Separation Anxiety in Dogs

How to help a dog with separation anxiety

Separation Anxiety In Dogs

A Study on Separation Anxiety in Dogs

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dog separation anxiety cure study

I recently came across a study on separation anxiety in dogs

conducted by A. L. Podberscek, Y. Hsu and J. A. Serpell titled ‘Evaluation of clomiprimine as an adjunct to behavioural therapy in the treatment of separation-related problems in dogs’ (ie dog separation anxiety). I found this article very interesting because it supports everything about curing dog separation anxiety that I have shared on this website. As you know if you have read my blog and followed me on Facebook, I am not an advocate for using prescription medications to cure dog separation anxiety. I much prefer natural methods of calming mixed with positive dog training.

In a study of fourty-nine dogs showing signs of separation-related problems (dog separation anxiety) the researchers found that: ‘The typical signs of separation-related behaviour problems were not significantly affected by treatment with clomipramine, but behavioural therapy on its own was highly effective in reducing behavioural problems.’

I find this very interesting and great news for dogs! This means less of them have to be on un-needed and hard dog separation anxiety drugs!

The research is all there so don’t wait to start training your dog to help cure his or her dog separation anxiety! Check out our dog separation anxiety cure program to start helping your dog today.

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Happy Dog Training,
Sarah & Manchego the Anxious Dog

3 Dog Separation Anxiety Cure Tips for Thanksgiving

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Well, it’s just about that time of year again where humans get to eat yummy tasty turkey and us poor dogs don’t get ANY! We get tortured smelling it all day but never get to eat it. Some dogs get left home alone even with their dog separation anxiety while their owners go out and eat dinner with family and friends. It’s just not fair!

Here are a few quick tips to help your dog with separation anxiety on Thanksgiving

Dog Separation Anxiety Cure Tip One

Remember to leave the lights on. This isn’t something that often gets mentioned or even thought of but when I was a puppy I got left in the dark and it really scared me! That was why I destroyed my friend Ipa’s carpet! Remember that it gets dark earlier this time of the year so even if you leave the house when it is light out if you have a dog with separation anxiety you should turn the lights off before you leave.

Dog Separation Anxiety Cure Tip Two

Try a little TTouch or massage to calm your dog before you leave. My owner recently learned about Tellington TTouch and how it can help to calm an anxious dog. She said we are going to do a post about it later but you can learn more about it on the TTouch Website. She has been doing TTouch on me and my sister Brie and trust me your dog is going to LOVE it!

Dog Separation Anxiety Cure Tip Three

Of course I’m not going to leave out the most important part… A stuffed Kong! Check out our recipe for Turkey Dinner Stuffed Kongs from last year! When the Kongs are taken out at my house I am so excited that I go and wait on my bed. I don’t even care that I am going to be left alone, its not even a big deal because the only time I get such good treats is when I get left home alone. That’s worth staying home alone isn’t it?!

Have a safe, happy and Dog Separation Anxiety Free Thanksgiving with all of your friends and family!

Woof Woof!
Manchego the Anxious Dog

3 Signs It’s Time to Hire a Certified Dog Trainer for Your Dog’s Separation Anxiety

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I hope that our tips here are helping you and you with your dog separation anxiety but sometimes you need to call in the big guns! A positively focuses professionally certified dog trainer will be able to observer your dog’s behaviors and help you find the root cause of the dog separation anxiety.

Here are a three signs that you need backup to help a dog with separation anxiety:

1. Your dog’s separation anxiety is causing physical harm on a regular basis.

If you dog’s separation anxiety is making him hurt himself frequently and you have tired many of the tips on this site then you will need to hire a professional trainer. It is important to keep your dog safe and if he is causing physical harm and all of your attempts to give them a safe place have failed then it is time to call in a professional dog trainer.

2. You have tried training and your dog’s separation anxiety appears to be getting worse, not better.

If you are doing everything that should be dong and the dog separation anxiety keeps getting worse then there might be something that you are missing. Calling in a professional dog training might be a good idea because sometimes someone that is not close to the situation can see it from a different perspective and offer you help.

