Posted by dognutter | Posted in Dog Supply | Posted on 21-08-2010
Tags: dog separation anxiety, dog separation anxiety cure, dog separation anxiety training
Many of us know the heartbreaking sound of our dogs barking and howling when we leave them home alone. Some of them ruin your furniture or get into things that are life threatening. My own dogs have gotten into prescription medications and ended up at the vet costing more money and heartache. I would like to share with you the dog separation anxiety training that worked for me and my dogs.
The first thing you can do is to not make a big deal about leaving and returning. Be sure to practice leaving and returning. Make sure you exit and enter for varied periods of time, going through the same motions you would go through for a two minute outing as you would if you were going away for ten hours. This way your dogs will never know if you are gone for a five minutes or eight hours. This is the most important aspect of the dog separation anxiety cure.
When you return be sure to take no notice of the dog, showing them that it is not big deal that you were away. Once they have calmed down you can give them a brief praise. Do not reward excitement.
The next most important thing you can do to cure separation anxiety in dogs is keep them occupied when you are away. The thing that works best for me is a Kong stuffed with things your dog really wants, their dinner, applesauce, blueberries, or whatever treats your dog likes best. I like to use a mix of wet and dry ingredients and freeze the kong so that it takes them a long time to work at getting through the contents. This way they get a mental workout and might even take a little nap while you are away.
In order to cure separation anxiety in dogs do not leave the dog with access to look out the window. This may cause additional stress to the dog if he/she sees other dogs or people walking by and they feel they need to guard the house. Also leave a television on. Studies have shown that classical music is the most calming to dogs with separation anxiety.
A couple other important aspects of the dog separation anxiety cure More tips from the separation anxiety cure: purchase Rescue Remedy and put a few drops on their gums or inside ear flap about an hour before you leave. You can also get a plug-in of Dog Appeasing Pharamone (DAP) or a spray that you can spray on their bed or on a bandanna around their neck to help them feel relaxed while you are out of the house.
Make sure to give your dog plenty of exercise physically and mentally every day. Dogs who do not get out of their back yard and house are not having their needs met and may have built up energy that comes out as anxiety. A minimum twenty to thirty-minute walk just about every day is a great way to help them meet their physical requirement to roam with their pack. If you have an energetic dog you may need to bike or jog to help cure separation anxiety in dogs
Equally as important is to integrate a mental workout into your everyday life. Dogs need to be challenged mentally as well as physically. Take an obedience course so that you can build a deeper connection with your anxious dog. Training with your dog can be just as tiring (if not more) than physical exercise and is a great way to build your connection!
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