It can be a source of stress for many dog owners to keep their pet indoors, especially alone since there is no way to know what they are doing when we are not in home. Sometimes they can create small to very big “disasters” if they don’t have the adequate supervision.
These damages can be the consequences caused by a syndrome known as “separation anxiety” that affects thousands of pets that spend a lot of time separated from their caregivers. But this does not need to be an impediment to not having dogs if you cannot be them 24/7.
Fortunately we have some tips that can help control this anxiety and that your dog can be calm and happy for while you are not at home.
- Do not punish. Perhaps one of your first reactions to the disaster your dog leaves is to shout or punish him for what he did. But this will only aggravate the problem instead of solving it since the dog will not understand why he is being punished.
- Create awareness of the problem. Keeping in mind that this problem is caused by a behavioral disorder will help not to punish or scold him.
- Do not let him sleep in your room. This point is important and will help with the problem in two things: one is that you will not always be with him all the time and your dog will get used that there will be moments where you are not available for them. And two, if you train him to sleep in a different space then he will feel he has a safe space to be (and not only with you).
- Ignore it when you leave and return home. Although it sounds cruel, this will help your pet not identify the emotion you feel from seeing it. This will prevent you from creating routines around the separation between the two and make it easier for you to get used to the idea that you are not.
- Be patient, very patient. Create an environment where your pet creates the least amount of damage possible, be patient with his training and with the many or few advances he has.
- Get professional help. If none of the above has worked, we suggest trying a professional dog trainer or asking your veterinarian for more suggestions or tips.
If you like this article on basic obedience training commands and want your dog to be obedient and listen to your commands, the Online Dog Trainer is a great place to start!