Tuesday 21 June 2016

Minimising Contrast for your Separation Anxiety Dog

It can be one of the greatest feelings in the world; coming home to your dog, jumping into your arms, giving you wet kisses, tail wagging a million miles a second. It makes us feel like we're loved. It makes us feel important. So we fuss our dogs right back so they know we're happy to see them too. So what's the issue? For a separation anxiety dog, this massive contrast between when you were gone, and when you are home only serves to increase their anxiety. Instead, we want our dogs to feel like us being gone is no big deal. To achieve this, it means creating a window of calmness on either side of your absence.

If you want to say a big goodbye to your dog, do it before you even start getting ready, at least half an hour before you leave. Don't make a big fuss of him just as you are walking out the door! Again, this just creates a huge contrast for him between you being home and you being gone. If you want to spend a bit of time with your dog before you go, have a calm session of gentle massage or Tellington TTouch This will actually help to lower your dog's blood pressure and heart rate which will lower his anxiety and increase calmness.

When you get home after an absence, you don't have to flat out ignore your dog, but don't engage with him either. Just go about your business, and if you want to, talk to him in a calm, soft manner. Don't create or encourage excitement around your arrival home. It might make you feel great, but it won't help your dog in the long run. Wait 20 minutes or so before fully engaging with your dog so that you have effectively minimised the contrast between your absence and your arrival home.

Happy Training :)




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