Pets can be anxious and stressed at times, especially when they are separated from their owners and usual playmates. Over the years, your dog has probably built a special bond with most members of the family. That closeness might cause your furry companion to experience some strong emotions when they are left alone.
This overall discomfort can normally turn into more severe separation anxiety, which can cause a lot of stress for your pet even if your absence is just for a short time. If your dog's anxiety becomes intense, prolonged, or dangerous, you might want to think about the reasons, symptoms, and treatments for their patterns of behavior.
WHAT CAUSES IT?
Separation anxiety is caused by a significant shift in your dog's surroundings, as one might assume. This can cause a change in your schedule or routine especially if your pet did not experience this before.
WHAT ARE THE SIGNS?
Pets with slight or severe separation anxiety mostly show signs of their behaviour right before and right after you leave the house. Most of the time, excessive barking and howling, start practically shortly, followed by aggressive and destructive behavior while you aren't around.
Furthermore, dogs with separation anxiety express their feelings by sometimes urinating or defecating while their guardian is away. While many of these behaviours might arise for a variety of reasons, experiencing them all at once or seeing them just when you're gone it's a sign of an anxious dog.
Separation anxiety is a difficult condition to overcome because it connects your pet's emotions and routine interruptions to something you can't avoid - leaving the house. To manage separation anxiety, there are still a variety of approaches such as "counterconditioning."
COUNTERCONDITIONING
Counterconditioning is the process of creating a positive connection with you leaving the house by making use of time and repetition. In minor cases of anxiety, one can make use of dog puzzles by doing a hidden reward inside. Every time you leave the house, you're enabling your pet to have a more positive connection with you grabbing your keys and leaving.
Provide a safe space for your dog and always seek professional guidance to make a well-planned schedule and this is a progressive approach to control its behaviour.
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