Dog Separation Anxiety

Puppy Separation Anxiety can be worrying for new owners and even for those who are experienced. For those of you do not know, a dog is a pack animal and is traditionally not accustomed to being left on his own. Pack animals enjoy playing and working together, they rely on each other and build up companionship.

A puppy will find it very distressing to be on his own.

Training your puppy to cope while you are away can be sometimes painful and you may feel like giving in the first couple of times. Don't. You must remain strong and determined. Your puppy will no doubt cry, bark and whine until you come back but you must not give in.

Try and remain close to your puppy the first few times.

By being only a few steps away you can hear exactly what your puppy is doing. If he is in an empty room then chances are that there would be nothing he can break or hurt himself with. However, if he is in a decorated room there might be a slight chance that he could break something or hurt himself. By being close you can intervene at any time.

Look at time schedules and see how long it takes for him to stop the barking and crying. If it is half an hour then that is the first step. Wait half an hour and then go and see him. The next time stay away a bit longer until you do not have to be with him all the time. You may have a long day at the office and your puppy needs to be able to cope while you are not there.

One of the most useful tools for Dog Separation Anxiety training is a Crate.

Crates have become increasingly popular among dog owners. They are extremely useful and play a big part in many training exercises. A crate should be used as a positive element and not as a negative. Your dog should always feel comfortable in his crate and never unwanted or punished.

Any crate should have a water bowl, food dish, blanket and toys to play with. A crate should not be used to 'relieve' and this should be discouraged immediately.

Toys are vital to 'Dog Separation Anxiety' Training. They provide your dog with something to keep him occupied and entertained. Puppies have teething problems and need to chew on something! He will chew on anything he finds like, shoes, hats, wallets or even homework!

If you come back from a long hard day at work and find your favourite slippers ripped to shreds do not get angry with your puppy. This is serious as it could lead to a different type of separation problem in the future. If you punish your dog for something that he did a while ago he might not be able to associate the punishment with the crime. The most likely reason in his mind might be that you have returned and when you return you are angry.

Dogs that experience this on many occasions might begin to feel that whenever you leave them you are going to come back an angry person. This is very worrying for any dog and they will be fearful when they hear you coming back in to the house but not before then. They will not understand that slippers cannot be eaten and so they might do the same again.

The best way to stop slipper eating and any other type of misbehaviour is to train your dog using the instructions on how to stop puppy biting.

'Dog Separation Anxiety' is a common problem, especially for puppies and rescued dogs that have been abandoned in the past. You must remember to be patient and to praise your dog and give him lots of love and attention while you are with him.