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When you bring home that adorable puppy her dog behavior is so cute. She puts her feet up on you to get your attention, jumps in your lap, jumps up and down on her hind legs begging to be picked up.

And what do you do? You reinforce all those dog behaviors. Give her attention, pick her up, make sure she’s comfortable on your lap. Then, lo and behold, she grows from 15 pounds to 75 pounds and is still jumping on you. That cute puppy behavior is now bad dog behavior. In fact, it’s downright maddening and you can’t get it to stop.

Humans often give dogs mixed signals — telling them to do one thing, but reinforcing very different dog behavior. Or expecting dogs to read our minds — is it ok to jump up sometimes but not others? Which is which? Dogs can’t figure that out.

You probably don’t even know you’re sending mixed signals.

Situations change throughout the day- you love that your dog jumps up on the bed to wake you with sloppy, wet kisses; it is endearing to have your dog greet your return with the big stretch to reach up so you will pick them up or love on them; it is helpful when the dog jumps up on a chair to help you put the leash on the collar.

It becomes a problem when guests come over and the dog jumps on them; when you are dressed up and now dirty feet have ruined your outfit; or when it is just simply not convenient.

STEPS TO STOP THE JUMPING

As humans, it’s our job to teach dogs how we want them to behave. Here are some easy tips to change that unwanted dog behavior.

1. BE CONSISTENT

Figure out what you want and then be consistent with what you desire. Do you want your dog to jump or not? Dogs don’t understand “sometimes”.

If the answer to the question is, I want the jumping to stop, then take a look at your situation and ask yourself these questions:

When does it happen?

What are your various responses?

When are you consistent?

When are you not consistent?

How can you be gentle and clear with your responses?

2. DO NOT REINFORCE THE BEHAVIOR

This seems obvious. But oftentimes it’s not. You have to change your behavior before you can expect Fluffy to change hers.

3. GIVE AN INCOMPATIBLE BEHAVIOR COMMAND

The very easiest way to correct this behavior is to give an incompatible behavior. For example, Sit is a great choice. Most dogs know it and it is easy to put a dog into a sit if needed.

4. GO STIFF

When your dog begins jumping, stop your body movement and go stiff. Turn your back slightly. Give the new command “Rover, sit”. Help Rover sit if needed.

Let this become your new response to Rover’s jumping. PRAISE the sit. If Rover pops up out of the sit and jumps up, start over. Go stiff, give the command (Rover, sit), help with the sit if needed. PRAISE (and treat if handy) the sit.

As you are consistent, your dog will comply with your new desires. PRAISE each time your dog sits. This is the new polite way of getting your attention. PRAISE whenever your dog comes and sits in front of you. This is the signal “please” for attention, outside, treat, etc.

Super-exciting times to a dog will probably result in the old jumping but be consistent and patient, and as you do this, you gain leadership respect from your dog.

CONCLUSION

Dog behavior modification can be done very quickly and your relationship will get better and better. Be patient, kind, loving and consistent. Your dog wants to make you happy. Use these few simple steps to STOP THE JUMPING!

O’Neal Hendrix is a premier professional dog trainer in Atlanta, GA. For many years, she has “worked miracles” with dogs and their owners. Check out her dog training blog for her advice about everything dog!

If you own a dog there’s every chance you will encounter dog chewing problems. This article outlines the common reasons why dogs chew, and also how to stop your dog from chewing.

When puppies and dogs chew it is a perfectly natural behavior, just very annoying for us dog owners. Sometimes the chewing can be a dangerous habit for your dog. Things like electric wires, poisons and any number of other objects can cause serious harm to your dog.

Common Reasons Why Puppies and Dogs Chew

• Lonely or boredom.

• Separation anxiety, often occurs if you work long hours away from home.

• When they are teething.

• Through fear or a phobia.

• Seeking attention.

• Through anticipation, dogs often chew just before their owner is due to arrive home.
  

Dogs chew just about anything they can wrap their mouths around. My dogs love chewing socks, shoes, furniture and my whippet actually chewed a large whole in the side of our house!

