Separation Anxiety In Dogs

As our holidays come to an end, for many of us, that dreaded ‘back to school/work’ feeling starts encroaching on us.

Swapping the sleep-ins, relaxation and freedom of our holidays for the office and homework grind can often feel like the end of the world ☹ You’re not alone!

During the holiday’s your pet has become familiar with a daily routine of seeing you and your family more frequently.

Your pet has been lapping up all that extra attention which has now become the ‘norm’, an expectation has been set over the holidays. Your family returns to their normal work and school routine, which previously did not include your pet. In your pets mind this is not normal and they do not know what to expect next so they get the feeling of unpredictability. You may start to notice things like:

Distressful mourning
Chewing up shoes and household furniture
Having consistent “accidents” in the house
Excessive barking or howling
Getting up on the windows and destroying your curtains or blinds
And if they’re confined to a crate or area of the house, they could end up hurting themselves in an attempt to escape

Is your ‘other family member’ suffering from ‘but I just miss you!!’

Or better known as separation anxiety.

It may be hard to imagine that your playful, care-free companion could ever get the blues, but the fact is they’re capable of suffering from depression much the same way as humans do, experiencing a wide range of emotions – a fact that most pet owners can attest to.

How do you deal with a dog in the doldrums?

Here’s a few tips:

Give your dog more attention (at the right times). If you notice your dog feeling particularly gloomy try not to baby him or her instead, wait until you see a sign of happiness (a wagging tail) and praise them for that behaviour.
Make sure you still make time for your dog by keeping them active with walks, playtimes or any activity you know keeps them entertained. A tired dog that still reaps the attention from you is less likely to have the destructive behaviour. Ensure that everyone in the family engages in playtime (a walking roster, perhaps) and praise when you see your dog having a great time.
Crate training can be useful. Your dog needs to learn that they’re safe when they’ve been confined to their crate and you need to train your dog into thinking that you will always return.

If you’ve tried everything under the sun and your dog is still struggling to snap out of their funk and simply making life a struggle for you, then this could be the perfect time to book your dog into one of our training programs. For most families after the holiday period, this is becoming an all too familiar problem however we can help you overcome it quickly and easily and keep the entire family happy!

We offer training programs that can help transform your dog’s behaviour in just weeks! West Coast Pet Care Centre also offers two different “board and train” packages where your furry friend will stay with us in our state of the art facilities for 3-5 weeks undergoing proven training methods designed to transform your pet and rid them of their destructive behaviour.

What’s more, whilst we take care of your pet you can focus on getting your kids and yourself back into a routine without the added concern for your distressed pooch.

Once you’re settled in, your dog will return home with a new plan to address and maintain a behavioural issue-free lifestyle.

We understand it’s hard to find the time to give your dog specialised training which is why we can help!

Let us take care of the hard work so that you can settle back in and enjoy the results.

Find out more about our training programs and methods here.