Dog Separation Anxiety:

Some people equate it to a baby being separated from their mother so dog separation anxiety is not unlike that very situation. When a puppy is sold, essentially it’s being separated from its mother, siblings, and surroundings. This results in a state of anxiety.

During this period of dog separation anxiety, the puppy yearns for something tranquil, someone who is always available to nurture. It’s a delicate balancing act: as the responsible pet owner you want to provide your pup with the love and attention it needs. On the other hand, you need to create an environment which fosters independence to reduce dog separation anxiety.

In fact, the “wrong” amounts of dog separation anxiety, meaning an unhealthy balance such as dogs which give birth to a large amount of offspring tend to generate an environment where dogs are awake a lot, sleep very little, they don’t get along well with other dogs and may end up biting. As such, when they’re scolded, they don’t necessarily know what they’ve done wrong.

Eighty percent of a dog’s adult behavior has been learned when it was an infant. The beginning years are crucial to developing a healthy adult dog as well as reducing dog separation anxiety. Consider this: dogs with separation anxiety need your help. You can help them during the initial adjustment period. Be in command and ensure he responds to your commands such as for food, attention, etc. This will calm him down but be sure to positively reinforce the behavior and let Fido know that you’re the one in charge.

Dog separation anxiety also references space. Sure, it’s nice to feel loved and your dog will want to be close to you, touching you, sitting on you or near you at every waking moment. This is too much. You’ll need to create the separation yourself: your dog needs his own space. Whether it’s a dog bed or his own blanket and toys, it’s important to give him meals and treats in his space, not yours. Let him enjoy his peaceful dog bed and realize that you may be inadvertently contributing to dog separation anxiety. Create space for him to be independent.

Trust us: this doesn’t mean you love him any less!
Another way to reduce dog separation anxiety is to teach your dog. Find new ways to spend valuable time with your dog; time that doesn’t involve you at his side. In fact, developing a confident dog entails daily, interactive training sessions which will only strengthen the communication you have with your dog.

At Ben’s Bark Ave. Bistro, nothing is more important than your pets’ health and well being.