5 Ways to Help Your Dog with Separation Anxiety

 

While covering Waukesha, Racine, Kenosha, and Milwaukee counties for in home dog walking and pet sitting, our sitters aim to keep routines for your pets as familiar as possible. This includes following leaving protocol to help your dog stay comfortable and safe while alone. Separation Anxiety can take on many forms with dogs. Some bark and some pace, while others can cause harm to themselves. If your dog falls in the last category, you should contact a professional dog trainer or veterinary behaviorist to come up with a plan. If the separation anxiety is on the mild side, there are a few things you can try to help your dog be comfortable while away.

 

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  1. Crate training – Crates can be a huge blessing for dogs. When used correctly, they will act as the pup’s “safe place”. While in the crate, your dog won’t feel as if he needs to defend the whole house in your absence.
  2. Music – Studies have shown certain classical music can help calm animals. The Through a Dog’s Ear CD and Pet Acoustics music cube or collar are both wonderful preloaded options.
  3. DAP spray or plug-in. These pheromones replicate those that a mother dog emits to help her puppies. They can be very calming and can be used to spray a crate while you’re away or could even be sprayed on a bandana your pet wears.
  4. Leave your pet with something that smells like you. Ever wonder why people often find their dogs laying on their clothing or their favorite spot in the house? Your dog being near things that smell like you can also having a calming effect.
  5. Essential oils. Lavender, specifically, has been shown to calm the CNS in dogs.

 

Helping your pup with separation anxiety can be a trial and error process. Some things will work and some won’t. Just be patient and keep at it and your dog will appreciate it.