Separation Anxiety And How To Make Your Pups Feel Better

When a fur ball becomes too attached to their Mommy or Daddy, being left alone at home can be a cause of extreme distress.

This is known as separation anxiety – read more about what that means in details here! Although this can cause quite a bit of stress for pup parents, there are ways to ease this anxiety and make your pups feel better. Take a look at some of them!

If you fur ball has a milder form of this anxiety, you can opt for Adaptil, a pheromone collar that allows a relaxing and comforting scent to be diffused into the air. If your pup is the type that constantly craves physical contact and touch, you can give him a Thundershirt. He’ll love it!

It might also be helpful to let your pup associate good things with your leaving. Do this by giving him something tasty to chew on or a Kong toy filled with something yummy before you go. Chewing relieves stress, and treats are just awesome! But for a pup with more severe anxiety with established behaviors, medications may be necessary. These are best used with desensitization and counter conditioning. Talk to your vet about options.

What is your fur ball starts showing signs of distress before you leave, try switching up your routine. If your pup tends to get nervous when you grab your keys and bag, then do this as though you were leaving and sit down on the sofa instead. This makes your departure less predictable, so change your usual routine around.

There are also plenty of other suggestions to help quell separation anxiety while you’re working on correcting it. If it’s an option for you, try bringing your pup to work with you – if not, then take him to doggy daycare or arrange a playdate for him with one of his fellow fur ball friends! You can also get a pup sitter to look after him while you’re gone, or think about fostering another pup to see if company helps him out.

You can also try crate training your pup. Some fur balls learn to enjoy being inside a crate and feel safe inside it. Try encouraging your fur ball to stay in the crate with a treat or a Kong. Don’t close the crate door yet, but reward calm behavior. It’s going to take a lot of time, patience, and effort, but in due time you may begin to notice that your pup enjoys being inside the crate.

Do remember that you can speak to your vet about options to help ease separation anxiety and correct the behavior that comes with it! Don’t forget to like and share this if you found it useful!

Feature Image Source: Pixabay