How To Stop Your Dog From Chewing

Always keep in mind that your dog can’t tell the difference between a $200 pair of shoe’s and an old rag. And he is not chewing to spite you, dogs don’t think like us humans.

• The best way to stop your dog from chewing is to actually stop the habit before it forms. This requires you to not leave your dog in a situation where he can chew something that you don’t want him to. If your dog chews while you are away from home, keep your dog in his crate or in a kennel run. If you can’t or don’t like restraining your dog in this manner, just make sure you remove any objects that you don’t want chewed.

• If your dog has a particular liking for something like a furniture leg you could try this method. Coat the object with a foul tasting substance (non toxic) such as bitter apple, cayenne pepper or tabasco sauce. This method often works, but can just transfer the chewing behavior to a different object.

• If you catch your dog in the act of chewing, give a firm “No!” and replace with a tasty chew toy. Give praise when he starts chewing on the toy. Never ever reprimand your dog if you don’t catch him in the act of chewing. If you don’t issue your correction within about two seconds of his chewing behavior, he won’t have a clue what you are disciplining him for.

• A good solution for treating any dog behavioral problems is to give them some obedience training. You will gain the trust and respect of your dog by doing this, and it will also provide your dog with some mental stimulation.

• Give your dog lots of exercise, physical and as mentioned above, mental.

• Provide your dog with a few of his favorite, tasty dog chews. Don’t give him dozens of them as he may then believe he can chew anything. Just give him a couple of good one’s, and make it clear to him that if he wants to chew, it must be on his toys.
  

By applying the above methods, adding a bit of common sense and patience you should be able to quickly stop your dog from chewing. Good luck.

Chris Smith is a dedicated dog owner and creator of http://www.dog-obedience-training-review.com.

Find out how to correct any dog behavioral problems through obedience training. Do it the right way, yourself, at home.

If you have a dog or cat, living with pet hair and fur is a fact of life. But there are ways you can make it easier to keep it under control. Not only will these tips make it easier to keep your home clean, if you implement them all, you will likely reduce your allergy symptoms as well!

Here are the top secrets of a professional organizer who also owns three Maine Coone cats and regularly pet sits my neighbor’s two dogs!

1. Avoid carpeting. Hardwood, tile, and even linoleum floors are MUCH easier to keep clean and odor-free. Use area rugs that can easily be replaced every few years.
2. Use Woolite for Pets Carpet and Upholstery cleaner to spot clean rugs and furniture when you sweetie has an accident or vomits. It not only leaves the carpet and sofa fresh smelling, it always gets out ALL the stain.
3. Use Febreeze about once a month or so to keep fabrics such as throw pillows, area rugs and curtains fresher smelling.
4. When buying furniture, curtains and clothing, avoid microfibers and other fabrics that are magnets for pet hair. When I want to clean the sofa of pet hair, all I need to do is put on a pair of microfiber pants. I sit on the sofa for a few minutes, stand up, and I look like a cat! Leather or leatherette are great. Twill, denim, cotton and rayons are pretty easy to get pet hair off of. Chenille is not.
5. Get several great pet hair brushes. Keep one in a box or drawer in any room that has lots of fabric, like the bedroom and living room. We get ours at Linens N Things - they are called Majik Brushes. We brush the furniture and dining room chairs every few days or as needed. Plus, by having one near the front door, we can always brush ourselves (and our guests who may have become pet hair magnets) before leaving the house!
6. Get at least one or two hand held vacuums. Keep them handy wherever pet fur accumulates the most. If possible, get a HEPA-rated vacuum. Smaller vacuums are great for quick touch ups when you have hardwood floors. All the pet hair that travels to the corners comes right up! We also keep a hand held in our cleaning supply closet where the litter box lives to clean up the litter the cats track out of the box. My favorite vacuums are the Black and Decker ones that use the same rechargeable batteries as all the other B&D tools. We keep an extra set of batteries and charger by each vacuum so we never run out of power.
7. For pet food, the clear SNAPWARE® containers (we got ours at Target) are awesome. They are easy to open, easy to fill AND easy to keep a scoop inside. Whatever you do, don’t buy a container without testing if first to see how it opens and closes. So many of them are complicated and difficult to open. At least make sure you keep the receipt just in case you don’t find it easy to use.
8. For dogs, keep paper towels, pop-up wipes, and pooper scooper bags near the door where you exit to walk the dog. You can even use plastic grocery bags as pooper scoopers. If you have a little hallway with a table near your exit, you can keep a the dog’s leashes, collars, paper towels, bags, etc. in a nice decorative basket or box
9. Get dogs groomed professionally as needed to keep them and your home smelling better.
10. Here’s a tip from a friend of mine with 3 large dogs, use easy to remove and wash slipcovers for all furniture and keep special dog blankets anywhere the dogs are allowed to nap.

