Dogs develop a profound and loving connection with their owners, so it seems sensible they would miss you when you are gone, but there’s a big difference between natural and healthy missing someone and a much deeper problem. If your dog attempts to dig out of your house when you’re absent or is showing serious issues with regards to you not being around, he may be struggling with separation anxiety.
The factors behind separation anxiety might be anything from a formerly abandoned dog feeling deserted a second time to a dog who had been separated from his mother prematurely not feeling comfortable in being on it’s own.
Some other reasons could include stress or significant changes in the dog’s lifestyle. Has someone in the household passed? Is there a new baby, or maybe you have had a recent divorce? Anything from the death of another pet to a roommate moving out, changes in your work schedule or recurrent moves could possibly be leading to your dogs issues with separation anxiety.
If you are feeling like there’s been a recent significant change in your lifestyle or schedule, make sure to give your dog extra attention. Spend playtime with them for a longer length of time than you normally do, take them out for walks more often, do anything that may help ease them into the new way of living and assist to dissolve any stress they might be going through.
If, say, you’re working longer or different hours, a good option can be to use a pet sitter to come over daily to play with the dog and provide him a buddy to pal around with while you’re absent. He’ll feel much less separated and far more confident in himself and it’ll even tire him out afterwards.
If this isn’t an option, one other good idea would be to leave some relaxing music on while you’re away from home. The noise might even mask outside disturbances that may drive some pets up the wall and stress them out.
If you’re aware your pet misses you while you are gone, consider using a brief matter of fact goodbye. Prolonged goodbyes may make your furry friend sense your guilt for departing, which can certainly make them feel worse.
Another great option is to discover ways to keep your dog entertained while you’re at home. There are many chew toys available he can keep himself busy with which will distract him from his loneliness. Some dog toys need to be played with to get treats out of, some become entertaining while they thaw (you provide them to your dog after they have been frozen), some are hard treats which will take him a while to love.
Separation anxiety varies in intensity and how your dog communicates its frustration. Try a few of these tips if your pet has difficulties with you being absent. Should the problem seem too big to manage, get in touch with a local behavior specialist to assist you with this problem.
Matthew Scott
Creature Comforts of Charlotte Pet Sitting
http://www.creaturecomfortscharlotte.com
704-960-9751