Medication For Curing Dog Separation Anxiety Quickly
As separation anxiety is a psychological issue rather than a medical concern, there is not a specialist prescription medication that will cure it overnight. What may be worth investigating, however, is medication to help with general anxious behavior in a particularly skittish dog.
Speak to your vet before making a decision on this front, as every dog will have different needs based on their breed, temperament, size, weight, and symptoms. Medication should only really be a last resort before taking this path, also trying picking up an anxiety vest from a pet store.
Encourage Your Pet To Relax During Their Alone Time
Try to take your dog for a walk before you go out so that they have the opportunity to go to the toilet and exercise. Return half an hour before you plan to leave and make sure they’re not hungry. You can feed them a small meal before you leave or leave a food toy – your dog will be much more inclined to relax if they’re fed!
Exercise Your Dog Before Departure
A tired dog is a calm dog. Exercising at least 30 minutes before departure will relax your dog and divert its attention to food and sleep.
Below is a useful video guide for the best workouts you and your dog can do together:
If you dont have time to go outside, watch this video for tips on how to exercise your dog inside the house:
Read Also: What Essential Oils Are Good For Anxiety
Shop For Anxiety Treatment Pet Supplies
Get a KONG toy which will entertain your pup by engaging them to work for a treat. A dog swaddling jacket can also help ease your pups anxiety by applying constant gentle pressure to their body. Another helpful dog-interactive toy is the Petcube Bites 2, which allows you to fling treats to your dog. Check out other anxiety treatment pet supplies.
Change Your Leaving Routine
You most likely do the same things when leaving your house:
- You put on your shoes
- You put on your jacket or coat
- You grab your purse
- You look for your keys
- You walk the same path in the house
- You walk out the door
While you are trying the other options of this article, consider making some changes to the routine above so that your dog doesn’t associate you doing these things and you leaving the house.
For example, you may put on your coat 15 minutes before leaving. You may place your keys in your purse and not jingle them. You may also use a different door to go out.
Don’t Miss: Can Anxiety Come Out Of Nowhere
What Is Separation Anxiety In Dogs
As the name suggests, it stems from fear, worry, and distress about being removed from the company of their owner. Its particularly prevalent in puppies and younger dogs, but it can also manifest in older canines that have been adopted or rescued.
In short, it is a fear from your dog that you are going to leave them and not come back. Its essential that you build a mutual trust with your canine companion. This will ensure that they understand that, if youre leaving them at home, its for a good reason and you will be returning ideally with treats.
A dog that suffers from this condition will be distressed, destructive and potentially dangerous to himself or herself if left home alone for any period of time. Its a condition that needs to be managed and dealt with as quickly as possible, for both your sake and that of your dog.
Why Punishment Wont Help
It is natural for owners to be angry or disappointed if they return to find damage to their home, mess in the house or annoyed neighbours. Sensing that their owners are upset with them, many dogs will display appeasement behaviour their ears may go flat, their body may be lowered and their tail may go between their legs. Some will look away and narrowing their eyes, as if they are cringing .
Appeasement behaviour is often misinterpreted as guilt, and mistakenly some owners believe the dog knows what they have done is wrong. They may feel that any damage caused or mess in the house has been done on purpose or out of spite for being left alone. Unfortunately, this may mean that the dog is punished in an attempt to stop the behaviour.
Dogs that look guilty are doing nothing more than responding to an owners disappointment, upset or anger and it is their way of diffusing tension in response to feeling threatened. Some dogs will also do this if they think they are about to be told off if they have been so in the past.
Any punishment given on returning home wont help stop the problem. Dogs associate punishment with what they are doing at that moment in time and so a dog will not link the telling off with their actions before their owner came home, even if they are taken over to the scene of the crime. It is not that they cannot remember what happened they just wont be able to make a connection between the punishment and something they did hours ago.
Don’t Miss: How To Deal With Separation Anxiety In Dogs
Dog Separation Anxiety At Night
Even the calmest and sensible dog can become a nervous wreck if expected to sleep alone at night. Again, this depends entirely on your particular dog, and their personal experiences.
- If you have taken a puppy home, its a lot to take in for them not only are they in a new home, but theyre used to sleeping in a pile with their siblings, possibly snuggled up to their mum for extra warmth. Suddenly theyre supposed to sleep entirely alone when theyre at their most vulnerable?
- If you have adopted a dog from a shelter, they may have spent every night sleeping beside or at the feet of their previous owner. If you have a strict no dogs policy in your own bed or bedroom, they may find it very distressing to have to sleep alone.
