Bullmastiff Training: What To Do If Your Dog Has Separation Anxiety
PetsSeparation anxiety is one of the most common problems dog owners face. After all, your dog is extremely loyal and wants to go where his owner goes. We would love for our Havanese to accompany us wherever we go, but that is not feasible, especially when we have to go to work or in areas where dogs are not allowed.
Leaving them at home can cause mild levels of anxiety to severe behavior problems that result in barking and destroying your things at home. When you return home, you may find that your dog has chewed on his favorite pair of shoes or urinated on the carpet because he was anxious when you were not around. Sometimes it’s hard to imagine your cute Havanese turning into a little monster at home, all because they are worried that you may have left them and won’t come back.
The Sources of Dog Separation Anxiety
The main driving force behind anxiety is their inherent nature of being pack animals and separating them from the herd causes them uncertainty and agitation. They feel a sense of detachment when their teacher leaves and it disturbs them. In fact, there are certain actions that the owner takes that are based on this anxiety and make him even more agitated.
For example, if you pay attention to them before you leave or immediately after your return and this is done consistently every day, the pattern you establish will take root in your routine and your agitation will increase day after day.
Reduce dog separation anxiety
What you don’t realize is that you actually have more control over your agitation than you realize. Certain changes in your actions could go a long way in reducing your agitation and thus curbing your anxiety.
Here are some simple ways to reduce anxiety:
Mix it up every day: If you have a certain number of tasks that you do each day before you leave, you may want to change it up a bit. If you know that your Havanese dog starts misbehaving when you pick up your car keys, for example, try using another method to get the keys next time. Put the keys in your pocket before leaving. Another common trigger is your morning walk just before they leave you. If they know you drop them home right after you walk with them, try taking them for a walk long before you plan to leave.
Stay neutral: It’s hard not to love them right before you leave. After all, you will miss them all day, too. However, doing this only increases your anxiety when you leave them. The same applies when you return home. Try not to pay too much attention to them before you leave or immediately after you return. The most effective way to reduce your anxiety is to disassociate your departure and return from the amount of attention you receive. It is recommended that you pretend nothing has changed before you leave or when you return and do so by ignoring your dog for 10 minutes before and after. Don’t pet or hug them during these times, even if they make sad noises or have a sad expression. Remember, you are doing this only to help them reduce their anxiety when you are not at home.
Start with shorter periods: If you see that your dog becomes anxious as soon as you leave, go outside for a few minutes and then come back inside. That will change your expectations of how long you will be away and when you will be back. You can slowly increase the time you leave them so that it feels natural for them to come back even if you leave.
You are not being bad
You may think that some of these methods are cruel and you certainly feel that way when it comes to Havanese dogs that become very attached to their owner. What you need to keep in mind is that when you do this, you reduce their anxiety, which in turn allows them to be calm and healthier in the long run.
If your dog’s anxiety problems continue for a long time, you should do everything you can to reduce them early and not let them get worse. The last thing you want to do is come home to find that your Havanese has done something he shouldn’t have done and he immediately responds by yelling at you (and that’s because you created that situation in the first place).
You can learn about these and other training secrets on the Havanese training site.