Organizing to have everything you need to keep your home free of pet hair and smells will make it easier to clean and give you more time to enjoy your fur babies!



Ariane Benefit, M.S.Ed., is a professional organizer, coach, author and speaker with over 25 years experience helping people and businesses reach new heights of performance. She has written over 80 articles which can be found on the popular “Neat Living Blog: Neat Ideas for Life” at http://www.NeatLiving.net and at http://www.OrganizingForHealth.com. She also publishes the “Neat Living Newsletter.”

Ariane has coached hundreds of individuals to reach their goals and consulted with many of the Fortune 500. She resides in Bloomfield, NJ with her husband, Alan and three adorable Maine Coone cats. When not helping people organize their lives, she enjoys gardening, entertaining, traveling and riding her motorcycle. She can be reached at 973-429-2100 for private consultations and coaching. Visit her on the web at http://www.NeatLiving.org.

Giving your dog a bath - no problem. Probably cleaning your dog’s teeth wouldn’t be an issue. But trimming doggie’s nails, no way! Ok, listen up. You can do this. It’s not nearly as difficult or frightening as it seems.

Nail trimming in dogs can be done very easily if you know how. It is a good idea to watch someone else (vet, groomer or friend) who is experienced in nail trimming show you first. Some dogs don’t need to have their nails trimmed. Many will naturally wear the nails down or the dried ends of the nails will simply flake away without you even knowing. But some breeds, especially Basset Hounds and Dachshunds will likely need your help in keeping the toe nails reasonably short. As much as you’ll never want to, you might as well just count on cutting a nail too short on occasion. It just happens sometimes, even with experienced groomers. The nail will bleed if you cut it too short, so just be prepared for that.

Get a good nail trimmer. Ask your vet or the clerk in the pet store which kind they recommend. Place the main part of the trimmer in the palm of your hand and the moveable part is controlled by your fingers. You want to be able to see the small cutting blade that slides when you squeeze the handle.

Make sure you’re not cutting from the top downward; but rather from underneath. Slide the opening over the end of the nail while staying in the whitish part of the nail. The pink area of the nail is the live part and has blood vessels throughout. Hopefully you’ll be able to see where the pink part starts.

If your pooch has dark nails you won’t be able to see any pink to know where the live part of the nail starts. Just do a little bit at a time with the dark nails. Check the end of the nail. The dead area usually is whitish and as you cut deeper into the end of the nail you will begin to see a dark area. That dark area is where the live part starts.

When you are ready to cut, and you are sure you aren’t at the live, pink part of the nail make a smooth, quick squeeze on the handle while holding the trimmer steady. Don’t try to “pop” the end of the nail off; it will fall away on its own. You can file the edges or just let the dog wear the nail smooth. Taking your dog for a walk on the sidewalk or street can help them file down.

Remember that at some point you will cut too short. When this happens, place a tiny piece of tissue paper tightly against the end of the nail and hold it for a few minutes. Better yet, have some cornstarch or flour available and put a small amount against the bleeding end of the nail, hold it there with your finger. This works right away. Or you can do nothing and the bleeding should stop in about five minutes. If it continues to bleed much more than that, give your vet a call.

You can do this. Play with your canine’s feet first to get them used to the idea. If you do it once a week, it won’t seem like such a tragic event. If you can only do one paw a day, that’s ok too. Man’s best friend needs you to do it for him. Relax and enjoy your dog!

