Dealing With Separation Anxiety In Dogs
Coming home to a house that has been torn apart by an anxious dog is no fun for anyone. Your dog has spent the last few hours chewing on your shoes and going potty on the nice rugs in your house in an effort to ease their anxiety. They likely know they are breaking the rules but do it anyways because they
miss you too much. Arriving home to this scene usually involves frustration towards your dog and added stress to you and your four-legged chewing machine.
Because dogs are pack animals, they crave a sense of belonging and look to their pack leader (you) for guidance. Without proper training, your dog will get anxious when left alone. This separation anxiety can lead to destructive behavior and aggression to other dogs and even humans if not dealt with.
Prevent Separation Anxiety With Puppies
Bringing your puppy home is a very exciting time and is often filled with sleepless nights while you are potty training them. While most owners look to getting their dogs potty trained and taught how to sit on command, many overlook training their dogs for being left alone.
While your dog is still a puppy is the best time to start to train them on being left alone at the house. Just like with any other training, you need to be consistent with the training. At around 1 year old is usually a good time to start training your dog to cope with being separated.
Training Techniques To Reduce Separation Anxiety In Dogs
At a year old your dog should already know that it is not suppose to go potty inside and that chewing the sofa is not okay. If your dog is not here yet, work on these skills first before preparing them for time alone. A little bit of extra effort early on will payoff big time as your dog grows older.
When you feel your dog understands the general house rules, it is time to teach him that it is okay when you leave the house. To start, leave the house casually for 5 minutes. Don’t make a big deal of leaving or returning, simply walk out and come back five minutes later.
Do this once to twice a day for the first couple days. Your dog should get familiarized with you leaving and returning. It will not be shocking to them to see you leave the house.
Increase the time that you are away over the next couple weeks. You should be able to gauge your dogs attitude about you leaving and coming home. Decrease the intervals if your dog displays destructive behavior.
In some circumstances, you may want to give your pet anti-anxiety medication or CBD oil to help calm them. Some dogs are more high strung than others and having a natural remedy to help calm them could be the missing piece of the puzzle.
Using CBD Oil To Treat Dog Separation Anxiety
Sometimes your dog needs a little help from nature in order to stay calm while you are away from home. With new pet products like CBD oil drops and treats, dog owners are now able to provide their four-legged friend with natural essential oils that can reduce anxiety and relive stress.
Just like humans, dogs have a complex endocannibidol system that regulates mood and emotion. If this system is not running right, there could be mood swings and massive anxiety. For this reason, giving your dog CBD oil can greatly help reduce their stress. CBD oil works directly with the endocannibidol system and provides it with the compounds it needs to function correctly.
Also, CBD oil is shown to provide mood lifting effects without the psychological effects that is associated with marijuana.
Be sure to talk to your vet about appropriate dosage and supplementing CBD oil in your dogs diet. Even though CBD oil is non-toxic, it is good to make sure it will not cause any reactions from other medications your dog is taking.
Treat Separation Anxiety Early
If left unmanaged, the psychological effects of separation anxiety can take a serious toll on your dog. This can lead to aggressive behavior, chewing, and other medical issues. Take the time to give your dog the attention they crave and you will have a stronger relationship long term with your dog