Separation anxiety in dogs is a really common thing, and at the moment, having been in lockdown for nearly 3 months in the UK, more and more of us are going to experience separation anxiety in our dogs as we gradually go back into the office or just out and about as the country opens up.
Our dogs have been so used to having us around for the past few months that they might find the transition of us having more freedom outside of the house hard, and this can take place in many forms.
Symptons of Separation Anxiety in Dogs
How To Help Your Dog Get Used To Being Left Alone
Take them for a walk before you intend to leave. This serves a few purposes, one being that it physically tires them out so that they are likely to fall asleep quicker once you’ve left the house. Taking your dog for a walk will also get the outdoors out of their system a little bit so that they might be less inclined to want to go with you.
Don’t make such a fuss when you leave the house. In fact, don’t have any contact at all. It might be hard, they might be whining as you put on your shoes, or howling as you grab your bag and coat, but in the long run, your dog will eventually realise that you will always come back and that you leaving them alone isn’t always a bad thing. The more you make a fuss, the more your dog expects it to be negative for them. Act natural!
Start off small and build it up. If you have the opportunity to go out only for small periods of time before heading back to work, make the most of it. Head out for 15-20 minutes at a time and build it up to a few hours over a period of a couple of weeks. This gets your dog used to the idea of you being gone again, without throwing them in at the deep end.
Invest in products to help. There are so many products on the market now to help ease separation anxiety in dogs, one of them being our very own Anxious Hound. This is an all-natural tonic that helps to calm and ease anxiety in a herbal fashion. You can read more about it here. Believe it or not, there are also dog-friendly podcasts that have been made specifically for dogs that are left at home and are aimed at being a soothing and comforting bit of background noise to help calm an anxious dog. Doggy cameras with a speaker function can also be a good way of checking up on your dog during the day and also allow you to talk to them so that they can hear a familiar voice.
Learn more about Anxious Hound here.
Our dogs have been so used to having us around for the past few months that they might find the transition of us having more freedom outside of the house hard, and this can take place in many forms.
Symptons of Separation Anxiety in Dogs
- They become distressed as soon as you leave, or even before you leave when you are getting ready to go.
- The dog experiences fear which can show in the form of an increased heart rate and breathing rate, an increased need to go to the toilet, panting, salivating and increased activity levels. Your dog may also whine and howl at you to try and get you to come back.
- Whilst you're out you may find that your dog has chewed something that they wouldn’t usually be interested in such as a piece of furniture or item of clothing – this is a sign of separation anxiety because it is something that carries your scent, they chew these items to form a barrier of your scent around them as a sort of security blanket.
- When you do get home your dog may excessively follow you around the house.
How To Help Your Dog Get Used To Being Left Alone
Take them for a walk before you intend to leave. This serves a few purposes, one being that it physically tires them out so that they are likely to fall asleep quicker once you’ve left the house. Taking your dog for a walk will also get the outdoors out of their system a little bit so that they might be less inclined to want to go with you.
Don’t make such a fuss when you leave the house. In fact, don’t have any contact at all. It might be hard, they might be whining as you put on your shoes, or howling as you grab your bag and coat, but in the long run, your dog will eventually realise that you will always come back and that you leaving them alone isn’t always a bad thing. The more you make a fuss, the more your dog expects it to be negative for them. Act natural!
Start off small and build it up. If you have the opportunity to go out only for small periods of time before heading back to work, make the most of it. Head out for 15-20 minutes at a time and build it up to a few hours over a period of a couple of weeks. This gets your dog used to the idea of you being gone again, without throwing them in at the deep end.
Invest in products to help. There are so many products on the market now to help ease separation anxiety in dogs, one of them being our very own Anxious Hound. This is an all-natural tonic that helps to calm and ease anxiety in a herbal fashion. You can read more about it here. Believe it or not, there are also dog-friendly podcasts that have been made specifically for dogs that are left at home and are aimed at being a soothing and comforting bit of background noise to help calm an anxious dog. Doggy cameras with a speaker function can also be a good way of checking up on your dog during the day and also allow you to talk to them so that they can hear a familiar voice.
Learn more about Anxious Hound here.
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