(c) 2005 - All Rights Reserved

Brigitte Smith is a dog lover with a special interest in natural dog health and training for dogs.
- FREE Dog Health Report - to request yours, go to: http://www.HealthyHappyDogs.com

Dog grooming and health information: http://www.HealthyHappyDogs.com/SkinAndCoat

There’s always been some controversy over whether you should give treats (i.e. dog biscuits or MilkBones) when you are training a dog. There are advantages and disadvantages to giving treats to a dog when you are training him. This article will hopefully clear up any confusion you might have.

Now, some people say, “Of course! Give the dog treats so he’ll obey you. After all, you won’t get his attention if you don’t give him anything he enjoys.” On the other hand, some other people will say, “No, don’t give the dog treats! He’ll be only obeying you for the food.”

There is truth to both the opinions stated above. The dog does need some incentive to obey you, right? But also, what if they dog does begin to work only for the food? What then? If he’s not hungry and doesn’t really want the food, then he doesn’t have any reason to obey you!

So should you use dog treats? The answer is YES, but in moderation . Don’t give the dog a biscuit every single time he obeys you; instead, sometimes just praise him excessively instead. Also, don’t make the “prize” too big or you’ll be overfeeding him. For example, break a biscuit in half or even cut it into three pieces so you’re not feeding your dog too much when you train him.

Here’s another idea for training young puppies. Don’t feed them biscuits at all - just use adult dog food pellets. The pellets are big enough to be a treat for the young puppy’s tiny mouth, but small enough that it won’t overfeed the puppy.

Another very important point I’d like to make is that you shouldn’t train your dog to obey you only for the food as a reward. Although you might not consciously be doing this, it’s easy to slip into the habit of just rewarding your dog with a treat every single time he does anything remotely good.

Instead, you want your dog to think of you as the “strong master,” or the “alpha” over him, so that he obeys you because you’re the master and because he wants to please you, not just because you have a treat. You can do this by praising him a lot in a high voice when he does something good and in a deep, “you’re in trouble” voice when he does something bad. You want him to distinguish between the voices and figure out that a high voice means “good” and low means “bad” and whenever you do the low voice, you are not pleased with him.

I hope this article has helped you in training your dog. I hope you have much success in developing a well-behaved, friendly dog!

Get your 100% free dog training tips e-Course! Click below:
http://www.dogobediencetraining123.com/freetips

Animal welfare organizations and humane societies have been very successful in helping people to accept that their cats are safer living exclusively indoors, especially in urban areas. However, cat lovers still want to give their cats a chance to enjoy fresh air and all the sights and sounds that come with it. One way to do this safely is to create a cattery.

The term cattery originally referred to a facility that kept and bred colonies of cats. Today, the term is being used to describe a sort of pet playpen. A home cattery is an enclosed, outdoor area in which a pet cat can bask in the sun or exercise. The site can be a lawn, a porch or an apartment balcony, and a variety of building plans can be found on the Internet. The important ingredients of a cattery are size, security and access.

How big to build depends on the activity level of your cat and the amount of space available. If you have an acrobatic cat living in your apartment, you might try to build a structure taller than it is wide, with several ledges for her to jump around on. If your cat is more sedentary and you have a large yard, you might create a cattery that has one or two shelves, but has cat grass and catnip planted inside to provide sensory stimulation.

A cattery can be made from wooden posts and wire mesh. Be certain that all sharp edges are covered or made inaccessible to your cat. If you have a door to enter/exit the cattery, make sure it can be latched securely. Check the cattery frequently for holes or loose spots in the mesh. Make sure that the cattery has a roof. It doesn’t have to be expensive - a sheet of strong cloth attached to the sides will do - something to keep your cat in, and anything else out.

If you build your cattery on your porch or balcony, include a cat door so your pet can come in and go out as she pleases. Put some cat toys out for her, and research what non-toxic plants you might put inside to make it like a jungle. Some people hang bird feeders outside the cattery to attract birds for their cat to watch. A scratching post and sturdy climbing pole are just the thing to encourage your cat to exercise.

