Separation Anxiety Disorder

Treating an adopted dog's abandonment and anxiety disorder so that they become calm and happy.
A calm and relaxed dog is a happy dog. And when this happens, the owners are happy too.
At Hope For Bali Dogs, we are very clear when we say that for a dog to be calm and relaxed, its owner has to be with the same energy.
If you have just adopted a dog, you must have in mind that it has been abandoned and quite possibly exposed to situations of hunger and danger, in other words: unprotected. Until this situation is reversed, the dog will have feelings of helplessness, leading to what we would call,
behave badly or have aggressive attitudes. The good news is that a dog can be rehabilitated.
We know that for you, it can be very distressing and exasperating. You may even be questioning whether you were right to have chosen adoption as the best way to have a pet. So we have to encourage you and tell you that the dog obeying orders and keeping its vital energy in its natural state can train them.

What is separation anxiety for a dog?
It is a state of nervousness from which the dog suffers when they are alone at home. This can be due to a previous experience of abandonment. Remember that their previous owner left the dogs without shelter and without food, surely exposed to many street dangers, which caused it a feeling of anguish. So when they are with a new owner, it understands that there is a possibility that the same situation will occur again.

What are the symptoms of separation anxiety?
Before making a firm diagnosis, observe what the dog is doing and rule out any other type of physical illness, as well as differentiating between disorder and age of the puppy. For puppies that are young or have high energy, it’s possible that what they are lacking is education or play.
These are the symptoms that should make you think that it is important to train the dog to rehabilitate it:
1. Continuous barking / howling when the owner walks out the door or is
delaying the return home.
2. Urinate, defecate or vomit anywhere in the house as a punishment for the owner.
3. Breaks objects or furniture.

How to treat dog separation anxiety?
If you have already ruled out that the dog may have nervousness due to a disease, it's time to take measures to train the pet and rehabilitate it so that it behaves well. So here are 10 guidelines that you have to follow to get started with the training:

1. Be patient and convinced that your dog can be a calm dog and it will understand that you are the one who gives the orders.
2. As César Millán says, don't confuse discipline with anger. So educate on positive, with constancy, because sometimes it takes time.
3. Remember that your mood is going to affect your dog and it will mimic with you. There’s a reason people say dogs end up looking like their owners.
4. When the dog is upset, ignore it completely. Just pay attention when it is calm and submissive. It is at this moment when you can caress him. This way it will understand that this is rewarded behavior.
5. When you leave home, say goodbye to them in a relaxed way. Make sure before you have taken it for a long walk, so that it feels tired and has low energy.
6. Find them a space in the house where it feels calm and safe.
7. You can leave a light on or the TV, and ensure they have toys to play.
8. Do not spoil the dog, the one who is in charge is you and it must understand that it does not get everything they want.
9. Act as soon as you detect the problem and do not wait for time to pass. The longer the situation lasts, the longer the rehabilitation will take.
10. Consult a specialist to help you train it if you don't know how to do it.
11. Leave home and come back in a few minutes, and do that exercise constantly. This way the dog will understand you always come back.

What should you NOT do to treat your dog's separation anxiety?
1. Punish it.
2. Take it out being excited. He has to go out calmly, wait at the door until he feels calmer before leaving.
3. Wear an anti bark collar. This will be used in very extreme cases and having ruled out other possibilities.
4. To not exercise it.
5. To not treat the cause and only the symptoms.
6. Abusing drug treatment.

When to use drug treatment to cure separation anxiety.
If the disorder is very acute, there is the possibility of using drugs that help to train and get results sooner. If you decide to use this treatment, it is very important that you consult first with the vet.

You have already seen that abandonment and anxiety disorder can be the result of having had bad past experiences, as well as recognizing what the symptoms are. Don't forget to put in practice, remember the advice for rehabilitation and consult a specialist for help in the training if necessary. Remember that there are techniques that should not be used and, above all, keep in mind that this situation is reversible. You just need patience, discipline and that your state be calm so that your pet aligns with it.

It will be great to read your comments, about your experience, your doubts and your opinion about dog separation anxiety disorder.