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Separation Anxiety in Dogs

Did you know that separation anxiety is the 2^nd most common reason why dogs are euthanized or given up by their owners?

Separation anxiety can occur in any breed and at any age.

Dogs can react to a lack of exercise and or the stress of being separated from their "pack member(s)" by becoming destructive, barking continuously, or eliminating in the house. The degrees can vary, and your dog may only do one, or perhaps all of the behaviors. You may see personality changes in your pet as well. He may become aggressive, or shy. He may become depressed and can even make himself sick. They may begin to chew on parts of their own body. Our neighbor's German Shepherd chewed on his tail so much that it had to be amputated. He had recently lost his favorite "pack member" and obviously didn't have another strong enough pack leader, to take its place. My own rescued schnauzer, perfect as she is, will occasionally dump out our garbage and spread it all through the house. This too, although it does not happen often, is separation anxiety because it only happens when we leave the house.

In order to stop our dogs from having separation anxiety, we first need to understand what is causing it. There are two reasons this can be occurring...

1. The number one cause of separation anxiety is a humans lack of leadership. We humans more often than not, tend to treat our fellow canine family members like humans. In a pack, the leader is allowed to leave, however, the followers never leave the leader. If your dog is instinctually seeing you as their follower and you leave him, it causes so much mental anguish that a dog often takes it out on your house or himself. The dog sees itself as the one who is responsible for the pack and when the pack has left the house they get in a panic because they are afraid that something might happen to their pack members. When a dog accepts you as pack leader separation anxiety will not exist. If you do not understand the instincts of the dog and his pack members, the articles,, Top Dog , Why did my dog do that, The Human Dog, and Establishing and Keeping Alpha Position will give you a better idea of how your dog instinctively thinks. However, the issue of separation anxiety is not always one of a leadership issue.

2. Separation anxiety can also be due to a lack of exercise. A build up of energy the dog is storing a way within them. When you leave, it intensifies their stress and they act out because they do not know what else to do with this built up energy. Walk your dog in the morning before he eats and again at night. For the walk to be successful, your dog needs to be focused on his owner, his pack leader. Therefore, the dog should not be pulling in front of you. The dog should be walking beside or behind you, following YOU as opposed to you following HIM. If you allow the dog to pull in front, the walk will not accomplish it's intended goal. When a dog walks with his mind focused on his owner, you not only release physical energy, you release mental energy. Working his brain and fulfilling his canine instinct. I suggest you save some money and invest in some

Cesar Millan DVD's and watch them. The money you invest in these DVD's will be less than your dogs future destruction.

Some things that can help

1. Is your dog getting enough exercise? Are you spending enough time with her? Have there been major changes lately? These and other questions should be asked and addressed. Sometimes it is just a small thing that makes the difference with controlling this problem. Do you provide pack walks? Be sure you take your dog for a long pack walk before you leave for any extended period of time to drain their mental and physical energy.

2. Are you your dog's pack leader? Or is your dog your pack leader? Read the articles, Top Dog , Why did my dog do that, The Human Dog, and Establishing and Keeping Alpha Position.

3. When one leaves the house one must not make a big thing out of it and when you come back, do some other things first like taking off your coat and putting the grocery's away before you greet the dog. This way you won't make a big deal for the dog, that you are leaving the house.

4. Sometimes getting a second dog will help your dog cope with his human pack leaving him. You may still want to crate your dogs while you are gone, however having the crates close to one another can ease your dogs tension, as he will not be alone. Just be sure you are the pack leader to your first dog, before you venture into getting a second dog.

5. If you have more than one dog, and you do not know which dog is being destructive, you need to play private investigator. Peeking through a window or setting up a camcorder or two will help you find out who the perpetrator/s are.

6. You may need a new attitude - from now on you are not going back in the house when little FiFi cries. You are going to ignore the bad behavior and reward the good. When you go back and hold her or pet her and console her, you are rewarding the behavior that you don't want and it is confusing to your dog because she thinks, "Well, I must be doing the right thing if she comes back and praises me."

7. Do practice departures. Leave for 2 minutes; come back in; ignore her for a a minute or two, give her a treat. Increase the time to 5 minutes, 8 minutes and so on. Do not reward bad behavior.

Separation anxiety can be curable if you fulfill your dogs canine instincts.

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To help you learn to do this, w e strongly suggest Cesar Millan DVD's and or Cesar Millan Books to every dog owner, from Chihuahua to Pit Bull. An excellent guide to communicating with, understanding,  and controlling your dog.

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Written by Dawn Littlefield
Littlefield Kennels Edited by Dog Breed Info Center®

© Dog Breed Info Center® All Rights Reserved

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The Human Dog Why did my dog do that? Top Dog Establishing and Keeping Alpha Position Alpha Boot Camp for Dogs Guarding Furniture Small Dogs vs. Medium and Large Dogs The Walk An Alpha Dog SPCA High Kill Shelter A Senseless Death, a misunderstood dog Puppy Temperaments A Dog Fight - Understanding your Pack Understanding your puppy or dog Raising a Puppy Transforming a Rescue Dog Should I get a Second Dog Separation Anxiety Is your dog out of control? Jumping Dogs Top Dog Photos Dog vs. Child Housebreaking Are You Ready for a Dog? Breeders vs. Rescues Find the Perfect Dog The Gangs All Here Caught in the Act

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