Separation anxiety is the kind of dread a dog experiences when you or someone close to him leaves. This is an emotional experience that humans feel too, so it is easy to relate to your dog's anxiety, however it is largely irrational because you will return and the separation is only temporary. Your dog doesn't understand this and must be taught not to get anxious. A dog that is feeling anxious may bark uncontrollably or urinate or chew things up. If the dog is in your home at the time then this is unwanted behavior. It is also not good for your dog's wellbeing to feel these sensations and you are responsible for the health of your dog. This article will give you some ideas on avoiding separation anxiety in dogs.

Separation anxiety prevention should begin at birth. A puppy that is not allowed to wean off it's mother could display separation anxiety in later life. It should be weaned off and relatively independent by around the eight week period so don't get a puppy that is younger than this.

Start teaching your puppy about separation anxiety as soon as it gets into it's new home. although it is hard not to cuddle a puppy, try not to be too affectionate. This is pertinent at night times when you are going to bed. Place you puppy in it's sleeping basket and walk away. Don't make a fuss of it. It will learn that there will be times when it is alone.

You need to communicate through actions that your puppy will be alone at time but that you will return. This will prevent separation anxiety when the dog gets older.

It might not be as straightforward to train a grown dog to not suffer from separation anxiety. Often grown dogs may have come from a shelter, the pound or have been given to you by the previous owner.

A dog that has spent any time in a shelter or pound has effectively been abandoned by it's previous owner. Thus anxiety over a past or future separation may be a completely rational conclusion to draw from past experience. It may also have had little affection in the shelter making it even more anxious.

If it has been given to you by the previous owner there is generally a good reason why they have done this. It may be that there were family problems, a divorce, money problems or that the person had to leave the country. As a dog is a social animal and needs the support that a family gives to it, it is also aware when there are problems in the family. This can trigger emotional problems that could result in displaying separation anxiety at some point.

So for an older dog the first step is to heal old emotional wounds. In terms of separation anxiety, you will have to leve at some point so start off slowly. Practice leaving. Leave for a few minutes and then return. Don't make a gbig deal of the leaving and returning, so as to imply that this is a normal process.

Continue doing this but increase the length of time that you a separated from your pet. If the dog starts to howl or get anxious then go back to a time period that is comfortable. Although this might be tedious, you should continue it until the dog does not get anxious when you leave.

Other strategies that may work are to keep you pet bust while you are out. So you could hide some tasty treats in the garden to take his mind off the fact that he is alone.