Your Dog and Separation Anxiety - Training and Treatment

Your dog is scratching at the door again. You've just let her out so you can attend to a visitor, and now he's having a major freak-out - whining and wailing and gouging up the doorplanks. It seems to happen every time you're out of your dog's direct line of vision. Bad enough she tears up the house while you're away at work; lately, she's started acting up while you're still getting ready in the morning, whimpering and barking as you pick up your keys. The poor dog is a nervous wreck, and frankly you're not feeling so hot either. What to do?

You are the most important person in your dog's life, and naturally your presence is a comfort to her. But if your dog is tearing the door apart to get to you on the other side, it may be a sign of anxiety. The protective instinct is strong in dogs, and when your dog is separated from you during your workday, she may be afraid that something terrible will happen to you.

Another occasion for anxiety comes when you shut the dog outside or into another room, as to deal with a deliveryman or visitor. In such cases, her concern is for herself and her place in the hierarchy of your little pack. She feels rejected; you've sent her away, banished her, and her status within the social structure of the family is suddenly uncertain.

Whatever the cause of her insecurity, your dog needs reassurance from you before the behavior can be resolved. Desensitization training can help her to understand that separation is temporary. Research indicates that dogs, like most animals, perceive time very differently than humans do, with little functional concept of "the future" and limited ability to plan; but they can learn to associate stimulus clues with events, and thereby anticipate coming events - as in Pavlov's famous experiment.

In a weekend of intensive training, you can start conditioning your dog to disassociate your departure rituals - e.g., gathering up your keys, or putting on your jacket - from the stress of separation, simply by performing those actions several times without actually leaving the house. By repeatedly going through the motions of departure while your dog is in a calm, submissive state, you are deactivating the triggers for her fear. When you do leave the house, don't make a big goodbye. You're not going to slip away unnoticed - your dog is far too alert for that - but by keeping the event low-key, you're sending her the message that this No Big Deal.

The same desensitization approach can work to calm your dog's fear of banishment when you isolate her. Open the door to her crate or play yard and, using a toy, encourage her to enter. Allow her to explore the environment, and walk away, all the while leaving the door or gate open. The idea is to get her used to the isolation space without anxiety. Once she's comfortable with being in the crate or yard by herself, you can close the door or gate for a short time. If she scratches at the door, ignore her until she settles. Repeat the process several times, leaving the door shut for a longer time with each repetition.

The end goal of the training is to have the dog focus on what's happening on her side of the door, rather than on your presence on the other side - so it's vital to have toys and comfort items in the space. And again, don't make a big fuss when it's time to isolate the dog. If you're calm and matter-of-fact, she will take her cues from you.

These conditioning techniques are the most certain way to alleviate behavioral problems. Keep in mind, though, that they will only be effective if undertaken while your dog is calm and settled; if your dog's anxiety is particularly intense - to the degree where she cannot settle even with you present in the room - these exercises may actually make the problem worse. If this is the case, it may be necessary to have your vet prescribe an anti-anxiety medication - at least as a temporary measure, to allow your dog to relax enough to benefit from the behavior-modification training.

With the proper mix of reassurance and training, you and your dog can get back to enjoying the time you spend together, rather than stressing over the time you spend apart.

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What to Do About a Barking Dog

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If you are lucky enough to live in a pet-friendly apartment community, you know firsthand how great it can be to share life surrounded by furry friends. Unfortunately, with the bliss of pro-animal living comes that old occasional nuisance - the barking dog.

Whether it's a middle of the night 'I heard something outside' watchdog alarm going off or just a round-the-clock yapper, few things can be as sleep-depriving and annoying as man's best friend on a barking binge. So what is a sanity-drained apartment fan to do?

Your best bet is to bring the problem to the attention of the dog's owner. It's possible the barking is a result of separation anxiety brought on by your neighbor's daily departure for work, which can often be corrected with some basic dog obedience training. If this is the case, odds are good your neighbor may not even be aware of the problem, so address the situation tactfully and with a friendly demeanor.

If you are met with a less-than-friendly response to your complaint, you will probably need to bring the problem to the attention of the apartment community manager. Even the friendliest of pet communities usually have noise ordinances in place, and if the barking is constant and disruptive it may constitute a lease violation. Strengthen your case by letting a tape recorder run to document the non-stop noise barrage, and keep yourself a 'bark journal', noting the date, time and duration.

If the barking is the result of blatant neglect, such as a neighbor keeping an unreasonable amount of animals in their apartment (two dogs is usually the limit with most leases) or leaving their pet unattended for the weekend, you are well within your rights to contact animal control. However, if at all possible you should try and reach a friendly resolution to the problem. Remember, a little communication goes a long way, and a majority of the time you'll be pleasantly surprised to learn your neighbor's bark is far worse than their bite.

A freelance writer, journalist, editor and all around info hound, Philip Hicks has been creating content since birth it seems. As an expert in a number of industries and subjects, Philip offers tremendous insight to help readers better understand a variety of topics. Some of Philip's work can be seen on ApartmentHomeLiving.com, Altercation.net as well as a variety of other web and non-web locations. With a mind on always staying topical, Philip always strives to entertain, enlighten and engage. Enjoy!

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Why Vitamins Are Important for Dogs

It goes without saying that humans need the right amount of vitamins and minerals to ensure that we are in the pink of health. Our doctors will prescribe us different nutritional requirements, depending on our age, body type, activity and genes. The same is true for dogs. You may be feeding them all-natural dog food or they may be sticking to a raw food diet, but essential nutrients is still crucial to their growth. If only your dog knew what his body needed to ensure that he grows up healthy and strong, he would have probably barked all the way to the vet!

As your dogs grow older, you will notice that their appetites are not the same as before. This is especially true when they are already in the mature age. This is where vitamin supplements come in. Older canines should receive the right amount of vitamins, and providing them supplements when their appetites have decreased will really help.

There has been countless forums on whether vitamin supplements are mandatory for a dog's diet. Some may say that the right dog food will already have the combination of what a dog needs; others would argue that this may not be enough. Since the manufactured dog food that we buy in groceries and supermarkets are packed and canned, there is a possibility that the potency of some of the vitamins are lost in the process. Exposing the food through extreme heat may somehow lessen the effects of these vitamins to our pets and so we might need to provide them additional alternatives. Majority of the pet food available nowadays would tell you how much vitamins a dog needs to have, but again, this is only a recommendation. It will only provide us an average estimate but will not give us information on how we are able to prevent certain pet diseases.

The amount of vitamins that your dog needs is actually dependent on the type of breed. For example, golden retrievers are prone to hip dysplasia, arthritis and other diseases concerning the bones. If untreated, they have a tendency to be crippled. That would be the last thing that we want to see happening to our dog! This is why vitamin D will be important to your canine. This will directly impact your dogs' bones, as well their teeth.

Other vitamins would also help keep your dog healthy and strong; vitamin E is for their skin and can act as an antioxidant; vitamin K aids in regular blood flow and circulation. Healthy muscles should also be important, and vitamin B is a good source for it. As with humans, vitamin C also helps as an antioxidant as well as for stress.

The appetite of your dog is extremely important as well. Fortunately, there are also specific vitamins that can help increase your dog's appetite and control your dog's metabolism. Water soluble vitamins like vitamin B and C are daily supplements and should be taken every day; Vitamins A,K,E and D are called fat soluble and this stays longer in the body.

Your pet is an important part of your home and you want to make sure that the right amount of vitamins are available to them. Read up on nutritional content and your dog will be at their healthiest!

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