Common myths about separation anxiety

Separation Anxiety is a complex matter and very much misunderstood.

Often well meaning family and friends will tell you, “it’s just a dog and they have to get over it!”

Below are 4 common Separation Anxiety misconceptions that many owners are told…there are many more too!

1. You caused your dog to have Separation Anxiety

Nobody knows for sure exactly what causes separation anxiety in dogs. Experts do not agree, so it would be unreasonable to say you caused your dog’s separation anxiety.

We have to consider that separation anxiety may be genetic or something may have happened to your dog before you bought it home.

Separation Anxiety may be caused by a number of things.

2. Your Dog Soiled/Chewed the Furniture to get back at you!

Despite popular belief, dogs DO NOT think this way! Their brain is not designed to have thoughts such as "I'm going to do this out of spite!”

Your dog did these things because they couldn't help it, not for revenge or with other spiteful intent.

3. If you let them "cry/bark it out", they will eventually stop!

There are many types of bark and often, barking is a means to an end OR it can be an emotional response.

Unlike attention barking which often results in... well, getting attention - barking from fear is a whole different matter.

A fearful dog being left home alone is not thinking, "give me a cookie!" but instead is experiencing a deep emotion of anxiousness and fear, an emotion it is unable to control.

The more fearful and anxious the dog is, the more it begins to panic = the more likely it is to continue to cry/bark.

4. Getting another dog will 'fix' Separation Anxiety.

Research papers suggest that whilst a small handful of dogs 'may' be helped by having a doggie companion, the underlying anxiety still exits when their playmate is not present.

This is just one of the many considerations to take into account before thinking of dashing out to get another dog.

A few thoughts…

If resolving separation anxiety was a simple matter then it would not be an issue and few, if any dogs would be suffering with this.

It takes time and effort to help these dogs…a marathon and not a sprint. There are no magic solutions but there is hope.

Each dog is an individual and thus the training is all about the dog in front of us.

For further help and information please reach out, here to help.