What Causes Separation Anxiety In Dogs ?

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By Walt Jensen


A very common complaint amongst dog owners is that their dogs get into trouble when they are gone. They will become destructive by chewing things around them, going potty where they shouldn't, or try and escape.

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.

The dangerous part of separation anxiety in dogs, is that they will sometimes try and escape from the room they are in. If there is a window or door in that room, that would be the most likely place for exiting. Sometimes dogs will try and stop their owners from leaving, so they are not left alone.

Another tell tale sign of separation anxiety in dogs is that they begin barking or displaying other distress signs shorty after you leave, and when you come home it seems like it has been years since your dog last saw you. Here are some of the common symptoms of separation anxiety in dogs.

Digging, chewing or other destruction in the room you left your dog could be a sign that they have separation anxiety, which can be harmful to the dog and your house. Chewing on doors or window sills not only damages your house, but can cause broken teeth, scraped paws or damaged nails.

Some other separation anxiety in dogs symptoms are howling and barking. They become upset when you leave and will persist in making noise. If your dog is trotting along a specific path, either in a circle or a straight line, they are pacing and that could be because they are separated from you. If your dog does not pace in your presence, then it can be even more of a reason that they have this 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.

A change in their schedule, where they live or just plain boredom are causes of separation anxiety in dogs, so keep that in mind when drastically changing what they do and where they live.

Counterconditioning is a technique that works on changing their aggressive, anxious or fearful reaction with something that is nice for them. To accomplish this, you can relate the sight of someone or something they do not enjoy with something that is pleasant for them'




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