Keep the cattery clean. Providing a litter box will cut down on the amount of clean up you need to do. Be sure to place a large, clean bowl of water in the cattery so your cat has access to fresh liquid as she needs it. If you have a problem with bugs then you should consider bug-proof food dishes. If you leave your cat in the cattery for long periods of time, don’t forget to stock her with a bowl of dry cat food and make sure she has a way to get out of the sun or rain/snow, or make sure this is an area that is sheltered from extremes of weather.

About the Author

Pet Medication Supplies http://www.pet-medication-supplies.net can help you get the best possible pet health supplies. Advantix, Arthramine, Cosequin, Frontline, Heartgard - find the best deals in pet medication for flea and tick control, arthritis and lyme disease. Upto 50% discount everyday on brand names.

‘Help, my cat is pregnant and I don’t know what to do!’ Not a day goes by without someone posting this message to an Internet forum.

Worried cat owners will know what to do if they read How To Take Care Of Your Pregnant Cat. This new publication is one of the first English-language books in many years exclusively on cat pregnancy.

The author, journalist and long-time cat lover Marc de Jong, is the owner of Cat Pregnancy Report. This web site started in August 2004 and quickly established itself as a very popular site.

‘Before I started my site, it was quite difficult to find a comprehensive guide on the Net about pregnancy in cats’, says de Jong. ‘Many cat sites and forums tell owners only to spay their cat and almost flame people to death if they say their cat got pregnant. Of course they are right when they say there’s an overpopulation of cats. However, it’s also a fact that millions of cats do get pregnant unplanned. If you don’t tell their owners what to do and what to expect, you can endanger the life of these cats.’

Marc de Jong received dozens of e-mails from worried cat owners since he started his site. ‘Questions were often so detailed that I had to do a lot of research to answer them. The information I gathered was so valuable that I wanted to share it with all cat lovers.’

Instead of adding it to his already very informative web site, he decided to publish a book. ‘Web sites have limitations’, de Jong says. ‘People tend to scan pages and miss half of the text. They are constantly persuaded to click through to another site. Also, printing a page isn’t always easy. And if you have a dial-up account, then the more you read, the more money you pay.’

To give cat owners immediate access to his book he turned How To Take Care Of Your Pregnant Cat into an e-book, a digital publication downloadable from his web site. He added extra value by interviewing award-winning breeders and veterinarians specialized in cats. Their insider tips are all in the book.

How To Take Care Of Your Pregnant Cat covers almost every subject related to pregnancy in cats. Heat cycles, mating, signs of cat pregnancy, food, care, birth, raising kittens … it’s all there.

‘The first response from readers is very good’, says the author. ‘There’s no doubt the book is a great help for owners of a pregnant cat.’

Click for more information: http://www.pregnant-cat-care.com

Dog fashions are all the rage and have become quit affordable for anyone and everyone to enjoy with their dog, but not everyone knows the best ways to find their dog’s size or how a garment should fit to avoid accidents. Choosing the right size for your dog is very important, we always want our pets to be safe and feel comfortable in whatever they wear. 30% of all online dog apparel sales result in returns or exchanges due to improper sizing.

The first and most important thing you should know before you begin to buy for your dog is his/her measurements. You should write them down and always have them with you just in case you see something you can’t resist.

The most important places you’ll want to measure are:

The chest (circumference) measurements should be taken at the deepest part of the chest, which is usually right behind the front legs. This measurement is most important, so make sure you don’t exaggerate your dog’s chest by adding inches for more room and if you wrap the measuring tape to tight you will lessen the measurement and end up buying something too small.

Then measure the dog’s length from the back of his neck to tail. This measurement should start from the middle of the back of his neck right to the base of his tail. This measurement is not as important as the chest the length of the garment can vary and will be up to you whether you like him to wear his shirts long or short.

When measuring the dog’s neck (circumference) you should take the measurements around the lower middle of his neck.

