Network For Animals Logo
Network For Animals Logo
  • Home
  • Where we take action
  • News
  • About
  • Contact
Menu
  • Home
  • Where we take action
  • News
  • About
  • Contact
Donate now
  • Where we take action
    • Campaigns
      • Ukraine Crisis
      • Cats In Crisis
      • Disaster Relief
      • Dogs In Distress
      • Equine Care & Rescue
      • Seals
      • Worldwide Donkey Crisis
    • Testimonials
  • News
  • About
  • Contact
  • Donate
Menu
  • Where we take action
    • Campaigns
      • Ukraine Crisis
      • Cats In Crisis
      • Disaster Relief
      • Dogs In Distress
      • Equine Care & Rescue
      • Seals
      • Worldwide Donkey Crisis
    • Testimonials
  • News
  • About
  • Contact
  • Donate

How to Ease Your Dog’s Separation Anxiety

  • February 24, 2021
  • News
Ease Your Dog's Separation Anxiety

Does your happy-go-lucky dog turn into a bundle of nerves every time you leave him alone? He may be suffering from separation anxiety.

If your pooch scratches or chews your furniture or barks and howls frantically in your absence, there may be more to his behavior than just boredom alone.

Separation anxiety in dogs is one of the biggest reasons good dogs turn into furry troublemakers when you’re not around.

While it’s not fully understood why some dogs suffer from separation anxiety and others don’t, it helps for owners to learn calming techniques to ease and treat anxiety in their dogs so departures can be less traumatic for both of you.

Here are five tried and tested methods dog behaviorists recommend for helping ease your best friend’s separation anxiety:

1. Don’t leave your dog alone for too long
Yes, your dog can learn to be alone for part of the day, but he really shouldn’t be left alone for longer than six to eight hours at a time. Dogs are pack animals and being left without their pack (aka you) is traumatic even for the most independent pooch. Try and find a way to structure your day so that your four-legged friend has company for the most part, even if it means asking a friend or a relative to pop by or considering a doggy daycare service for when you’re away.

2. Break triggers and associations
You know the drill: It’s time to go to work, so you put on your jacket, grab your car keys, and unlock the door. Your dog knows the drill too – and soon associates your daily routine with your imminent department. Try and mix things up a bit. When you leave home, give your dog a treat or a toy to play with to distract them. Use a different door to exit and try not to stick to the same routine every day.

3. Don’t make parting such sweet sorrow
Guilt is a real thing, especially when you know your dog becomes particularly anxious when you leave. Sometimes pet owners become emotional when leaving their dog and overexcited when they return. By paying too much attention to your departure and return, you risk reinforcing your dog’s fear of your absence. Calmly say goodbye and leave. When you come back, quietly say hello.

4. Let him know you’ll be back
Once your dog realizes that the whole world won’t come crashing down just because you’re not around all the time, their stress levels will drop. The best way to help your dog is to show them that even if you leave the room, it doesn’t mean that you’re gone forever. Tell your pooch to stay in a room by themselves while you go to a different part of the house. If your dog has severe separation anxiety, start with small 5-10 second intervals and work up to 20-30 minutes over several weeks.

5. Create personal space for your dog
Give your dog space. Having an area within your home where your dog can enjoy his time without you can help ease their anxiety when you’re away. Items that have your scent, such as an old T-shirt that you’ve slept in recently, for example, can help your dog relax and remember that you will come back.

If none of the above works, consult with your veterinarian about other options to reduce your dog’s anxiety. Your vet may prescribe anti-anxiety medications or point you in the direction of a doggie behavior specialist who can assist.

By supporting our work, you are reaching out with caring hands to stop animal abuse

Please donate now
Stay up to date

Stay up to date

Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on whatsapp

WATCH: Eva’s Happily-ever-after! From A Terrifying Township To A Fabulous Fur-ever Home

Little Eva was just 7 weeks old when she was rescued from the South African township of Philippi by our partner TEARS. We didn’t know

16 May 2022

Good News Update: The Animals Of APA El Refugio Get New Kennels – And A New Home!

Back in February, we told you about our partner, the APA El Refugio shelter in Uruguay, which had been destroyed by a terrible fire soon

9 May 2022

Celebrate World Donkey Day With Network for Animals

World Donkey Day honors the resilience of this humble animal. Gentle donkeys often face unspeakable brutality and it is imperative that we raise the awareness

8 May 2022

Your Donations In ACTION: April 2022

It has been more than two months since conflict broke out in Ukraine and in all this time, we have been working without rest to

1 May 2022

Help us fight cruelty to animals around the world

Click here to donate

Network for Animals

Network for Animals is a non-government, international animal welfare organization crusading for animals around the world.

© Network for Animals
Privacy policy

Campaigns

Cats In Crisis Disaster Relief Dogs In Distress Equine Care & Rescue Seals Ukraine Crisis Worldwide Donkey Crisis

Stay up to date

Receive our regular emails about our campaigns for animals around the world.

Sign up

Sign up to our newsletter

Contact us

UK: +44 (0)20 8471 7666
USA: +1 727 599 8148
South Africa: + 27 21 794 9149
+ 264 81 653186

info@networkforanimals.org

Facebook-f Twitter Youtube Instagram Linkedin
Subscribe

Sign up to our newsletter

This website uses cookies to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT
Powered by CookieYes Logo