Expert Tips to Reduce Separation Anxiety from Master Trainer Greg Kleva!

Pet Appreciation Week, June 10-17, is a perfect opportunity for pup parents to show their furry friends how much they care. One way you can demonstrate your love is to help ease the common stress of separation anxiety. Approximately 15 percent of dogs suffer from this condition when their caretakers leave the house, but there are steps you can take to ensure your pup feels safe, loved and protected when you’re away from home.

Professional dog behavioral therapist, master trainer and the host of "It's a Dog's Life" on Martha Stewart Living Radio on Sirius XM 110, Greg Kleva frequently deals with behavioral issues resulting from animal separation anxiety.

He offers the following advice to parents seeking ways to curb this behavior and show their pups love during Pet Appreciation Week:

1. Take Charge: If your dog is confused about his role, he may think it’s normal to worry when you’re gone.  Ignore your dog’s requests for petting, play, feeding, etc. and provide love on your terms. If you teach your dog to earn resources, he will understand who is responsible for keeping the “pack” safe.
2. Monitor Behavior: Thanks to modern technology, pet parents can keep an eye on their pets remotely. Products such as VueZone allow users to set up small, wire-free cameras at home, and then check in remotely via the VueZone website or mobile apps for iPhone and Android. This provides an easy way to check-in on your pooch and find out exactly what he or she is up to while you’re away. You’ll be more relaxed if you know Fido is resting peacefully on his doggie bed and not chewing through a table leg.
3. A Tired Dog is a Good Dog: Be sure your dog’s needs for physical (exercise) and mental (training, brain games, puzzle toys, etc.) stimulation are met. If your dog is exhausted in body and mind, she’ll be less likely to stress when you’re gone.
4. Practice Makes Perfect: Rehearse separation at home so that your dog knows that it is normal and—most importantly—that you will always return. Get your dog used to being left alone by separating yourself from the dog at home, using crates, baby gates or even short trips out the front door.
5. Mix it Up: Most of us repeat the same habits when walking out the door—picking up a purse, putting on sneakers, jingling the car keys. These cues can make your dog stress out or expect that you may be leaving. Try mixing up the sequence of events and doing those things at other times—for example, put on your sneakers then sit down and read a magazine. Also try recreating leaving the house for short periods of time frequently. Get your dog to learn that those events don’t mean you’re leaving, or that you’ll be gone long.
6. Don’t Make a Big Deal: Make your coming and going a non-event. Specifically, don’t coddle your dog with sweet tones as you depart, and ignore your dog’s excited requests for attention when you return home. Spend five to 10 minutes unpacking your things, getting changed from your work clothes, checking the mail, or other tasks until your dog is calm, and then greet him.
7. Flower Power: Consider all-natural stress relief and other remedies. Flower essences, herbals, dog appeasing pheromone, anxiety wraps, calming music or recorded ambient sound can help calm an anxious dog.

-- Special thanks to Dog Behavioral Therapist & Master Trainer Greg Kleva for these great tips.  Make sure to follow his blog on Martha's site by clicking here!

Comments

[Dog Tracking]

It's amazing how closely related dogs and people seem to be. The fact that they can actually get separation anxiety fascinates me.

[mike]

What a princess!

[Elizabeth]

Hi,Love your blog, it's so organised and clean, just the way I like my desk beorfe I start writing!Thanks for the really helpful info, I'm taking on NaNoWriMo for the first time this year, only found out about it around a week ago and already it features in every one of my blogs. I have also convinced my 8yr old and 11yr old to join in (actually they had much better plots than me, so I got jealous) and now my hubby is going to do it, although kicking and screaming.CheersCharmaine

[Gary]

What a wonderful video fielld with so many wonderful lessons about life and how we all have a purpose! You always have such amazing information on your site and I've been a lurker for a long time, and even spoke to you about buying one of your pups 2 years ago. Unfortunately you were far away and we really wanted to see the sire or dam of any pup we purchased because of a past experience with a dog we had purchased and not done that. We did however end up with a puppy from a few hours away that is out of your line and we couldn't be happier with him! If you visit my blog you can see pictures of Quinn and what a handsome and wonderful dog he is! He came from Ann and Will Stewart of Skyemoor Farm in Virginia, who own Bonnie, one of your puppies!Kathy

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