Most of us love to have a pet dog around the house not just because for protection, but they can also be a source of companionship too. However, as much as we adore our furry pals, we are also creating separation anxiety in them because of our behavior. There are many factors that can contribute to this behaviour such as early separation from their mothers, hostile environment, lack of training, and even neglect. If you are trying to wean your dog from separation anxiety, there are several steps that you can do.

Change your ritual

We all have a tendency to follow a routine whenever we go about our day. The same thing happens when we are about to leave our house. For example, you tend to wear your favorite coat when you go out or you jangle your keys out of habit. To your dog, these are all signals that you are going away which can trigger an anxiety attack. To get around this, why not change your routine? Instead of going through the front door, why not take the back door, or switch up your clothes, and shoes too? Breaking this routine can help lessen the anxiety that your dog feels every time you leave the house.

Exercise

Another way to keep your dog calm whenever you go to work or away is to spend some time walking your dog. Exercising your dog can help release the pent up energy in them so that they will be in a calm and submissive state by the time you leave home. You’ll be surprised to find that they are much calmer this way and that they don’t exhibit much of the symptoms that are associated with separation anxiety.

Don’t make too much fuss when saying goodbye or hello

We can’t help but make a big deal out of saying goodbye to our pets when we leave the house and we tend to become over exuberant whenever we come home. This kind of behavior can also be absorbed by your dog to the point that they are anxious every time you leave home. Calmly say goodbye and hello as much as possible to keep their excitement levels down.

Don’t be away for too long

Another thing to consider about having dogs that have separation anxiety is never leave them alone for too long. If you are going away for more than 6 hours, your dog will probably be getting anxious about your disappearance. With that being said, you can structure your errands in a way that you will be gone for only a few hours tops or bring your pet with you.

These are just a few steps that can help you and your dog deal with separation anxiety. It is always a good thing to keep your dog calm as much as possible before you leave the house and when you get home so this bad habit won’t be reinforced.