- Likewise, your dog may also have been stray at some time in their life if you have adopted them from a shelter. This would mean they would have formed a pack for safety, and been forced to stay very alert throughout the night. Forcing your dog to sleep alone may contradict every instinct and learned behavior they know of.
It can be tricky to conquer separation anxiety at night with a new dog, especially if they are not yet housetrained, but its very important. Having said this, bedtime routines may be the one occasion that you can cave into a dogs demands for your company. It may be better for all concerned that way.
Concluding Rescue Dog Separation Anxiety
Having a dog with separation anxiety is stressful for both the dog and their human. But there are things you can do to help your dog. And one of the best things you can do to help is to stay calm and non reactive when they are stressed. Be matter of fact, set up a routine for your dog with a few comfort items. Once they know you are coming back to them they will in time get a less stressed and anxious!
You May Like: How To Get Rid Of Relationship Anxiety
Tips To Comfort Pets With Separation Anxiety
Big changes in routine, like the transition from summer break to the school year in the fall, can cause separation anxiety in dogs and cats. Separation anxiety is a common behavior disorder affecting dogs worldwide. Twenty to 40 percent of dogs presented to veterinary behavioral specialists suffer from this disorder. Dogs with separation anxiety often express their emotional distress in destructive, loud, and inconvenient ways. Dogs who suffer from separation anxiety are emotionally distressed and anxious when their person leaves, even if just for a short time. This emotional distress can be taxing on the animals wellbeing, which is why it is important to consult your veterinarian on ways to alleviate their anxiety.
How To Handle A More Severe Problem
Use the techniques outlined above along with desensitization training. Teach your dog the sit-stay and down-stay commands using positive reinforcement. This training will help them learn that they can remain calmly and happily in one place while you go to another room.
Exercise and mental stimulation are critical to reducing anxiety and stress. Be sure your dog receives adequate exercise before you leave. Walking the same city block each day wont reduce anxiety, but sniffing and exploring new places will.
Create a “safe place” to limit your dog’s ability to be destructive while youre away. A safe place should:
- Confine the dog loosely .
- Contain busy toys for distraction.
- Have dirty laundry to lend a calming scent cue or other safety cues.
Read Also: Can Anxiety Cause Balance Problems
How Do I Know If My Dog Has Separation Anxiety
Destructive behavior, accidents around the house, and excessive vocalization are the telltale signs of separation anxiety in dogs.
However, these signs can be triggered by other behavioral issues. Here is a thorough review of them and how to differentiate between separation anxiety and other issues:
- Submissive or Excitement Urination. Some dogs may urinate when overstimulated for example, when they see you getting home after a long day out. In this case, urination is not a sign of separation anxiety as it typically occurs in the dog owners presence.
- Incomplete House Training. If your dog is not properly potty trained, it should not come as a surprise that it has accidents around the house. In these cases, house soiling is not caused by separation anxiety it is the result of incomplete house training.
- Urine Marking. Dogs say what is theirs through what is referred to as territorial marking. Youll recognize territorial marking by the small amount of urine often left in several areas of the house .
- Destructive Behavior. Dogs crave mental stimulation. If left alone for long periods of time, they will find entertainment on their own. In most cases, dog entertainment includes destroying something chewing, digging, scratching, etc.
- Excessive Vocalization. Unfamiliar sights and sounds can lead to excessive barking and howling. These bouts of vocalized anxiety are often caused by the fear of the unknown, such as the mailman or a siren, not by actual .
My Dog Is Vomiting Due To Separation Anxiety
Some dogs may get themselves so upset and wound up by their separation anxiety that they literally howl themselves sick. Vomiting is relatively common in dogs after they overeat and is nothing to worry about in that instance, but in the case of separation anxiety, it should be taken seriously.
Not only is there a risk that your dog will eat their own vomit, making themselves sick all over again, but your dog will also be at risk of risk of dehydration. Of course, this also ignores the fact that your dog has grown so upset that they have vomited that cant be considered a good thing by any standards.
Don’t Miss: Can Prozac Help With Anxiety
Try Stimulating Pet Puzzles & Games
Puzzle feedersare a great way to reduce anxiety and keep your pet mentally stimulated. Pour half of their recommended daily amount of food into the puzzle feeder each morning and then refill each evening. Your pet will spend the day busy and engaged, which can ease feelings of anxiety.
Other options are to hide small portions of dry cat ordog foodand leave them in bowls around the house.
Measure out the amount you want to feed every day and then divide it into smaller portions hidden around the house, says Purina feeding behavior scientist Dr. Annie Valuska, PhD. This hide-and-seek game isparticularly beneficial for cats, as it spurs their hunting instincts and keeps them busy and active throughout the day.
