Separation Anxiety/Bringing dog to work?

Question

I bring my dog (pug) to work everyday, it started when he was a puppy and well, he still is a puppy but now that I bring him to work everyday he is starting to have this "I can do whatever I want" attitude, especially when he gets home. He also has really bad separation anxiety. I am litterally only away from him about 20 minutes a day. He will bark whenever I walk away or throw a tantrum and almost hyperventilate about it. I was just wondering what everyone else does with their dogs when they are at work because I am pretty sure nobody is with their dog as much as I am and that is probably whats causing these problems. I cannot let him roam all over the house and I dont really mind him being at work with me but I would really like to stop the separation anxiety problem. Any ideas?

Answer 1

You need to teach your dog that he can survive without being super-glued to your side 24/7. This won't necessarily be a quick lesson, but it can be done.

Separation anxiety can range from a mild case to a pretty serious behavioral problem, so the earlier you deal with this the better.

You can find lots of free information,tips and advice on all aspects of recognizing and treating separation anxiety at these urls.

http://www.the-puppy-dog-place.com/dog-separation-anxiety.html
http://www.the-puppy-dog-place.com/dog-separation-anxiety-medication.html
http://www.the-puppy-dog-place.com/separation-anxiety-in-your-dog.html

As for his temper tantrums and dominance issues, I'd really recommend that you take him to a basic obedience class to learn how to communicate with each other, and he'll learn valuable socialization skills and some basic manners.

The website below is especially for puppy and dog owners and has tons of great articles, fun stuff, Puppy FAQ's and lots more. Best of luck!

Answer 2

The problem is that you've coddled him too much and now he thinks he's your equal. It's time that this doggy met up with some subservience training! No more giving in, no more free lunches. You're going to have to teach him that if he wants to be in your presence, he's going to have to earn it.

If he hyperventilates and throws a tantrum, just ignore it. Otherwise you're just teaching him that it works.

Also, start setting some boundaries about where he can go and what he can do in the house. A dog that thinks he's a miniature tyrant is just asking for trouble.

Answer 3

my dog suffered separation anxiety after her mother died when she was 5 years old. she hated other dogs but we took her to the pound and let her play with some other dogs. after she took to one of them we took him home and they've been inseparable ever since. they occupy each other and both enjoy each others company. they became the best of friends, but remember not to let them think they are pack leader as they might join together and take over (they terrorized our cats for a while until we enforced the right behaviour on them) i would suggest a Rottweiler cross german shepherd. both dogs are listed in the top 10 smartest dog breeds and my dog (simba) learned how to sit and shake in mere hours. REMEMBER: WHEN CHOOSING A DOG AVOID PUPPY MILLS, PET SHOPS, BACKYARD BREEDERS AND BREEDERS WITH DIRTY OR UNSUITABLE CONDITIONS FOR THEIR DOGS!!!!

Answer 4

Consider getting a second dog. Dogs are pack animals & don't like to be alone.

Answer 5

Look up Homeopet
http://www.homeopet.com/faq.htm
Its worth a try.