Separation Anxiety Does Your Dog Stress Whenever You Leave The House?

There are several ways to soothe separation anxiety in your dog in order to help him feel more secure while you are away. For the fastest results possible, apply the following practical tips:

1. Having a new puppy or a new adult dog is an enjoyable experience. It is so easy to give the new member of the family tons of love and attention. But spending all of your time with your new dog can create negative consequences, especially when you return to your normal schedule where you are out of the house all day.

Give your new dog a lot of attention, but also get him use to being alone, even when youre at home. Getting him used to your absence should be done gradually so it doesnt create a traumatic experience.

Start by going to a different room and closing the door behind you, leaving your dog by himself in another room. Do this several times every day. Next, leave him alone in the house for five minutes, then fifteen, and so on, until he is comfortable enough to be left alone for several hours at a time.

Depression and grieving in pets

Depression and grieving in pets may take many different forms – from the obviously sad and lethargic animal to the pet who manifests illness and behavioral problems associated with depression.

Animals form very deep attachments to their owners and to each other. It is therefore not surprising when they show signs of grief and depression if their owner or a companion pet die.

Some animals experience separation anxiety when their owners go away for a vacation, or sometimes even when they leave them for a short time. Separation anxiety, can result in depression or, more commonly (especially in dogs), in destructive behavior such as digging, chewing or scratching.

Pets are also very attuned to their owner’s emotional state. If you are feeling depressed or grief-stricken, this may, in turn, impact your pet. Certain breeds of pets also tend to worry and fret more than others. They may be at particular risk of developing chronic depression.

Symptoms of grief and depression can include:

* Excessive barking
* Lethargy
* Anxiety/nervousness
* Excessive grooming (particularly in cats)
* Self mutilation or destructive behavior
* Weight loss/gain
* Sulking or even aggression
* Change in personality
* Increased clinginess and attachment
* Loss of appetite

Undesirable and abnormal behavior in dogs is a result of inept training, lack of nutrition and inadequate exercise. Aggressive dog behavior is perhaps one such abnormal behavior that annoys dog owners the most.

Although in certain cases dog aggression may be a direct result of an underlying medical condition, your handling may be playing an important role in encouraging aggressive behavior in your dog. If you ignore or encourage aggression, the dog is most likely to presume that it as acceptable.

Behavior issues like separation anxiety, unnecessary barking and fear of the leash or a car ride are far removed from aggressive dog behavior that may include dog biting and refusal to submit to discipline. Some of these behaviors ultimately lead to further aggression as the dog starts to assume leadership of the pack. Dogs may have evolved to live peacefully with humans but they are unable to shed their genetic traits.

Dogs start to consider family members as part of the pack. It is only natural for the dog to try and assume leadership since survival and access to the best of the available resources depends upon who can dominate the most. Dominating a pack obviously requires aggression. So when you see your dog’s aggression increasing, you can assume that this is a manifestation of dominance related aggression.

Separation anxiety occurs when dogs feel frightened and distressed at the absence of their owner. This type of attachment problem can be mild or severe. A mild case is often exhibited when the dog is pacing, over-grooming, and panting, whereas a severe case of separation anxiety can be quite a challenge for the owner. The dog soils the house, cries nonstop, barks or howls, and destroys furniture and other objects around the house. Often times, the dog starts to show behaviors associated with separation anxiety after being left alone for only ten or fifteen minutes.

Dogs that are more at risk of developing separation anxiety are those rescued from shelters, were living on the streets, or were locked inside a crate or kennel most of their lives. And because this behavior only occurs when the dog is left alone, theres really nothing you can do to stop him from destroying your home or irritating the neighbors every time you leave the house. However, you can teach your dog not to be scared or panic during your absence.

Here are five ways that can help.

Dog is man’s best friend. We have heard this proverb numerous times and it is almost universally agreed that it is true. There are innumerable stories that support this truth. But it is also true that dogs must be trained for house life. There are many aspects of house training that you need to go through before you can rest assured that your dog is fully trained.

Dogs need to be house trained. They need to understand what behavior is desirable and what is not. Pet owners also need to ensure that their dogs do not suffer. For example, separation anxiety in dogs can lead to a situation where all that has been learnt can be forgotten.

Normally dogs are fast learners and can be trained at home if you know the basics. But for some specific situations you may need to take professional help. Anxiety is one of the conditions that can only be handled with specific techniques to be used. Such techniques can help in relieving stress in pets.

