Dog's Help

Separation anxiety in dogs is one of the most common of problems that dogs face. Puppies face this emotional disorder when they are left alone by themselves and are not in contact with their owners or family members for en extended period of time. Dogs tend to become unruly and disruptive when left alone for a long time.

This is not a trivial issue. Separation anxiety may lead to complex behavioral problems in the dog later on and may be difficult to correct.  If you plan to leave your dog unattended for a long period of time, it would be a good idea to train your dog to cope with separation.  

* Check the behavior of your dog when you plan to leave for an extended period. It might observe that you are picking up the car keys and your coat. If it becomes visibly excited and starts jumping up and down, it probably expects to be taken along. If you do not take it along, it just might start suffering from separation anxiety.

* If you have been leaving the dog unattended for a long period of time, observe if there are any changes in the dog’s behavior in your absence.  If it has torn up furniture or shown any other signs of aggression then you need to work on its separation anxiety.

A dog is not used to your being away for a long period of time. When it notices this change in routine it becomes confused and is not able to cope with the situation. It is unprepared to deal with your absence. The solution is to prepare it in advance for to deal with such a situation by adequate training.

If you feel unequal to training your dog to deal with separation, then hire a professional trainer. It will be well worth the effort, as you would be saving yourself a lot of trouble and saving your pet from developing behavioral problems.