Tuesday, May 17, 2016

What Causes Separation Anxiety In Dogs ?

By Walt Jensen


Many dog owners are afraid to leave their dogs alone, because their dogs can bark, howl, chew things they shouldn't and other bad behavior because they do not like being left alone.

When a dog starts drooling or showing signs of anxiety before you leave your home, these are not signs of a poorly trained dog. They are signs that they could have separation anxiety, and get upset when their owners leave them alone. Leaving them alone will make them do things that they normally wouldn't do in your presence.

Separation anxiety in dogs can cause them to try and escape. This means they will try and get out of the room they are in, which can cause injury and or household destruction, especially with windows and doors. If you see your dog getting agitated or anxious before you leave, or even depressed before you go, your dog suffers from separation anxiety and sometimes will try and prevent their guardians from leaving.

If you close the door and get into your car and hear that your dog is barking or howling, this is a distress signal they they might have separation anxiety and are upset with you leaving. If your dog treats you as if it has been years since they last saw you, this could be another sign. Listed below are some of the common separation anxiety in dogs symptoms.

Chewing, digging or destruction is a very good sign that your dog suffers from separation anxiety, and they can hurt themselves in the process. They can chew on door frames and window sills, and dig at doorways. The damage they obtain from this behavior is broken teeth, damaged nails and scraped paws.

Dogs can persistently howl or bark when left alone because they are upset you left them. Another sign of separation anxiety in dogs is pacing. Thia is when your dog is trotting along a specific path, either in a circle or a straight line. When your dog paces in your presence, then it is most likely not a separation anxiety issue.

There is no conclusive evidence why your dog suffers from separation anxiety, but it seems that those dogs that come from shelters have separation anxiety than a dog that was raised by a single family from when it was a puppy. The loos of a special person or persons in their life could be the deciding factor into this issue.

If your dog is bored when you are gone, that could be a reason for separation anxiety in dogs, or a change in their schedule or where they live can upset them enough that they become very anxious when left alone.

You can treat mild separation anxiety in dogs by a technique called counterconditioning, which is a treatment process that changes the animal's aggressive, anxious or fearful reaction to being pleasant and relaxed. You can accomplish this by associating the sight of a disliked person or thing with something that the dog enjoys.




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