Many pet owners understand the importance of physical exercise for their pets, but mental exercise is just as important. The more we can do to keep our pets minds active, the better, explains Dr. McGowan.
Resources And Products To Help With Separation Anxiety
There are tons of great resources and products to arm yourself with when taking on separation anxiety. Interactive toys like Kongs, snuffle mats, or food puzzles can keep your dog engaged for a while. Calming aids like treats with L-Theanine and melatonin or weighted blankets can also help.
When in doubt, look to resources like the American Kennel Club, the ASPCA, and the Humane Society for trustworthy information. And be aware that while these suggestions may help, they shouldn’t be substituted for actual training or advice.
Featured Video For YouMove over, Boston Dynamics. You can build your own tiny robo-dog now.
UPDATE: Mar. 1, 2022, 12:00 p.m. EST This story has been updated to add additional context from Dodman and to reflect Carly Loyer’s complete title. An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported the ASPCA’s statistic 23 million dogs and cats, not just dogs, were acquired during the pandemic. This story has also been updated to correctly spell Nicholas Dodman’s name.
Don’t Miss: Does Anxiety Cause Memory Loss
Training For Curing Dog Separation Anxiety Quickly
Training is essential for putting a stop to dog separation anxiety. The sooner you do so, the sooner your dog will become more comfortable being left alone. If youre looking for a fast response from Fido, take some time off work and concentrate on the task at hand.
Here is some advice on building trust and putting a stop to dog separation anxiety.
Change Your Going Away Signals
Use a different door, put your coat on but dont leave for 15 minutes, leave your keys/purse/shoes in a different location. The goal is to break your dogs association of these actions with your departure and not let them trigger separation anxiety. When you leave, give your dog a treat or a toy to play with to distract them. Calming treats for dogs can be used as a short-term remedy for separation anxiety. They will also teach your pooch that being alone is not scary and create positive associations with your departure.
Read Also: What Can Stress And Anxiety Cause
Before You Leave The House Take Your Dog For A Walk
Start your day by taking your dog for a brisk walk. To make the walk even more rigorous, use a dog backpack with extra weight in it. Then reward your dogs calm-submissive energy with food and water. Some dogs may need to rest before eating, but all dogs can benefit from hydration. The idea is to leave your dog in quiet, resting mode while you are away.
Take Your Dog For Walks
Taking your dog for walks is a great way to help them ease their separation anxiety symptoms, as well as maintain a healthy weight and lower their blood pressure. Walking is not only good for your dogs health, but it can be a great way to bond with your pet as well. People are not the only ones who benefit from a regular exercise routine. Like humans, pets with an excess of energy can also become more anxious, so keeping your dogs energy levels managed with regular exercise is an important measure to take.
You May Like: How To Work With Anxiety
Remember You’re Not Alone
“The most important thing is to get your ducks in a row in terms of who you can lean on,” said Shoshi Parks, a professional dog trainer who specializes in separation anxiety. “Whether that’s a dog care provider you trust that can walk your dog, or a doggy daycare that you can bring them to, or a trusted friend or neighbor that you can drop the dog off when you need to be somewhere.”
Having a dog with separation anxiety can be daunting, so look to family and friends for support when you need them. Parks also wants dog owners to know that training can be flexible and tailored to fit particular lifestyles, so getting help for your dog’s separation anxiety doesn’t mean overhauling your entire life. “They can really do it on their own time, and that it really only takes a commitment of about 30 minutes a day.”
What Can I Do About My Dogs Separation Anxiety
Its exhausting to come home to destruction and upsetting to see your puppy in such distress. Its even more devastating for your dog. Thankfully, there are several steps you can take to deal with SA. The Tufts Animal Behavior Clinic states the goal of treatment is to resolve the dogs underlying anxiety by teaching him to enjoy, or at least tolerate, being left alone. So some of the treatments are the same as the preventative measures and may already be part of your puppys routine. But consider all of them as you tackle SA. Look at the following methods of treatment:
1. Crate TrainingIt bears repeating that a crate is your dogs friend and your ally. Its an important training tool and the solution for many puppy challenges. It isnt cruel or unhealthy if used appropriately. Instead, it can provide your pup with a safe, quiet place to relax. The trick is to teach him to associate his crate with wonderful things like chew toys and food-releasing puzzle toys so hes happy to spend time inside. Some dogs feel safer and more comfortable in their crate when left alone. However, other dogs can panic. Watch your puppys behavior to see if he settles right down or if the anxiety symptoms ramp up. Remember, the goal is not to crate your dog all day, every day as a solution to his SA. Its to keep him and your house safe while you teach him to enjoy being alone.
You May Like: How To Deal With Social Anxiety Disorder