Before resorting to giving sedatives to your dog to help with anxiety, it is highly advisable to try and address the issues of why your dog is suffering from anxiety.
There are many training techniques that are worth trying before you resort to drugs. Dogs that suffer from anxiety often have problems when owners leave the house or strangers come and visit. To improve this the first step is to stop making such a big deal about your departures and arrivals. When it comes time for you to leave, just leave. Don’t cry and gush and try to reassure your dog that he’ll be safe and you’ll be home soon. Just leave.
And when you arrive back home, ignore your dog for the first five minutes. Then give him a no-big-deal welcome. Also, before you leave the house, leave your dog and article of clothing that smells like you (such as a t-shirt you’ve slept in recently).
This change in your behaviour will quickly reduce your dog’s experience of your leaving and returning to a non-event and something undeserving of anxiety.
Closely related to the previous step, is to make use of a "Safe Cue” to first get your dog used to short-duration absences. A "Safe Cue” is a word or action or combination of both, that you use each and every time you leave, that tells your dog you’ll be right back.
For example, when you leave to pick up the newspaper or take out the garbage, your dog doesn’t panic because he knows you’ll be right back. By using a Safe Cue prior to leaving, your dog learns to associate the word and/or action with your brief but bearable absence.
There are many training techniques that are worth trying before you resort to drugs. Dogs that suffer from anxiety often have problems when owners leave the house or strangers come and visit. To improve this the first step is to stop making such a big deal about your departures and arrivals. When it comes time for you to leave, just leave. Don’t cry and gush and try to reassure your dog that he’ll be safe and you’ll be home soon. Just leave.
And when you arrive back home, ignore your dog for the first five minutes. Then give him a no-big-deal welcome. Also, before you leave the house, leave your dog and article of clothing that smells like you (such as a t-shirt you’ve slept in recently).
This change in your behaviour will quickly reduce your dog’s experience of your leaving and returning to a non-event and something undeserving of anxiety.
Closely related to the previous step, is to make use of a "Safe Cue” to first get your dog used to short-duration absences. A "Safe Cue” is a word or action or combination of both, that you use each and every time you leave, that tells your dog you’ll be right back.
For example, when you leave to pick up the newspaper or take out the garbage, your dog doesn’t panic because he knows you’ll be right back. By using a Safe Cue prior to leaving, your dog learns to associate the word and/or action with your brief but bearable absence.
