#4 - How to Prevent Separation Anxiety in Dogs During Coronavirus Lockdown.

Your Dog Matters. With Dog Behaviourist Nick Jones MA. Podcast

The two main strategies to prevent separation anxiety in dogs during the Coronavirus lockdown:

  1. Maintaining the basic standards you (should) already have with your dog.

    i) Manners, Calm, Polite, Respectful behaviour.

    ii) Whilst maintaining fun, joy and exercise where appropriate, play, brain games, etc.

    The above represents a balanced approach!

    Examples include:

    Sit & Wait - Doorways, feeding, before petting, before sofa access.
    Meals & Food Manners - Waiting politely, not begging, not encroaching.
    Privileged locations - stick to the plan of what works and is agreed as a family.
    Doorways - no barging past you. Sit and wait and then come when called.
  2. Measures to help prevent separation anxiety.

    Owners with dogs that already have SA not so much an issue as you’re together and may need to be addressed via 1-2-1 later on, but otherwise these are good ways to keep the status quo.

    i) In-Home - Day to day interactions in the home

    Leaving alone for short spells with a distraction device (see Kong video)

    Attention seeking behaviour should be ignored. Interactions should be on your terms.

    Does your dog shadow/follow you? Block and distract.

    Managing sleep and rest areas
    ii) Out of home - Coming and going.

    House departures. Test, how does your dog react? Record audio?

    Leave your dog in a suitable location - crate, utility, kitchen etc.

    Regular sessions and aim to build. 1 hour is often stable.

    House returns should be calm, not excitable.

    Ignore until calm (5-10 mins) then Sit = Hello

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