Undesirable and destructive behavior from your dog can get extremely irritating. It is especially peeving if you have made sure that he is trained adequately right from the time that he was a puppy. After you are sure that your dog is fully trained, bad behavior does become difficult to tolerate and cope with.

However, it is important to understand that there are many reasons why your dog can relapse into untrained, destructive or extremely submissive behavior even after years of training. It is common for perfectly restrained dogs to go berserk at times with no apparent reason.

One of the reasons why some dogs can forget all that they have learnt is anxiety. Even though dogs are intelligent animals, they are incapable of controlling stress and anxiety that they may feel due to various reasons.

Anxiety brings out the worst in a dog. There can be various reasons for anxiety but the one that is most common is separation anxiety in dogs. Dogs are known to spoil furniture, urinate in the house, break objects and indulge in excessive barking when their owner leaves them. Such destructive behavior should not be construed as revenge (since dogs are almost incapable of that emotion). It is merely an expression of extreme displeasure at being left alone. Since dogs are pack animals and have an inherent aversion to isolation, they feel anxious at being left alone and wonder whether the owner will ever come back or not.

Dogs cannot speak our language and we can never be sure whether their barking is a warning, a complaint or an expression of some discomfort. But there is one thing that we do know and that is that the barking is supposed to mean something.

A dog may bark for various reasons. And in many cases the barking is due to a previous situation or experience that he may have had. Research has unequivocally established that the dog’s brain does respond to stimuli and this was proven long time ago with Pavlov’s experiment.

Experiments reveal that there is imagery in the dog’s brain that induces specific dog behaviors. These behaviors could seem normal or abnormal to us but they do have a meaning. Dogs have the capacity to recall images of the owner, earlier smells and sounds and past experiences and these cause them to behave in a certain manner.

Some dogs are prone to becoming victims of obsessive-compulsive disorder when under stress. The stress can cause either a sudden or gradual onset of the condition. The behavior pattern that emerges will depend on the particular breed. In general, longhaired large breeds of dogs may over groom, herding breeds may chase or hoard and a pure predatory breed may bite, mouth or chase objects. All these have human comparisons.

All the behaviors performed by compulsive canines are essentially normal behaviors. They are just performed over and over again and out of context. The same occurs with humans. There is nothing wrong with washing your hands repeatedly, but if you wash your hands several hundred times a day you have a problem. Psychiatrists treat the human problems on a case-by case basis. Veterinarians remain divided regarding the significance of canine overly expressed behaviors. Some feel it may be our attempt to humanize our pets, yet others are not so sure. Whatever the cause, it is very real in some dogs.

Various breeds of dogs offer different strengths and weaknesses that may or may not be the right fit for your family. A little research into the different dog breeds to find the right choice would be well advised and would be time well spent.

This article cannot possibly list all the dog breeds and their qualities, but it will go into a few to give you a hint of what you may want to take into consideration. I would suggest, however, that before you decide on a particular breed you need to familiarize yourself with the type of dog want. Do your research by finding books at the library or book store, or even on the internet. Visit kennel and breeding websites and read through the attributes of each breed before making your final decision.

According to the American Kennel Club (2006) the five most popular breeds of dogs are as follows (listed in order of kennel registrations):

Labrador Retriever – Labradors are fairly large dogs, standing at about 22-24 inches and weighing approximately 60-75 lbs, full grown. They have a short, water-resistant double coat which is relatively easy to care for. They are friendly, loving, affectionate, patient and highly intelligent. They are loyal, willing, active all-around good natured dogs. They have a life span of 10-16 years.

Separation Anxiety Does Your Dog Stress Whenever You Leave The House?

There are several ways to soothe separation anxiety in your dog in order to help him feel more secure while you are away. For the fastest results possible, apply the following practical tips:

1. Having a new puppy or a new adult dog is an enjoyable experience. It is so easy to give the new member of the family tons of love and attention. But spending all of your time with your new dog can create negative consequences, especially when you return to your normal schedule where you are out of the house all day.

Give your new dog a lot of attention, but also get him use to being alone, even when youre at home. Getting him used to your absence should be done gradually so it doesnt create a traumatic experience.

Start by going to a different room and closing the door behind you, leaving your dog by himself in another room. Do this several times every day. Next, leave him alone in the house for five minutes, then fifteen, and so on, until he is comfortable enough to be left alone for several hours at a time.