POST LOCKDOWN - HOW TO HELP PREPARE YOUR DOG TO AVOID FEELING ANXIOUS ABOUT SEPARATION

The good news for some people is that they are going to be able to start back at work soon.

The bad news for some dogs, is that they may be left on their own which they haven’t been for a while. They may start to suffer from a condition called separation anxiety.

During these weeks of lockdown some dogs have had more company than they have been used to, and for puppies who have arrived in their new homes, this may have been all that they have been used to. And they have probably loved it. It should not be surprising then, that some of them will find the change, of being left alone – bad news.

But if being alone for a few hours is something dogs are going to have to become accustomed to in the future (and it does stand them in good stead to be able to cope being left alone) then we should help them by teaching them to get used to it gradually, rather than all of a sudden -

“Bye, I’m off, see you in a few hours.”

Young puppies in particular could see it as abandonment, and feel frightened. Then when they see you doing the same thing the next day, the anxiety starts to set in and it can become quite a problem.

Being frightened at home alone, dogs can bark and howl (disturbing the neighbours); poo and pee in the house (not just because they don’t get the opportunity to toilet sufficiently but out of panic and this can also cause vomiting and diarrhoea); become destructive of things around them such as their bedding or your furniture, not out of spite but anxiety; they can even self-mutilate by chewing at their paws. It’s an awful thing.

What can you do to help avoid this from happening

Start preparing your dog or puppy by leaving him on his own for short periods of time:

• Put him in a safe place in your home, it could be his crate or the place where he rests and leave him with something he likes doing safely to occupy himself, like licking out of a stuffed Kong (licking and chewing can be relaxing). It should be something that could occupy him for at least 15 minutes. And when you return, you should remove it, so that it becomes something special to him during your absence.

• If, up until now, you have let him follow you everywhere around the house, and if he sleeps with you too, start by leaving him in his safe resting place for short periods, for example whilst you go to the bathroom, and gradually build up to longer separations where you sit down away from him or in another room and read for a bit or watch something on the telly. Teach your dog to get used to being on his own, separate from you and the rest of the family, so that he learns to feel safe and comfortable without you.

• If he is the sort of dog who has a habit of nudging you to be stroked, or whining and barking at you for attention, stop giving him attention on demand and help him to be less needy. Save the strokes and attention for when he is behaving calmly.

• When you do go out without him, do not make a big fuss of him or start building him up for the imminent separation. Don’t apologise to him for leaving him or tell him where you are going and that you will only be xx amount of time. Just go out.

• Get him used to seeing you leave the house without him. Go to put the bins out, do some gardening, sit out and sunbathe. And when you come back in again, don’t make it seem a big deal. Be cool and your dog should be cool too.

• When you return, don’t encourage a massive greeting and allow him to jump up at you, it could increase his feeling of dependency on you. Instead, ignore him for the first few minutes.

If your dog is showing signs of distress in one form or others, seek professional help. A proper diagnosis leading to the appropriate treatment is the way to solve problems.