What's the best way to deal with dog seperation anxiety?

Question

It used to be my dog would occasionally eat a box of cereal or two, but we blocked him out of the kitchen & last night he ate a hole in our $2000 tempurpedic matress. We have a crate we're going to keep him in now when we go out, but I don't want to have to do that forever. We're also not letting him sleep with us anymore since he ate the mattress which is a big change for him. What should I do?

Answer 1

The crate is a good idea. Many dogs like being crated because they feel safe and secure. It helps ease anxiety. Some people have the impression that crate-training is somehow cruel, but it's not. Many well respected animal organizations endorse it, so don't feel guilty. But on the other hand, some dogs don't respond well to being in a crate, and that's ok, too. Just give it a try.

My dog had seperation anxiety when I first got him, and he got better once he got used to our routine. I established a comfortable spot for him with his blanket and toys by a window where he could watch the world go by, and that helped a lot.

There are lots and lots of resources written about this topic. Any good dog training book should be able to give you some tips on how to deal with seperation anxiety. It's a very common problem. Like people, all dogs are different and you may need to try many different approaches to find what works for you.

Answer 2

This is one of my training tips from my website (currently being put together) Separation anxiety. Does your dog cry when you leave the room? Urinate only when you leave the house? Some dogs do not like being left alone and some will think you are leaving them permanently and not coming back. Here are a few tips to help fix this problem. When you leave, no matter how long for always have fresh water available. Toys are also a wonderful training tool as it will keep the dog distracted, I use kong toys stuffed with yummy food as a cure for boredom, having special toys or treats that the dog gets only when you go out are also a wonderful idea. When training my own dogs for separation anxiety I first distract my dogs with their favourite toy and then exit my house through the front door. I only leave for a minute or two, just long enough so that the dog does not bark or cry. I then re-enter the house and give them praise for not crying. Next time I go out I leave for a few more minutes, again only entering the house if the dog is not crying and giving praise. Increase the amount of time you leave for and always come back before the dog starts crying (you will learn how long that threshold is pretty quickly) This teaches the dog that you are going to come back and they are not being left alone forever.

Answer 3

What kind of dog? Man and I thought mine suffered from separation anxiety! How long are you gone? I have only 1 dog that I leave out all the time, and I've been leaving him out for a couple of years now. He's 4 and believe it or not a German Shepherd, he's been very good though - I have a 6 year old husky and I still crate her if we're both going to be gone 8 + hours, however if we happen to be working different shifts and there's only a 2-4 hour gap I leave her out. If there is a 2 hour or less gap, I leave all 3 of them out (I also have a 10 month female shepherd). So there really is no set rule it depends on the dog and what they need and how they mature.

Answer 4

You probably need to see your Vet. But Valerian Root does help with Anxiety. Also make sure he has play toys that he does like when you leave. And Crate :)
Good Luck!

Answer 5

your dog is BORED BORED BORED... he needs more mental stimulation - take him to obedience classes so you can stimulate parts of his mind.. he mayrequire further stimulation like going to agiltity classes

my guess is your dog is one of the intelligent breeds (eg. Border Collie, Jack Russel) rather than a low intelligence breed (Shih Tzu).. if he is an intelligent breed he needs LOTS and LOTS of mental stimulation, games, smart toys... etc

you can get medications for seperation anxiety (also make sure there is no SOY in the food he is eating as this can cause anxiety like behavior problems in dogs)

Answer 6

let him get used to being shut in a room on his own for a while. start with perhaps 5 minutes, then increase the time. when he behaves himself, eg is quiet or lies down, reward him with a treat. ignore bad behaivour; don't reward it with attention. leaving a television on radio on can help too.

Answer 7

do exactly what you said you were going to do... just play with him more often