While you'd like to be able to take your dog with you everywhere you go, sometimes your dog has to wait for you alone at home. To prevent destructive behavior, barking, and crying, it is important to teach your dog to stay home alone.
How to teach your dog to stay alone
To begin with, staying alone is not a natural behavior for dogs. This is because they are social animals. When your dog is still a puppy, it's very useful to start teaching them to stay home alone. While it may not seem easy, you will have to detach yourself from your dog a bit, ignoring their requests for affection or games. Your puppy will quickly become bored and start to attack furniture or objects in the house. When your puppy does this, you'll need to teach them the word "no".
The goal is to teach your dog how to be bored without doing anything destructive or loud. Once your dog starts to get used to being bored, you will have to get them used to your absences. We suggest that you try to leave regularly, at different times and vary the length of your absences. This way, your dog will have trouble associating your departure with a specific time and therefore won't become anxious before you leave. Even if it's heartbreaking, try to leave your home without giving your dog too much attention.
When you return and see that your dog hasn't done anything wrong, pet them and praise them. However, if your pet has made a mess in the house, ignore your dog and clean up while your dog is out of sight so that they don't see it as a game.
Keep in mind that there is no need to get angry, your dog will not understand and it will only damage your relationship. Instead, try to be neutral. If you show interest in your dog when they have done something wrong, you will only encourage your dog to do it again.
Teaching your dog to stay still
Teaching your dog to stay still is useful in many situations. First, you need to teach your dog the "sit" and "down" commands. This requires patience but once your dog has learned it, they will no longer consider that you are abandoning him when you go to work. On the contrary, they will know that they must stay quietly waiting for you because they will have learned to manage their distance from their owners.
What is separation anxiety?
Separation anxiety is anxious feelings felt by a dog that cannot stand to be alone. It is also considered to be an excessive attachment to the owner.
Behavior related to separation anxiety can vary from dog to dog, but generally anxious dogs bark excessively, cry, have destructive behaviors, have a loss or excess appetite, and fuss excessively upon their owners return.
If you notice that your dog is feeling generally unwell, it's best to consult veterinarian. They'll be able to determine the cause of your dog's suffering and help you find a solution.
You might also enjoy reading: Anxiety in dogs
Has your dog learned to stay alone?