Separation Anxiety is one of the most common problems besetting dog owners. Anxiety causes the dog to display annoying behavior such as barking when it is left in the house. If this is tolerated, ignored or allowed to advance, your dog might become a menace, or it might create so much noise when left alone.

The Sources of Dog Separation Anxiety

Dogs are social animals. They have that certain sense of attachment to their master. Because of this attachment, it has a tendency to get overly agitated when left behind. It is important to note that anxiety is not caused by the mere attachment of the dog to its master, but by specific actions or pattern of events you take that it can connect to your absence. Dogs don’t want to be left behind, but its anxiety is not directly connected to your departure.

Separation anxiety occurs when you lavish your attention to your dog before you leave or when you arrive. You could also be doing a pattern of the same activities before you depart. Dogs can easily tag a sequence of activities overtime, and they will know that you are leaving. As the dog’s behavior is reinforced on a daily basis, time will come that it cannot contain its anxiety anymore, and anxiety is manifested.

Reducing Dog Separation Anxiety

Separation anxiety can actually be reduced in a variety of ways. Some of the known ones are:

Change Your Routine. Make changes to your routines, especially your pre-departure habits. Dogs are very attentive creatures. They can tag a pattern of a series of activities that are repeated overtime. Make sure to change your daily pre-departure activities so that the dog can not retain a particular pattern of your activities. This will help to slowly reduce your dog’s anxiety.

Don’t Reinforce it. Ignoring your dog for at least 10 minutes before you leave or upon your arrival will help to make the dog forget the connection of your departure to the attention that it gets. Petting a dog before leaving it on only reinforces its anxious behavior. Another way of preventing your dog from developing separation anxiety is to put it through crate training, or placing them in a separate room in the house, or leaving the house and coming back at varying intervals.

Building Up to Longer Times. A dog’s separation anxiety can be removed by altering its expectations, like the length of time that you will be away. As you see the dog getting anxious as you head for the door you can always choose to take time to extend your departure or leave the house for shorter intervals, then come back. Your dog will not be as anxious as they often see you coming back in a short period. From here, you can already start to extend the length of time that you will be away without your dog taking notice of it anymore.

You’re Not Being Mean

Separation anxiety is a behavior that should be stopped, and the way to eliminate it is not an act of cruelty. It is a way of helping your dog to behave normally and be free from stress. The act of altering predictable activity patterns and refraining from giving the dog lavish attention is a display of authority that the dog knows by instinct. Dogs that are free from anxiety and stress are happy pets.

Persistent anxiety problems need to be resolved as early as possible before they can aggravate into a more complex behavior problem. You can eliminate or reduce separation anxiety by not petting them before leaving and upon your arrival. Your dog should not be made to remember this connection to make it free from dog separation anxiety.

You will find out how Stan Beck’s Dog Training Methods can help you reduce your dog’s Separation Anxiety and other problems.

Crate Training Dogs can be a challenge. If a person is going to live with a puppy or adult dog one does not want them going to the bathroom indoors. Housebreaking your dog through crate training is a good option. Many dog trainers recommend this option. Consistency and patience is what makes crate training easy for a pet.

A dogs natural instincts is not to soil his sleeping area or den. When the dog learns that the crate is his special place then he will not soil his sleeping area. A dog likes to have his sleeping area clean like we do.

A cage or crate is a place to put your dog for a short period of time. They are used for travel by airplane, bus, or car. A person needs to get their pet used to it so they can be put in it without causing any stress on the pet.

Never use a crate for a means of punishment. This is the dogs special place to rest in; he should feel protected and safe in his home.

This type of training will take a lot of patience and time. It can take days to weeks depending how your dog responds to the training.

There are many types of crates. Plastic ones with a locking door are good for home, car or the airport. The dog should be able to stand up and turn around when placed inside. The collapsible metal ones are also good, and then there are fabric cages. Fabric cages are only meant to be used when you are with them.

In order to get started in training your dog to use the crate, put it near the owner. Get some toys to encourage him into the cage. If necessary get little pieces of food and place them near the door and slowly move the food inside the crate.

Some dogs will whine because they do not want to be in the crate. After the whining stops the dog can be let out. It is important to not let the dog have his own way. Be sure there is plenty of food and water in it.

People work and are gone most of the day, if this is your situation, find an alternative to the crate. A dog should not be kept in the crate all day. He is going to get crated at night so he needs freedom during the day.

Keeping a crate close to you will help with night crying. Dogs get lonely and want to be with their masters. If the dog has to go to the bathroom then take him. If he is whining merely because he wants out then make him stay in the crate. Usually the whining will last for a few nights when he first comes home.

Taking your pet out regularly will help him learn. After you feed him, when he wakes up, and before he goes to bed should all be times to go outside. Pick a spot for him to use and he will go there again. Exercise your dog to keep him healthy and happy.

Searching to read more about the steps to crate training, then visit TW Bell’s site on how to select the best dog crate for your pets needs.

Dogs are wonderful to have. They are great companions, good protectors and some can even assist the disabled. It is common for people to have a dog as a house pet. With a dog in the house it is important to train him to attain an orderly household. Dog crates great tools to use in the house training process. They are multi-purpose; they can be a play pen for puppies, a safe way to transport your pet, and it gives your dog a home away from home setting.

It is crucial to choose the right crate for your dog. If it is any bigger, the dog will defecate in the empty corner. The key points in buying a crate are to get the right size and should be comfortable for your dog to lay and stand inside it. One way to get the right size for your kennel is to take measurements. First, determine the height by taking the measurement from the shoulder of your pet down to the floor. The second is to take the length by measuring head to the base of the tail. Once you get the measurements, add three inches to both height and length, then, you will have the minimum dimensions of the kennel that you should buy. If you have a puppy, think about buying a wire crate that has a divider. This will make the crate adjustable to the size of the puppy and you can continue to adjust it as he grows.

There are several basic crate types available in pet stores. You can choose from plastic to aluminum ones. Or, if you opt to, you can have kennels designed to your preference.

A wire crate is, in fact, very durable. It has the best ventilation and is very easy to clean. This type of crate is rust-proof, collapsible and comes with a slide pan. Its collapsible feature provides you with the convenience to pack away for easy storage.

When traveling with your pet dog, airlines approve plastic dog crates. Plastic crates works for everything; it is lightweight and is easy to assemble. Usually, its ventilation is situated at the side panels which give your dog a good airflow. Some dogs can be frightened by the panel’s enclosed sides. If you suspect that your dog is claustrophobic, you should test this kennel with your dog first before purchasing. But for most dogs, they find this crate to be cozy and comfortable enough as a pet bed.

Metal or aluminum crates are heavy duty. They are perfect for big, heavy canines. They come in collapsible varieties; most of these crates are pre-assembled and easy to clean. Although, they are slightly heavier than most crates, they are useful for traveling. Be sure you purchase the one with proper ventilation. Some aluminum crates are airline approved. Check on further airline guidelines before purchasing.

With all the fully-customized pet accessories we can access through your local pet store or on the internet, finding the best dog crate to fit your needs, lifestyle and your pets personality is an easy task indeed. Sizes and embellishments are yours for the asking if you find the right supplier.

The ease of mobility afforded to you by these dog crates is truly invaluable as they give your dog the opportunity to travel with you in style and comfort. The journey you take will be made all the more memorable if you take your best friend along.

Looking to find out more about the steps to crate training, then visit TW Bell’s site on how to select the best dog crate for your pets needs.