3. You feel hopeless about the situation.

Training dogs with separation anxiety can be very frustrating. If you are flustered your dogs will be able to sense it. Most of the time dog trainers help humans more than they help the dogs and it might be worthwhile to get a dog trainer to help you with the dog separation anxiety training in order to give you the moral support that you need.

Dog separation anxiety is a serious problem that can be very emotionally difficult on both you and your dog. In order to help a dog with separation anxiety it is sometimes necessary to get the help of a professional dog trainer.

Woof Woof!
Manchego the Anxious Dog

No, your dog is NOT getting back at your or mad… he has dog separation anxiety!

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I recently overheard a conversation that my owner was having with another dog owner. The person said if they come home and then leave right away their dog gets mad at them and decides to dig in his outside kennel or if he is inside he will tear things apart and chew on them just to get back at them. The person thinks that the dog is ‘getting back at him’ because he is mad that he came home and left right away.

This is an owner of a one year old dog who is used to a routine, when he finally gets a human around he is so happy and gets over-excited and then when they immediately leave him home alone again he has all of that balled up excited energy and no where to use it except destruction. The dog is not getting back at the owner or even mad at the owner he is exhibiting the signs of dog separation anxiety.

Just because a dog may not always have dog separation anxiety they can have it at times like this.

It may not be true separation anxiety but I would consider it a form of separation anxiety because the solution is the same. This person’s dog would have probably been less destructive if he had been let out of the kenel for five minutes to play ball to burn some energy and excitement and then given a stuffed Kong to give him something to mentally stimulate him and distract him from his owner leaving again so soon.

My owners did this just yesterday. They had to go out and run some errands, then they came home for only ten minutes. My sister and me were so excited to see them! They let us out to go to the bathroom and play a few mintues to burn our excitement off and then put us back in our safe room with a frozen Kong and left us home alone again. Guess what, we were fine!

Please don’t assume that your dog is feeling anger, spite or vengeance. These are human emotions and not animal emotions. It is more likely frustration and anxiety which is easy to help your dog cope with.

Woof!
Manchego the Anxious Dog

Four Steps to Help You Dog with Back to School Dog Separation Anxiety Blues

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Dog separation anxiety can develop when kids go back to school.My owners don’t have kids (that is my cousin in the picture with me) but I’ve heard from other dogs that when their little friends go back to school the house gets really quiet and they don’t have anyone left to play with during the days. For some dogs this can cause a mild form of dog separation anxiety. The change in routine can make dogs feel depressed, lonely or maybe they feel like they just don’t know what to expect.

I doubt that your kids going back to school will cause massively destructive behavior but it still can effect sensitive dogs. If you have a dog with this problem there are a few things that you can do to get him or her through the dog separation anxiety that they might experience during the first few weeks that the kids are back to school.

Four Tips to Help Dog Separation Anxiety
Back to School Blues:

    1. Make extra time for your dog:

      Take him or her on an extra walk or take a few minutes a couple times throughout the day to play ball or frizbee. Your dog will appreciate the extra time you spend with him or her and will have less energy to worry about where the kids have gone.

    2. Add an extra activity to the schedule:

      Of course some of you have to work so why not drop your dog off at a doggie daycare while you are away or have a dog-walker come in for an extra walk while you are away. This will help break up the day and give your dog an exciting distraction from the fact that the kids are no longer home 24/7.

    3. Give your dog an extra treat:

      We all like an extra snack or treat, so why not give your dog a stuffed frozen KONG with his favorite recipe? Or maybe a raw bone to tire him or her out. When dog’s chew on bones they release endorphines that help them relax and what better way to distract them from the kids being away?

    4. Buy a new and exciting toy:

      Considder getting a new interactive toy for your dog. I really like toys that you can put treats in and then work on figuring out how to get them out.
      Two of my favorite toys are the Tug-A-Jug and the Busy Buddy toys from Primere Pet!

Remember, a change in routine can cause a dog’s separation anxiety to come back, even if you have helped him or her get over dog separation anxiety before. Try to give your dog some distractions to help them focus on things other than their separation anxiety and to build their confidence and sense of well-being.

Woof!
Manchego the Anxious Dog