Dog barking, chewing, stressed or generally unhappy when you leave it?
A dog showing signs of stress when left alone may dig excessively, try to escape, bark and whine, lick or chew its own body or generally seem unsettled. Dogs that become stressed when left alone are commonly said to suffer from "separation anxiety".
This is not a case of a dog that "misses you", but a dog who feels it is responsible for looking after you. A dog who mistakenly views itself as the pack leader and has taken on the role of protecting You. When you leave the house the dog can't protect you and so becomes stressed.
This is no different from how any parent would feel if they saw their 2 year old walking down the drive alone and heading off down the street when You, the parent, are locked inside the house!
So if your dog barks when you are gone there is a very good reason. Don't punish it further. Remove the reason and the dog will stop! Some dogs will also try to grab your leg in an attempt to try and stop you leaving. Again this is simply an attempt to make you stay "with the pack" where they can protect you.
The solution is simple. When you show the dog that it is not responsible for your safety the dog can relax, whether you are home or not.
You are then free to come and go as you please!
For help with separation anxiety see the home consultation page.
Koko – Severe separation anxiety
6 month old chocolate lab- chewing through wire!
Koko, our chocolate lab of 6 months, was jumping six foot fences; chewing through wire; looking for any and every way out of our property. After about 12 times of being returned to us, we contacted Doggy Dan for some much needed help.
After a 4 hour consultation with Doggy Dan, followed by perseverance and consistency she is now a calm, contented and happy dog. Koko is no longer determined to escape, but is happy just chilling – looking after herself and not feeling the need to look after us! Having almost given up in the early days and tempted to turn to the electric collar, we are now aware with the right training there is no need for anything so brutal.
Since his visit, Dan has been in touch numerous times to see how things are going and to offer any further guidance. Thanks to Dan we can happily go to work in the morning and not freak out every time our mobile phone rings with an unknown number!!
Thanks again Dan, and thanks for the guidance … it really is that easy!
Take care. Regards,
Tim & Ainslie – Ellerslie
Jade – Crying and desperately trying to get out!
Separation anxiety
We got Jade when she was 12 weeks old and she is out first dog that we have owned together.
We thought we were doing every thing right but after weeks of her crying at night, upset neighbours, and a night in the pound we decided we needed help
She discovered early how to escape over every fence we put up including 5 separate fence building sessions of that included concrete footings.
Dan was amazing, warm and approachable he shared with us training techniques and theories that made sense.
It was so valuable for us to see the methods put in place in our own home and talk to someone about our problems.
Jade is a very different dog now. She is settled at night and is happy staying at home by herself.
We are so thankful for all Dan's advice and highly recommend him to anyone who is having difficulties with their dogs.
Thanks Dan!
James, Nicole and Jade – Takanini
For help with separation anxiety see the home consultation page.
