… He Just Does Not Like Being Alone

She came in as a foster dog. A friend of mine had to make the difficult decision to find a better home for her. She could no longer take care of Bear.  She had rescued her a few years ago. She was skin and bones back then and quite a hand full.  Escape artist, she would roam the neighborhood, not coming back when called and barked her head off while alone. As time went on she got worse and worse..

Bear has separation anxiety and does not like staying alone.

It is not always the case. Some dogs will act out when left by themselves and some will get anxious  when the owner leaves.

If you dog can easily be distracted when away from you, and get distress only he is when alone at home, he  just does not like being alone. An easy fix for that is to get a second dog, a cat, use the service of a dog day care center or a dog walker.

If you dog get distressed when you are out of sight even when someone is with him, your dog has separation anxiety.

When nothing can distract him  (including food or his favorite toy) until you are back in sight. it will take a little bit more work to fix.. A professional dog trainer or dog behavior can help you find solutions to your situation. It certainly can be addressed. Keep in mind in some cases it will never totally go away but can be managed.

With Bear, I have to admit, I never did anything about her separation anxiety.  First , she decided to stay with us. I had no intention to have a second dog. Somehow she worked her way into my heart and bonded with Timba my own dog. I work from home most of the time and when I have to go places, the dogs come along. Otherwise they both stay with a friend of mine when I cannot take them with me. As long as Timba is there she is OK.

Tags: anxious dog