Causes of Dog Separation Anxiety

Our homes are almost never complete if we do not have something to cheer us up.  Aside from our children and our personal hobbies, the one thing that gives us great pleasure whenever we are at home is our pet --- which is usually a dog.

The dog is considered man's best friend and ranks first place as the most beloved animal on the face of the planet. No other animal has received as much love and care from humans. The dog is also one of the most exposed animals on TV and in the movie screen.  Who could forget the animal adventure classics like Rin Tin Tin and Lassie?

Dogs are domesticated, carnivorous mammals related to foxes and wolves.  Some of the most common breeds of dogs today are the following: Doberman, German shepherd, Bulldog, Poodle, Chihuahua, among others.

Dogs are very loyal pets. Books, poems, and songs have been written to immortalize the unique relationship between dogs and humans.  To this day, no other animal can match the qualities of the dog as a devoted companion and friend.

No wonder, thousands if not millions of people can be considered as true-blue dog lovers.  Aside from having a loyal “sidekick,” many people keep dogs as pets because they see the hairy, cuddly animal as a “walking, breathing stress relief system.”   Dogs help cheer us up especially when we get home from work.  Dog owners usually find their pet happily wagging its tail, ready with a loud bark to greet the master. 

By nature, dogs are social animals. They enjoy the interaction with their human masters. Because of this deep attachment, dog owners sometimes have problems with their dogs.  One of the most common dog-related problems is called Dog Separation Anxiety.

Dogs are pack animals. They don't want to be left alone. Some dogs will simply can't wait for you to come back home. Most dogs desperately try to get your attention by barking incessantly. Typically, your dog would pace, whine, chew, and even scratch the door whenever you fail to go home at the time it was used to seeing you enter the gate. Whenever you leave your dog for long periods of time, it may be possible that it would suffer from separation anxiety.

Dog separation anxiety is that syndrome that is seen in most dogs. It refers to that situation where dogs start behaving in a different manner way worse than normal. This separation anxiety occurs when dogs are bonded with their owners in more than required manner. People usually unearth this separation anxiety in their dogs when they are off work for many days i.e. they are on a leave and spend most of the time with their pets. Dogs, as a social animal, get use to your presence all the time and when you go to work after your leave they tend to show signs of behavioral changes like whining, barking, and crying at inappropriate times of the day. Owners often complain that their dog is crying all day long or tearing away the costly furniture.

Is your dog showing behavioral changes like barking, whining, and crying all the time? If the answer to the question is a yes, then your dog is suffering from dog separation anxiety. It refers to a situation where in your dog starts behaving in an altogether weird fashion sensing your absence. These anxiety problems with dogs occur when they are really close to their owners. The usual time of occurrence of this anxiety syndrome is when you tend to spend more time with your dog than you do with the rest of the world, like during vacation, maternity leaves and so on. People have complained that their dogs get exited and transform in to a destroyer when sensing their absence.

Dog separation anxiety can in a way disturb a dog’s mental health. As a beloved owner, one obliviously wouldn’t want to spoil their dog’s mental health and thus one should take care of the situation before it worsens. Dog separation anxiety is meant to be treated and if it is not done at an appropriate time, then be prepared for the brutal consequences. Dog separation anxiety cures are available in wide numbers but one should take time to unearth the best cures available for their dogs. Some of the steps to be followed that can result in effective control over the situation are:

There are some causes of dog separation anxiety that should be browsed through before understanding the treatments and cures. Some of the causes are associated to the behavior and some to the environment the dogs live in. Some dogs may fall prey to the syndrome because of the stress levels they face and some others fall prey to this anxiety because they have been separated from their mothers, while others may have been abandoned by their owners, resulting in shaken trust and confidence levels. Thus, understanding the root cause is important.

The first step before starting to find dog anxiety cures is to identify the symptoms. Does your dog jumps on visitors? Does your dog whine, cry and barks at inappropriate times of the day or all the time? Does he spin in circles whenever he senses separation? If the answers to the above questions are a ‘yes’, then you need to do something real fast, otherwise you will end up losing your dog’s mental health.