Separation anxiety in dogs is a really common issue that occurs when owners leave their dog alone for extended periods of time. It can result in a variety of behaviours such as barking, whining, destructive behaviours, and much more.
It’s important to understand and stress that these dog behaviours are not intentional, but are a result of your dog’s severe fear and anxiety. This anxiety is far more likely to appear in a less confident dog . However luckily, there are a wide range of tips and techniques that can be used to help reduce the severity of anxiety in dogs.
Ultimately, with the right combination of care and training, many dogs should be able to feel more comfortable and secure when you leave the house. In this post, we take a quick look at some common ways to decrease separation anxiety and other separation related behaviours in your dog. Read on to learn more, and if you need puppy separation anxiety and dog’s separation anxiety training in Glasgow, get in touch with Pawsitive Solutions today.
Provide Lots of Mental and Physical Stimulation
Typically, most dogs who are prone to experiencing separation anxiety usually benefit from a stimulating environment in which they are kept constantly engaged and stimulated. A great way to provide your dog with physical and mental stimulation is to include lots of exercise and physical activity in their daily schedule.
Exercise can reduce the stress and your dog’s anxiety. What’s more, you can also stimulate your dog with different toys and playtime with you, the owner. Playing with your dogs tend to reduce their boredom and give them something to focus on other than their anxiety.
Help Your Dog Build Coping Skills
Another way to help reduce separation anxiety in your dog is to teach it coping skills and how to better deal with stress. Other dogs who suffer from symptoms of separation anxiety usually need assistance with learning how to cope with being away from their owners. They need to be left on their own for short periods so they learn you will return. Teach separation ideally at an early age to avoid issues later.
There are few things that you can do, as an owner, to help improve your dog’s coping skills. For example, teach specific techniques for coping with anxiety such as sitting in their bed and not your knee for short periods during the day. Stop them following you everywhere around your home.
Provide Consistent Leadership
In addition to this, you need to give your adult dog proper leadership and guidance. This can be done through consistent verbal and physical reinforcement of good dog’s behavior, as well as setting clear rules and boundaries. You must be consistent with the implementation of any rules and boundaries
When you give your dog constant leadership and attention, it will help them to become more comfortable in their personal environment, and equip them with the confidence to cope better when left alone.
We Teach you How to Help your Dog to Cope with Separation Anxiety
Teaching your dog to separate from you for short periods is a brilliant way to reduce the level of anxiety that your dog currently experiences. Ideally, you should begin this training at a young age, as it will teach your dog to become more comfortable with being left alone for short periods of time.
Here at Pawsitive Solutions, we are a leading dog trainer in Glasgow providing the best dog behavioural service in the area, as well as across Dunbartonshire, Falkirk, Renfrewshire, Ayrshire and Lanarkshire. Our experienced dog trainers can work with your dog to improve its behaviour and say goodbye to separation anxiety.
If you’d like to learn more about our dog training in Glasgow, then please contact us today on 07842 050 998 or email us at enquiries@pawsitivesolutions.com and we’ll get back to you as quickly as possible.