When they are young, it is natural instinct for puppies to form an attachment to their mothers and to the environment around them. When they are removed from this setting, they become stressed and often cry a lot when you first bring home a new puppy. This is puppy separation anxiety and it can cause your new pet to develop behavioural problems when you don handle it properly. You have to allow the puppy time to become attached to you as the new owner and the environment of your home. To help ease the anxiety of the first few nights in your home, try placing a ticking clock in the place where the puppy sleeps or give it a teddy bear or small plush toy that it can cuddle into.

You should not make the puppy totally dependent on you. This will lead to separation anxiety issues every time you are out of sight. The resulting behaviour could mean that the puppy uses the bathroom in areas of the home even though it is puppy trained. If you leave the puppy alone in the home, you could return to see something destroyed or chewed up, such as your sofa or one of your favourite shoes. Excessive barking is also another sign of separation anxiety and leads to complaints from the neighbours that every time you are absent from your home the dog barks constantly. When the behaviour returns to normal as soon as you enter the door, then you know that there is no medical reason and you need to do something about the dog feelings of being separated from you.

The chances of the puppy having issues of separation anxiety can also stem from a traumatic experience in its life. For example, if the puppy was hurt accidentally by a toddler, the puppy may develop a fear of children. Thus, if you leave the puppy in a place where there are children it will become stressed when you are not around for protection. A sudden change in your living environment could be traumatic as well for the puppy that has just gotten used to living in a new location. The puppy may react to this environment in the same way it reacted when you first brought it home.

There is no one sign of separation anxiety that will tell you for sure that this is your puppy problem. Every dog is unique and reacts differently when they are separated from the owner and the things which with they are familiar. Some puppies will not eat or drink when there owner is out of the house. While many owners resort to punishing the dog for bad behaviour, this is directed at the behaviour itself and does not address the root of the problem. The most widely accepted way to help puppies suffering from separation anxiety is to have planned departures.

This means that you plan to be away from the dog for a short period of time and gradually extend these periods longer and longer. When you return home always make sure you greet the puppy and spend some time playing with it so that it starts to feel confident that you will return. You can also have a taped message playing over and over so that the puppy will think you are still in the house.