Have you frequently faced the stress of coming back to a messed up house, gouge marks on furniture and your little pup going frantic in your absence? (Not to mention the innumerable calls from angry neighbors calling about excessive barking and howling) CBD for dogs is heaven-sent for dealing with such scenarios of separation anxiety in dogs but let us first understand what separation anxiety is.
What Is Separation Anxiety In Dogs?
Dogs, being a highly intelligent species, are as much capable of emotional expression as humans. It shouldn’t really come as a surprise that your pet dog can become as much emotionally attached to you as you become to your furry friend.
Your dog can become dependent on you to such an extent that it starts showing signs and symptoms of acute distress in your absence. In cases of separation anxiety, the dog expresses relief when you come back home and becomes pacified soon afterward.
Separation anxiety is more common in adopted dogs that were abandoned in the past. Keeping a close eye on your dog’s behavior in your absence (via cameras) can help diagnose separation anxiety and
address the issue accordingly. The signs and symptoms of separation anxiety in dogs are
● Anxiety, for example, excessive pacing, shuddering
● Excessive panting or drooling
● Excessive barking, whining or howling
● Detrimental behavior such as chewing or clawing at furniture, doors, carpets etc.
● Soiling the house-urinating or defecating
● Attempting to flee or escape confinement, even inflicting self-injury during such attempts
● Culmination of such behavior after family arrives back home
How to Help Your Dog Overcome Separation Anxiety?
It can be particularly stressful to deal with separation anxiety in dogs but fortunately there are some radical steps you can take to help your dog cope with the stress of separation from family and become accustomed to prolonged periods of absence.
1. Crating
Dog crate can be used as a tool to help your pup beat separation anxiety. Crate time should be fun for your dog instead of coming across as a punishment. Keeping chewable, bones, dog treats, and toys in
the crate can turn crate time into leisure time. Lead them into the crate shortly before leaving the house so that your pup learns to associate that time with the feeling of happiness instead of misery.
2. Desensitization Desensitizing your dog is one of the best ways to help it outgrow separation anxiety. It helps your dog form a positive association with the experience of being left alone. If your pup becomes overtly anxious when you leave, start by leaving it alone for 10 minutes. Prolong the duration to 20 minutes, then half an hour, then an hour or two. Progressive and slow desensitization is more beneficial than leaving your dog alone all a sudden for hours at a stretch. In this way, you will be able to leave your dog home alone for longer periods when you go to work or even for longer durations with a dog-minder when you go vacationing.
3. Emotional detachment
Try not to turn the ordeal of leaving into a big thing by avoiding excessive cuddling, scratching or petting right before leaving. With such behavior, your dog might start asserting the time you leave as an emotional one and it will become hard for your dog to deal with the period of your absence. Leave your dog all alone right before leaving so that it does not become emotionally upsetting for your pup.
4. CBD dog treats
Cannabidiol-enriched dog foods can help calm your dog down. CBD is a natural ingredient obtained from the hemp plant and comes in a variety of forms like CBD oil, CBD tinctures, CBD capsules and even CBD dog treats. While CBD oil and tinctures can be added to regular dog food, CBD capsules can be particularly hard to disguise. The best option is CBD dog treats which come in ready-to-administer from, do not require any special preparation and are also mildly flavored to suit your dog’s taste buds. CBD acts on the mammalian body via the rich intrinsic network of endocannabinoid system. By acting on behavior-controlling brain centers and releasing happy neurotransmitters like serotonin in dog brain, CBD helps control anxiety in dogs. Giving a CBD dog treat to your canine companion before leaving can help it quieten down.
5. Conditioning
Conditioning is one of the most effective ways to deal with separation anxiety in dogs. Teach your dog to associate the period of absence with happiness by offering him a treat as a reward every time you leave. In this way, you can condition your dog not to become anxious every time you leave. CBD for dogs is the best in this regard as it can help pacify and condition your dog at the same time.