Is My Dog Suffering From Animal Separation Anxiety?

Don’t leave me, mum
If you want to relieve animal separation anxiety of your puppy, it is not a good idea to leave it alone for long periods throughout the day. You will be more adapt to change the puppies destructive behavior if you are able to recognize why it is acting the way it does. When the pups are taken away from the litter at a young age, they associate us with their family pack. We become the parents and the friends to the puppies. Separation from your parents at a young age can be a devastating experience for anyone, even for pups.
After just a few weeks the puppy is taken from the mother and placed into the hands of a stranger. From that stranger it is placed into the hands of another stranger who then leaves it alone for long periods of the day. Would you not be nervous to? Of course you would. If you are able to see the world the way in which your puppy sees it, you will have a better handle on the situation.
What’s the Best Cure for Animal Separation Anxiety?
- In order to better treat animal separation anxiety in your dog, you should be familiar with what it can stem from. Most anxious dogs get that way when their owners leave the house. Your dog can also become very frightened of loud noises and this in turn will cause it to panic. A dog that panics will turn into a dog that has animal separation anxiety. So with this knowledge you can now help prevent certain things from happening.
- Believe it or not, riding in a car can also make your dog very sick and anxious. This can lead to animal separation anxiety. We can relate to this feeling as well for those of you out there who get sick on a roller coaster ride. Do you not feel anxious afterwards? This is a similar experience that our canine friends will be faced with. How do you prevent this? You will have to teach pooch how to behave in the car and allow it to adjust to the vehicle day by day.
- Having a cat in the house myself, I know it becomes very scared when it is time to visit the vet. Well a dog is no different on that one either. Many dogs like going out into public and seeing the sights, sounds, and people. There are dogs though that are terrified of this, most likely due to a poor upbringing. With dedication, you can curve this behavior into something worthwhile.
- You can help coax the dog into wanting to visit the vet with some food. A tasty treat or snack for getting into the car to go to the vet would be a great place to start. Do not forget the positive reinforcement either and make sure to congratulate the dog on a job well done. If pooch knows he or she is doing well, it will not be so hard to get the animal to come with you next time.
Alternative Way to Overcome Animal Separation Anxiety in Your Dog

I don’t like all these noises!
Now although this sound is not that common, it should be noted that animals in general do not care for man-made noises. Electronics and loud machinery do not sit well with animals at all. The noise I am talking about is a firecracker. Fireworks are a problem for nervous dogs because they happen so fast. It is not the same as a car where the dog is used to a running sound. Fireworks are shot instantly, then explode just as fast, leaving the animal no time to get used to the sound.
Back to Dog Training and Anxiety
***Thanks to andrew.galka and Olathe Animal Hospital for the photos***