How can I cure separation anxiety in my dog?
My beagle has severe separation anxiety. I cannot leave him alone without him howling nonstop for hours. It causes me stress because I feel like I spend as much time as can with him, but I have a life and have to be away from him sometimes for work and school. I am reluctant to get another dog as many people say because I don’t want to risk doubling my problems. What are some good ways to help cure him of separation anxiety, or at leas keep him from howling so frantically?
Tags: beagle, separation anxiety
you can’t cure it, but you can help control it. make sure before you leave you take him outside on a strenous walk. get a crate and get him accustomed to it. once he’s comfortable it will give him a place he knows is safe and you’ll return. make the crate a safe and fun place to be. put things he finds comforting in it, as long as he won’t eat them. and don’t leave him in the crate for long periods. you’re best to put him in the crate in a room where you can dissapear from. don’t make a sound while he’s howling. once he stops even for a second return. do not make a big deal out of it. act like it’s the most normal thing in the world for you to be doing. keep doing this for longer periods until you get the desired reaction from the dog. consistancy goes a long way. make this a several times a day thing at first. start small and work up to longer periods. do not make a big deal out of leaving. just place him in the crate and leave. because it’s no big deal. hopefully soon he’ll settle down and be on a routine with things and know what to expect. and you are right, adding another dog is going to double your problem. the new dog will learn this is what you do when the owner leaves.