Separation Anxiety in Dogs

Our dogs can be pretty dapper. They've been trained to behave in many different ways. From simple tricks and games to sociable displays of affection, they tend to get a lot of enjoyment out of exhibiting their skills. One of the more interesting skills they tend to excel at, however, is behavior modification or "managing" behavior. A dog that understands that its actions have any affect on how it is perceived by others will respond to those actions accordingly.

Manage behavior in dogs can take two general forms. First, there is instinctual; the kind of behavior that is motivated by an underlying need. Most of us can recall instances where we've interrupted a play because we were upset with the way that the other players in the game had treated our pet. Examples of this would be, for example, when a little child grabbed and held a toy or when adults talked over to get our dog to stop what it was doing. Intimidation, aggression, whining, barking, aggressiveness and chasing are all examples of instinctual behavior.

The other form of behavior that can be managed is learned. A dog that has had consistent training in how to behave around people and other dogs can effectively learn to adapt to differing situations by learning to respond to what works best for them. A prime example of a learned response is that of dogs changing their estrous cycles (or releasing their estrous hormones). There are many different ways that we can teach our dogs to respond to situations and to thus behave appropriately.

Here is the key point that I want to make: no matter how well a dog responds to training, it will never truly understand or know how it should behave towards people unless it is given a direct instruction from its master or owners. This is where domestic dog training comes in. Every single time you enter your house through the front or back door, you must instruct your dog to sit and wait until it is his or her turn to walk. This command alone will teach him or her to look upon humans with solicitude and respect instead of fear and aggression.

One more example would be to point out that dogs do not automatically jump on people as they walk by. This is because of their un learns nature, which means that they do not know if the action will earn them a favor or a glare. This is where using a clicker and rewarding your dog's behavior with a treat is so important. An alternative to this method would be to use praise and a pat.

Separation anxiety in dogs is one of the biggest problems for dog owners in today's society. Many owners do not know how to handle this type of behavior and are not sure which way to turn. Luckily, there are plenty of great books and articles on the internet teaching dog owners how to deal with it. If you prefer a more formal approach to dealing with this type of behavior in your dog, contact one of your local obedience classes. The one thing about handling separation anxiety in dogs is knowing what to do when it happens. Below are two examples of what most instructors will recommend when this occurs:

As you can see, teaching your dog how to respect another dog is very important and the sooner we can all do it, the better off everyone will be. In order to keep your dog safe and happy, ensure that he or she knows who their own master is and never let another dog into their territory. Happy training!