Dog With Separation Anxiety Symptoms

Published: 2021-04-20
Views: 430
Author: Jummie
Published in: Dogs

Because dogs are highly social animals who are pre-programmed to live in packs, alone time can be difficult for them to handle.

Many dogs can learn to tolerate being alone for short periods of time, others grow separation anxiety, a panic-like disorder.

What is the definition of separation anxiety?

Anytime they are left alone, dogs with severe separation anxiety may have the following:

• panic attacks that include destroying home entry/exit points (doorways and windows),
• house-soiling,
• discomfort vocalizing, 
• self-injurious behavior such as unnecessary licking and chewing of body parts or bloody paws from attempting escape.

Separation anxiety

Separation anxiety can be triggered by a variety of situational events, such as the guardian's extended presence during the summer or convalescence accompanied by an abrupt return to work or school.

Separation anxiety can be triggered by contextual life and regular changes such as re-homing, boarding kennel stays, long separations, or the departure of a guardian.

Separation Anxiety in Dogs: What Causes It?

Dogs are social, pack animals, as I have mentioned already mentioned. Dogs, unlike humans, actively seek out other people's company and are not encoded to seek solitude.

For a dog, being left alone is a strange sensation at best, and it can feel like punishment or abandonment at worst.

Consider the fact that for the first eight weeks of their lives, a dog never tends to leave the side of their mother – who offers support and warmth – and littermates – who provide play and entertainment – and you may have a better understanding of why dogs dislike being alone.

Being left alone

Dogs have no sense of time and exist almost entirely in the present moment.

Most dogs possess their own internal clocks, and learn whenever they need to remove or eat, for dogs, minutes can feel like hours.

This is why, if you have only left it alone for a few moments to go to any nearer store two blocks away, they're so happy to see you.

Taking care of themselves

Dogs are incapable of looking after themselves. Your dog may be originated from wild wolves, but let's be honest: sitting on the couch with them, you can probably tell they're not cut out afterlife in the wild.

“Who is going to feed me?” and “who is looking to put the water bowl?” are just a few of the panicked feelings that will race through your dog's mind while you're gone.

“My toy is all the way underneath the sofa – how am I expected to enter it?” and “my toy is all the way underneath the sofa – how am I supposed to reach it?”

Dogs are creatures of habit. It gives them comfort, and they prefer things to stay at all like that times – especially in less then their territory.

Even something as simple as reorganizing the furniture in your living room can cause your pet to become disoriented and ask, "Hey, why are you moving all my stuff?"

Changing environment

Moving house can be traumatic for a dog and cause separation anxiety, and something as simple as reorganizing the furniture in your living room can cause your dog to become disoriented and ask, "Hey, why are you moving all my stuff?"

Having different people come and go from the house can confuse a dog, but even more so if you have lodgers or houseguests who are here today and gone tomorrow.

When a dog meets up with someone, that can be a real pain when they aren't around, exacerbating any existing separation anxiety issues.

How can you keep your dog from getting separation anxiety?

You must address the source of the problem.

Drugs

Veterinarians may prescribe drugs to help calm a dog's nerves, but they are not a cure. Drugs are only a temporary fix for the root issue; they are only a support mechanism to help the owner in rehabilitating the dog.

It all begins the moment you pick up your puppy. When a puppy is taken from the litter and left alone, it frequently begins to cry.

This is a significant change for the pup; they are no longer part of the pack with which they were born.

Whenever he cries, we pick him up and console him; his sobbing is rewarded.

If he is crying in his crate and you allow him out later, he will be credited for his crying. Only positive behavior is rewarded.

Patience and calmness

We must teach our puppy to be calm and stay single for longer periods of time from the start.

Instead, we should teach and reward patience and calmness.

When he's with us, we shouldn't try to interact with him all of the time.

Allow him to learn to amuse himself with his toys.

Bereavement

Bereavement can be devastating for dogs, and they are unable to seek counseling.

If a dog has lost someone very close to them, such as a previous owner, and has had to be rehoused, it can leave them extremely shaken and vulnerable to separation anxiety.

The same is true if a dog loses a close canine companion, parent, or sibling.

A dog will miss this person or dog and will be perplexed as to why they are no longer present. For your hound, this can be heartbreaking.