Disclaimer: Unless specifically stated, any expert comments quoted in this news piece have been taken directly from the video cited below.
Teaching your pup to be comfortable home alone can be a process for a lot of pet parents.
While the majority of our canine companions don't like being left on their own, some fare better than others.
For those that really struggle, understanding how to reduce separation anxiety in dogs is vital.
And according to expert trainer and behaviorist Louise Glazebrook, laying the foundation for this starts when you're together.
Read on as we reveal four tips Glazebrook recently shared to Instagram that will help you teach your dog how to be alone.
1. Make them feel secure: "Don't keep getting up and leaving the room when they fall asleep," Glazebrook advises. "When they wake and can't see you they will panic. Which then makes it hard for dogs to rest for fear of being left."
2. Practice making yourself unavailable: "When your dog is tired, it can be really useful to be in the room but not available to play or interact," says Glazebrook. "E.g., sitting at the table on a laptop. This is still practising separation."
3. Know that breeding impacts this: "We cannot deny that breed, breeding, and genetics impacts a dog's ability to be separated, so don't always assume it is something you are doing wrong."
4. Don't follow your dog everywhere: "Hard to do, especially with puppies, but let your dog seek out independence in your home and garden," Glazebrook recommends. "And don't follow them everywhere or they will think you have separation anxiety!"
Anxiety in dogs can be a challenging issue to deal with, but with time, patience, and consistency, your pup can learn to become more comfortable being on their own.
If you're at all concerned about your dog's levels of anxiety when you're apart, we recommend speaking with your vet or a qualified behaviorist.
