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How to Calm Your Puppy’s Separation Anxiety

A puppy’s separation anxiety can be very challenging to deal with for many puppy parents. Every time you leave for work, your puppy’s separation anxiety can spike up, causing them to whine, cry, or even tear up the entire house.

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We’ve gathered a couple of 5 key tips you can use to calm down your puppy before you leave the house. Here’s how you can help your puppy’s anxiety:

1. Calm your puppy while you get ready.

When you’re starting to get ready to leave the house, your puppy is usually able to tell. This may cause them to start experiencing anxiety symptoms early on. You can calm your puppy down by staying calm. Don’t show any excitement or express sadness about leaving the house—instead, remain assertive. You can also practice and train good behaviors through conditioning and positive training. Pick a time you can use to “get ready” and practice keeping your furbaby as calm as possible.

2. Go on a long walk with your puppy before leaving.

Walks are a great way to keep your puppy entertained and relaxed. We recommend taking your puppy on a long walk before you leave home. This gives them a chance to stimulate their senses and spend time with you. You can alternate between walking and running, which will tire them out once they get home. Just make sure you bring food and water to keep your puppy’s strength.

3. Tell your puppy goodbye before you leave.

Once you’re ready to go, show your furry friend some love by giving them kisses (not too much!) and snuggles. Say “goodbye” before you walk out the door to let them know you’re leaving. Doing this repeatedly can help create a routine with your puppy—it may even keep you calm as well!

4. Create an activity for your puppy.

You have countless forms of puppy entertainment at your fingertips, and we think you should make use of them! Doggy TV channels and videos, for example, are designed with visuals and sounds to keep your puppy entertained for hours. These can be found on platforms on YouTube. You can also provide your puppy with Kong Toys, chewable toys, and other puppy toys to distract them from anxious behavior. This may not work for puppies with severe separation anxiety and so, you may need to try the next tip to help your furry friend!

5. Train some independence in your puppy.

You can train your puppy to be more independent through different training exercises, such as games that involve distance and giving your puppy some space. It can be hard for some puppy parents to think of their puppies no longer being so dependent on them but it’s useful in the long run. Through independence training, your puppy’s confidence is boosted and shows them that they don’t need to constantly be with you.

Of course, there are some special cases where a puppy’s anxiety is severe enough that none of these tips will work to their full effect. If this is the case with your beautiful puppy, you may need to talk with a puppy behavior specialist or trainer.

Every puppy is a unique case, and while some puppies may have it worse than others, you can definitely keep your furry companion under control.

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