Content
- Dogs and routine
- false exits
- Exercise, the key to silence
- electronic resources
- Various types of toys
- don't make a drama
Every time he leaves the house, it's a real drama. Your dog howls with great intensity and it breaks his heart, and he doesn't know what to do to improve the situation. why does my dog howl when he is alone? This is a very common question that is answered with two words: separation anxiety.
THE separation anxiety it takes many forms, one of which is howling or crying when alone at home. Your puppy feels abandoned and your way of verbalizing it is howling. However, if your presence provides you with attention, education, routine and the necessary exercise, losing your best human friend for a few hours will not be so unbearable.
The good news is that there are several techniques you can try to try to reduce or eliminate howling when you're alone and make your puppy less attached and more independent. Continue reading this article from PeritoAnimal if your dog is a professional howler and find out the causes and solutions for this problem.
Dogs and routine
For dogs, routines are very important because give stability and security. Establish reliable, steady routines for your dog's life. Walking hours, diet, departure and arrival times, night walks and bedtime. If one day you don't do the morning or afternoon tour, at about the same time, that's no problem, however try not to make this a constant.
Your dog may even start to howl suddenly if there is any change in his routine such as changes in diet, a new housemate, changes in his work schedule that change his walking schedule, among others. When this happens give your puppy time to adapt to the new dynamics, this could take a few weeks. Some adult dogs newly arrived home may howl at first when left alone as they are getting used to their new home. It is important to emphasize that the changes are difficult for the dogs and this causes them anxiety and imbalance.
false exits
On the one hand, it will be essential to maintain clear and delineated routines, especially for walks, food and sleep, as you can accomplish this small changes in your personal outings. While you are in the process of fitting in, you should make many "false exits" before exiting permanently. Do this process in stages:
- Do everything as if you were going to leave the house, open the door, but don't leave.
- Exit through the door and come back soon.
- Go back out, wait 5 minutes and come back.
- Go back out, wait 10 minutes and come back.
- Go back out, wait 20 minutes and come back.
You should perform this routine daily, spacing more and more out of the house. It may not work at first, but if it's persistent, in the long run the dog will realize that every time you leave the house you'll come back, and this makes you suffer less.
Exercise, the key to silence
At PeritoAnimal we are always saying that exercise is the basis of a dog's daily life. exercise daily twice a day, in the morning and in the afternoon, will make your puppy feel less bored, less stressed and more cared for.
If your puppy howls too much, try giving him a long, active walk every day before he leaves the house to calm his anxiety and be tired by the time he leaves. Will prefer to sleep rather than howling at the door desperately. Remember that doing the exercise releases serotonin in your dog's brain, this will produce a relaxing feeling in your dog.
electronic resources
Your dog will have to be alone, that's a fact. However, to feel a little accompanied and don't end up crying when you walk out the door, let the radio or television on before leaving home. This will give you a certain feeling that you are not totally alone. Preferably choose a channel where people are talking, don't leave it with heavy music like rock metal, as this can upset your nerves and get the opposite effect. You can also try relaxing music for dogs, another way to help you stay calm.
Various types of toys
A good way to keep your puppy from barking or howling is to provide various types of toys, including teethers or bell balls. However, the most recommended is kong, which helps to treat separation anxiety.
Ideally, you should leave a good number of toys within reach, especially those that, like kong, are relaxing and expel food. This will distract you every time you move around the house, making you forget to howl.
don't make a drama
Don't make a drama every day. If you say goodbye to your dog as if it's the last time you'll ever see him, he'll understand you that way. Dogs are sensitive and intelligent animals and pick up all these messages. When it's time to go out, get your things and go out without long hugs or eternal kisses. Do as you do with your family, say goodbye normally and walk out the door.
You must do the same when you get home. Don't throw a welcome party. Act normally and your puppy will see your arrival as something normal, where he doesn't have to make a big fuss. Create these dynamics and your anxiety will decrease because he will see that your leaving and returning is normal.
Although it's very difficult for you, try to ignore any desperate attention-seeking like jumping and running around like crazy. Wait for him to calm down (5 minutes) and reward him with love and affection with a calm and assertive energy. Take the opportunity to divert the state of anxiety with a short walk to do all the necessities.
