Pet parents often complain that their dogs are not on their best behavior when left alone. Their dogs might throw various tantrums and behave inappropriately. These problems generally indicate that a dog needs to be house trained and taught some commands. Nevertheless, looking on the other part, these may also be symptoms of distress. They can be indications that the dog has separation anxiety.
Here are 5 tips to help ease separation anxiety in your dog.
- Take Him for a Brisk Walk
You can take your dog on a brisk walk before you leave for work. To make the walk more tiring you can use a dog backpack with extra weight. Give your dog natural energy drinks and fresh water after your walk. This will help you leave your calm and relaxed mode while you are away.
- Don’t Pamper Him Unnecessarily
Remember not to pamper your dog when you leave for the day or when you return. This way, you make your dog feel that this is an everyday process that is happening. It’s nothing to get anxious about!
- Show Positivity
Don’t leave your house with those nervous, guilty and concerned feelings when you leave for work. Instead, show the confident energy of a pack leader and let your dog know that everything is going to be fine. A calm and assertive leader can ease separation anxiety in dogs.
- Calming Aids
You can also consider helping out your pet with some approved calming aids. It is very important that you get the solution which is approved by your dog’s vet as they are very easy to find. This is critical as different canines have various systems and they are affected distinctly. Some popular products are the adaptil collar or adaptil spray, which eases anxiety issues and helps stay dogs calm and relaxed.
- Behavior Modification
Behavior modification will be dependent on you. You will need to teach your dog to relax in a variety of environmental settings. Don’t give too much attention or pamper your dog when it’s experiencing fear or panic; the dog may interpret this as a reward for his behavior. Stay calm and never reinforce the fear reaction. Never punish your dog if you suspect your dog’s unusual behavior is caused due to fear, phobia, or anxiety. Homeopet anxiety supplements such as Homeopet Anxiety relief is very much useful for challenging situations like separation.
To decrease the likelihood of the fearful behavior, expose your dog to a variety of social situations and environments when they are young puppies. If your dog doesn’t get exposure to social gatherings and outings until 14 weeks of age then puppies and dogs may become habitually fearful. Make sure you encourage your dog to mingle with other pets and eradicate these fears from an early age.