true for negative changes that they do not expect, and do not understand.

For many pets that are closely bonded to their owners, being alone can be traumatic and result in some difficult behaviour. While the solution is not always simple, there are some basic things you can do to help your dog cope with alone-time.

Teaching a dog to be successful when left alone (Part 1) .

Separation in Dogs accounts for approximately 15% of all behavioural cases here is how to work your way through the problem.

Dogs, like us are very social animals. They would naturally live in family groups and have ‘evolved’ alongside humans over thousands of years to ‘work’ with us and live as our companions. Most dogs would choose to spend the majority of their time in our company. Some might actually prefer the company of their own kind, but what is certain, is that being alone just doesn’t come naturally for most.

Your dog is showing signs of separation anxiety. This means that she is uncomfortable being left home alone. Because dogs are social animals, it is not natural for them to be away from their social group (you) for long periods of time.

My dog has separation anxiety. As a dog trainer and applied animal behaviorist, I can tell you this: It’s bad.

Separation anxiety is one of the most difficult behavior problems to deal with in dogs because successful modification relies on people being present at all times during what can be a long training process. It is a hugely important problem to solve, both for dog and owner, as separation anxiety is one of the main reasons why dogs are relinquished to shelters every year.

Find out the common behavior of a dog with separation anxiety and know how to prevent this common but serious problem for many dogs and their owners.

Domesticated dogs naturally prefer the companionship of their humans. It's one thing to have your dog follow you around the house amiably, however; it's quite another to learn that your dog howls relentlessly when you're at work or defecates in the house to show his displeasure at your absence. When your dog's behavior in your absence seems extreme, he might be experiencing separation anxiety.

If you’ve ever had a dog with separation anxiety or who just can’t bear to be separated from you by a baby-gate or a door, you know the basic rules.

Watching your pet suffer with puppy separation anxiety is stressful, and it's no fun for him, either. Here's what to look for, why it happens, and how to deal with it.

Is your dog exhibiting destructive behavior? Does he constantly bark, whine, or howl? Constantly pace? He could be showing signs of separation anxiety.

Get tips from a professional dog trainer about how to recognize separation anxiety in dogs, the causes of canine separation anxiety, and how to begin treating your dog for separation anxiety.

How to address dog separation anxiety.

One of the most common complaints of pet parents is that their dogs are disruptive or destructive when left alone. Their dogs might urinate, defecate, bark, howl, chew, dig or try to escape. Although these problems often indicate that a dog needs to be taught polite house manners, they can also be symptoms of distress.

Have you ever had the misfortune of walking into your house to find overturned furniture, inches-deep claw gouges on door frames, blood-stained tooth marks on window sills, and countless messages on your answering machine from neighbors complaining about your dog barking and howling for hours on end in your absence? If so, you re probably familiar with the term separation anxiety - a mild label for a devastating and destructive behavior.

How to correct dog separation anxiety.