Separation Anxiety is a concern with a lot of young puppies and must be tackled as soon as possible. The pet begins his life in the protected environment with his mother, brothers and sisters. When he is taken away from this shelter to a new habitat and new people, he is of course going to be upset and worried every time he is left alone. He may bark or cry or even destry the furnishings.
However, understanding the cause of dog separation anxiety will not cure it! If a puppy cries whilst he is left, it is wrong to assume he will just grow out of it. If you don't act and do anything about it, it will develop into a habit long after the basis of the anxiety has disappeared.
Training must be taken slowly, if dog separation anxiety is to be dealt with.
Feed your pet as normal and let him potty outside. Enjoy a little fun and play with him for a time before closing the door and leaving him on his own for approximately half an hour. Having a radio on in order that the room is not totally silent is a nice idea, and could ease the separation anxiety felt by your pet.
When you return, go into the room in a quiet and calm way. Saunter around the room but ignore the puppy, generally do the type of things you would typically do in that room. It is important that you do not make eye contact with the dog or talk to him
.
After approximately five minutes have passed, start to play with the pup. The play time should continue for roughly 10 minutes at which point you will leave the room yet again, this time for a little longer.
Consistency is the solution to solving separation anxiety.
Once again, when returning to the room, pay no heed to the dog for five minutes then play with him again. Go over this each day until you are able to leave the pup for a protracted period without any separation anxiety.
This training mirrors the behaviour of the wild, as explained in
Puppy Obedience Training basics, when the dominant pair would ignore the rest of the pack until they were ready for interaction. Your dog will instinctively respond to this conduct, as it is in effect, hard-wired into his system. With persistence and routine, your dog will soon be contented and established in his new home without showing any separation anxiety.
