Dog separation anxiety can be a very worrying concern. While it is definitely gratifying to know that your dog has grown affection for you, it can be prove to be a traumatic experience for the dog. When separated with his most favorite person in the world, he will begin to display self-destructive behavior such as digging and barking. Other symptoms of this mental condition may include urination or excretion all over the place, despite the fact that he’s been housetrained. He may even harm himself when his anxiety is acting up.

Getting The Best Dog Training Advice is Fundamental if You Want to Have a Healthy Well Trained Dog.

What are the signs that your dog is suffering from separation anxiety? First, your dog begins to engage in the fore-mentioned acts shortly after you leave him. Second, when you return home, your dog seems to be overly euphoric and greets you excessively. There are three effective ways that can help curb dog separation anxiety.

Pretend to Leave the House
You need to let your dog get used to your absence. Pretend to leave your house and shut the front door after you. Return home a few seconds later. Repeat this action for a couple of times and remember to keep the length of your absence short. Progressively, your dog will begin to understand that he doesn’t have to worry about you being gone. After doing this for a few days, you should consider increasing the duration of your departure by a few seconds at one time.

Purchase a Crate
A well-furnished crate is the hotel equivalent to a dog. Most dogs will relish a quiet day in a comfortable crate where they can take a nap. Purchasing a crate can help with your dog separation anxiety. Be sure to place suitable toys in the crate so that the dog can entertain himself when you’re not at home. Do not latch the door as he may begin to think of it as a prison, which will exacerbate his anxiety. Of course, if you want to employ this method, you will have to crate train your dog before leaving him unsupervised and alone.
Keep the Radio On

Most dogs suffer from anxiety attacks because they feel lonely and afraid. Dogs are natural social animals, and they thrive well in packs. Thus, leaving a dog alone in the house can be a very daunting experience for him. If you need to leave him alone in the house, you should leave the radio on so that he will feel that he’s got companionship. You can also play some soothing music to calm him down. Make sure that the volume isn’t too loud so that he would not receive any unnecessary shock when the radio talk show segues into an advertisement.

Dog separation anxiety can be easily cured with these simple tips. However, if the condition persists, you should bring your dog to the vet for professional advice. It is not a problem to be taken lightly. Your precious dog may harm itself in the process. In severe cases, medication may be required.

The post The 3 Steps To Ending Dog Separation Anxiety Fast! first appeared on Puppy Blog.

Of course, the more you are willing to spend, the more comfort and attention your pet will get. In-home services typically also offer services such as watering plants and general house-care in your absence. Do not mistake a pet sitter, however, for a house-keeper – or you may soon need to get a new one!

People can become a pet sitter without any qualifications and it may be hard to gauge the experience any candidate can bring to the job. This is why it is sometimes very hard to choose a sitter from classified listings. Sometimes your individual impression of someone, and watching how they interact with your pet can be a good way of choosing. However, also look for accreditation from the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters, whose members abide by a code of ethics and have completed study courses and conferences.

Before selecting a person or company to look after your pets, interview the candidates over the phone or at your home. Find out if they will work in your home or whether you will take your pet to them. You will also want to know if potential candidates will be caring for other pets at the same time as yours, and if so how many pets and if your pet will receive as much attention as he needs. You should ask what other services your sitter might offer, such as walking your dog or watering your plants.

If you are satisfied with the conditions in which your pet will be cared for, you should find out what training and qualifications the candidate has and what arrangements are in place if the candidate cannot make it to work one day (an emergency, car travel etc.) – for example can their agency provide backup? From a legal point of view you should find out if the candidate has commercial liability insurance (to cover accidents and negligence) and is bonded (to protect against theft). Finally, you should request that candidates provides a service contract to ensure that she is legally obliged to provide the care for which you are paying.

Find out from the candidate names and numbers of previous pleased customers who can provide a reference. Also judge your candidates on their interaction with your pet, and their interest in their well-being. For example, Does he/she seem interested when you are telling them about your pet? Do they take notes about feeding and medicating?

Once you have chosen a pet sitter, it is important that you do everything you can to make things as easy as possible for your pet and his new sitter. Every time you want to make a reservation with your sitter you should do so well in advance of your requirements. You should provide your pet sitter with clear instructions detailing specific pet-care responsibilities and contact information for you and for your vet. Most pet sitters will require that your pet’s vaccinations are current, particularly if your pet is not the only animal being cared for on the premises, and you should make sure that you attach current identification tags to your pet’s collar. Finally, a good tip is to leave a key with a trustworthy neighbor as a backup in case of loss, and make sure your pet sitter knows how to contact them.

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