How to prevent separation anxiety in puppies

I said to prevent, so it’s clearly not for separation anxiety dogs. Neither to adult dogs who were never trained to be left. Careful!

8 things you can do to start this process:

– Close the door when you go in the bathroom for a quick number 1.
This way the puppy starts to understand you come and go it’s not a big deal.

– Never sneak out of the room when the puppy is not looking or is taking a nap.
This will make the puppy very anxious about relaxing. If your puppy is constantly alert, this will sensitize them more for separation issues.

– Take the bins out quickly and leave the dog by themselves
The bathroom door is one thing, the front door is a different thing.

– Ask for a friend to pet sit your puppy
Many dogs can panic to be left by a specific person. Make sure your clingy puppy is happy with friends and family members.

– Don’t use punishment
Punishment of any kind is a source of anxiety because the dog is always watching out to not make mistakes. This makes them more likely to show signs of distress when left alone.

– Have a routine
Being predictable help a lot of anxious dogs. But only if you’re leaving them for max 2h for puppies and 4h for adult dogs.

– Exercise the puppies following the guidelines of the ratio of five minutes of exercise per month of age.
More exercise than that can overstimulate them and make things worse.

– Allow the dog to have independency and play by themself.
I know they’re cute, but you don’t have to give inputs all the time. Give your pup some space and time by themselves.

– Crate train your dog to create a safe haven.
But never never never use the crate if your dog doesn’t love it. I mean it! And love is not the same as cope.

Well done for reading all of it!

Now, I need to tell you some things to ensure you’re going to succeed: Stop any of this if your dog vocalise, eliminate or show signs of distress while doing it. In this case, you need closer help with a dog behaviourist. (Hi!)

Have you done any of this and is having trouble now? Send us a message and let’s talk about training.