Pet owners feel the pain when they have to leave their pets behind during the day while they are off working or taking care of family matters. These pets experience different degrees of separation anxiety, and they can either react with unusual behavior or become reclusive. When your pet can not cope being left alone, it is time to take action to give them some comfort until you arrive back home.
These 7 ways to help your pet cope with separation anxiety should give both of you some time to catch your breath and relax more until you are with each other;
1. Blocking Out Distractions at Home
When your pet is left alone in the house all day, every sound and distraction wakes them from a sleep and leads them to think you are back home as they scramble to see where you are. When your pet is easily distracted by the mailman, the UPS truck, the neighborhood kids, or even a bird outside the window, it is time to create a diversion. Start by closing the curtains so they cannot see outside and become concerned about where you are. White nose is ideal for creating a soothing distraction that can last all day.
Leave a small radio playing soft music or the television on a music channel all day. Once the pet gets used to hearing the music, it will drown out little noises around the property that get your pet all worked up.
2. Giving Your Pet Entertainment
One way to help your pet to cope with separation anxiety is to give them something else to look at while you are gone. Computer screens that utilize screen savers that simulate an aquarium are great for distracting the pet. Leave some chew toys on the floor, hide a bone in the kitchen, or place a few snacks around the room to give them something to do while they are waiting for you to get home.
A well-secured fish tank could provide countless hours of distractions for your pet as they listen to the bubbles and watch the fish move around.
3. Perfecting the Exit Strategy
The reason that your pet is concerned about you leaving is because they don’t know you are coming back. Start by leaving for a few minutes, then open the door and give them a big welcome hug. Do this again for a little longer, again rewarding them with extra love when you return.
If you perfect the exit, they will look forward to you returning even when you are gone for hours at a time because they know you are coming back.
4. Wrapping Your Pet
Grab one of your tee shirts or a blanket from around the house and wrap up your pet before you leave. Being in that comfortable state could be all your pet needs to deal with the anxiety of not seeing you for hours at a time.
Once your pet gets used to seeing you come home, they will recognize that getting wrapped up is when they have to rest for the day until your return.
5. Eliminating Signs You’re Gone
Don’t give your pet reasons to think you are gone by leaving behind certain things that remind them of you. Place the ball that you play with, their leash, and anything that could give them a bout of anxiety and hide it until you return.
If they are staring at the leash on the back of the chair all day wondering when you will return, it will only make matters worse.
6. Wearing Out Your Pet
Exercise with your pet before you know you have to leave so you wear them out. Once you leave, they will crash in their bed to recover until you return.
7. Calming Scents to Relax Your Pet
Look online for dog-appeasing pheromones, these are similar to the ones that the mother dog gives off. These can help calm the pet until you return.
These 7 ways to help your pet cope with separation anxiety will give them a better chance to relax and allow you to focus during the day without worrying your pet is a mess without you.
