How to Alleviate Pet’s Separation Anxiety?
My dog has separation anxiety disorder...
Anxiety Question:
My dog has separation anxiety disorder; what are some ways that you have tried with your pet to alleviate this?
Anxiety Answer:
Dogs are pack animals and most require association with other members of the pack, some exhibit this need more than others.
When they exhibit this separation anxiety and you attempt to sooth their feelings, this is exactly the wrong thing to do because you are reinforcing this behavior. You are applying a human trait to your dog. They want attention and you are giving it to them.
Instead you must enhance their confidence that you will return and this will be a long process.
When we rescued our current dog, (at a year of age) he had separation anxiety.
So, we began a long process of training. We would put on clothes that we would normally wear to go outside and he would begin to exhibit that anxiety. We would leave a treat that he would have to go find and then leave.
At first we would go out, go to the end of the drive way and return. Over time and as he got use to our short excursions, we extended the time we were gone and now we can be gone several hours. He has the confidence that we are always coming back.
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