One of the main reasons people acquire a dog is for companionship. Like us, dogs are able to form strong bonds with people. One could even argue that dogs are even more social than we are. Due to their instincts they a even more motivated than humans to stay with their social group. Separation from their group is usually followed by behaviors that will help them reunite such as vocalizations, increasing activity, urination and defecation, etc. Of course these natural and normal behaviors cause problems in our homes. Dog’s are not programmed to be alone with our busy day-to-day schedules, so if they must be alone for a few hours, here’s a few tips to keep them from chewing, pooping, and ruining.
A tired dog is a well behaved dog. It’s not uncommon to see clients get a new puppy right before a long weekend or take a few days off work so they can spend quality time with their new friend. They spend every moment with the pup and when the time comes to go back to work, the pup cannot handle the loneliness. Leave the pup in a crate/ puppy safe area of the house with a plethora of toys and Kongs to keep him or her occupied while you’re gone. Get a dog walker to come midday, walk or run the pup in the morning since after all, a tired dog is not a stressed dog.
Bark Bark Woof. It’s normal for dogs to bark, whine, and howl when you leave. Do not return the attention by coming back to the dog or by punishment. If you don’t want the noise, don’t respond to it. It may take a while, but it’ll eventually happen. One of the pups we invited into our home had extreme separation anxiety. He sat by the front door waiting for his parents to come home for the first day or so and wouldn’t play with the other dogs. He howled all night, even though he had his own human bed (which he was used to) in his own room with the relaxing sounds of Beethoven drifting in his space. We broke him of his anxiety by extending his morning walks for over an hour and taking him on our midday visits. By the end of the day he was so exhausted, he was ready to just go to sleep. No howling and a very happy dog.
Out and About. Be sure to let your dog out of the house and go on walks! Mental and physical stimulation of ‘new’ things will tire him or her out.
Hello and Goodbye. Do not make a big deal of coming home or leaving. This only increases the differences of being home with people and being alone. Alone time should be fun for the pup and not spent waiting for someone’s return. Involve toys in your arrivals and departures in order to reduce dependence.
I want I want! Avoid the on-demand attention. When a dog gets what it wants every time it nudges or whines, it is more likely to be anxious when it’s alone and can’t get the social attention it wants. You should give your dog attention, but it should be on your terms and not his or hers. When the dog is away, give rewards for laying down, when the dog is relaxing or with a toy in another area of the house. Rewarding positive alone time helps to remove anxieties that come from following you around the house, over attachments, and gives reinforcement for independence instead.
-Most of article written by Dodie Manor, Behavior Consultant. Oakwood Hills Animal Hospital.