Fixing Separation Anxiety In Your Dog

In the era of COVID, separation anxiety has become a frontrunner in problems dogs and owners are experiencing. There are two types of separation anxiety. First, when you leave the house and your dog howls, barks or becomes destructive. The second type, is when you’re home but they can’t access you - be it you’re showering, in a different room or they’re locked outside.

When you leave:
If you find your dog struggles when you’re out of the house, the first step to take is ‘damage control’. Dont let them have access to the whole house or potential hazards/things you don’t want destroyed. Crate training is the absolute best tool for this.
Secondly, dogs match your energy. If you cuddle and kiss them before leaving, if you seem sad or tentative, you can count on them matching that emotion. Mum/dad leaving = sad, alone, afraid. Conversely, when coming home, if you make a big song and dance about returning, the dogs will become over-aroused. In their mind it becomes mum/dad return = THIS IS THE BEST!!
So when you leave, ignore your dog and go. When you return, ignore your dog for as long as it takes for them to settle and lay down for a snooze. The dog will begin to understand that you come and go and it makes no difference to their life.

If you’re home:
Don’t expect them to run before they walk. Still leave them in different areas of the house but start in short bursts of a minute, 2 minutes, 5 minutes. Build them up slowly and set them up for success. Don’t make it too hard for them by pushing their limits - work with them.

There are many more intricacies to this and tricks you could implement so get in touch if this is something you’re experiencing and we’d love to help you work through it.