The 26th of June would ordinarily be “Take Your Dog To Work Day.” For many of us, we have in essence been doing that for the last few months as some of us have been working from home or simply at home with our pups. Our dogs have enjoyed all the extra fuss and attention, more frequent treats and just being with their owners more. But as we ease out of lockdown and some of us are returning to our places of work we find that our dogs have to adjust to being home alone again. Some puppies may find themselves at home alone for the first time.
Having gone through the recent stay-at-home measures, many pet owners may find that when they leave the house without their dog, the dog is no longer behaving in the same way. A dog’s anxiety at being separated from his owner can result in more destructive behaviours (such as chewing household items), increased barking or whining, or more hyperactive behaviour. For those people who acquired a puppy just prior to the lockdown, this is the only type of lifestyle that the puppy knows. So experts recommend gently easing your dog or puppy into adapting to life without you constantly at home. In an article from the BBC, Dr Chris Muldoon, recommends that people “pretend” to go to work by dressing in work attire and leaving the house for short periods of time to get the dog used to this scenario. He also recommends that dog owners reward only the good behaviour and don’t react to a lot of barking or negative behaviour as that can lead to more anxiety in the dog.
Anxiety in dogs doesn’t just come from suddenly needing to be home alone for longer periods of time. For some dog owners, it has been a long time since their dog has travelled in a car and they could see some anxiety related to this too. The following suggestions that may help reduce this type of anxiety in your dog.
- Give your dog a secure place to ride in the vehicle where he can be comfortable and knows that you are around too. A Travall Guard gives that exact scenario and has a perfect, rattle-free fit, which helps reduce further anxiety.
- Get your dog used to getting in and out of the car again. Initially you don’t need to drive anywhere, but then take him on short journeys so he gets more and more used to being in the car.
- Reinforce good behaviour with extra fuss and petting and try not to over react if your dog is barking a lot.
- If your dog continues to respond poorly to trips in the car, talk to your veterinarian who can recommend anti-anxiety medication appropriate for your dog’s particular situation.