If you have a breed with shorter legs then you’ll want to stick to short sleeves unless you’re purchasing from a store that makes their own clothes then you should provide them with his front leg measurements to ensure proper fit. The leg measurements should start from his under arm to right above his ankle. The length of the sleeves is very important, you don’t want your dog to wear anything with sleeves that are too long, this may cause accidents.

Every dog clothing manufacture has their own sizing chart, study it carefully for most charts won’t suit all dog’s so the most important thing to remember is the chest, as long as the chest size is right then it should be ok. If you’re buying online then you should provide the online store with his measurements, just to ensure you’ll get the right size. Some online stores will make the garment to your dogs measurements, this is a great feature for anyone but greater if you own a Dachshund or Crested or any hard to fit dog.

If you’re buying for a puppy from an online store then it’s very important to let the store know, what kind of puppy, how old and how much does he weigh. This is important so the seller can calculate what your dog’s size will be by the time you get your package.

Dressing your dog in different clothes for different occasions is lots of fun… after all, your pet is part of your family too. Just using common sense in choosing what size for him as we, wouldn’t wear anything uncomfortable. Like babies they can’t tell us what’s too tight or loose so it’s our responsibility to choose the right size for them.

About the Author

Author Eva Sanchez founder of PrincessPetear.com, online seller of small dog clothes for boy and girl dogs.
http://princesspetwear.com

Dog training is definitely not rocket science and is easier than you would expect particularly if you can get help from a good dog training book or guide. It’s also certainly possible for almost any dog owners to train their dogs themselves provided they put in adequate amount of effort.

Nevertheless, you might still want to get additional help from a professional trainer, especially if you got a tough nut to crack in your hand. Before you engage a trainer, it’s always best that you do some research first as there are many trainers with different teaching styles and not every style suit every dog or owner.

Here’s a guide for you to find a reliable trainer:

Ask someone
It wouldn’t hurt you to open your mouth to ask someone for advice or recommendation.
- Ask your friends, even strangers you meet in the park for the contacts of their trainer if you notice that he owns a particular well-train dog. Even if they don’t engage a trainer, you could still possibly pick up some valuable training tips. You’ve got nothing to lose and I’ll bet the owner would also most probably be flattered.

- Ask your veterinarian for recommendations. He deal with dogs everyday and must have seen the best and worse dog. He should have contacts for some good trainers in your area.

- Ask the local Humane Society, dog breeder or even your pet supplies shop owner. They are also a good source of information and might just be able to direct you to a trainer who is particularly suited to training your dog breed.

- You can also check out The Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) Trainer Directory:
=> http://www.apdt.com/trainers-and-owners/trainer-search/trainer-search.php

This directory has a search engine that allows you to search trainer by specific geographical location and also list out if trainers are Certified Pet Dog Trainer (CPDT) to help you make your decision.

*CPDT is certified by the Certification Council for Pet Dog Trainers an international testing and certification program for professional pet dog trainers. It is basically to ensure that the trainer has a certain level of knowledge and expertise. To be certified, trainers must have at least 300 hours of dog training experience and have passed an exam that assesses basic knowledge of canine training. For more details, visit http://www.ccpdt.org/

There are several things to look out for before you engage a trainer. You might want to consider these factors first before you engage one from a list of good contacts you got. The Trainer must have the following traits:
- must be humane and gentle with the dogs during training.

- must be an effective communicator and teacher. Both you and your dog must be able to understand his teaching for effective training. In short, “Do you understand the words that are coming out of his mouth?” As dog training involve both you and your dog, you must also be able to understand his teachings so that you can practice them when you get home.

- must be experience and up-to-date with the latest training methods. You might want to request a sit-in session to observe him and see if he can deal with the particularly difficult dogs. Don’t be afraid to ask him questions about his training background, training techniques, methods and etc. An experience trainer should have no problem answering your questions.

Distance - This might not be a big factor but certainly one worth considering. Imagine a 4 hours drive for every training session!

Hope these tips are useful to help you look for a good dog trainer.

Good luck in your quest for a good trainer!

About the Author

Moses Chia is a dog lover and owner of http://DogsObedienceTraining.com - The dog training resource site for a happier and healthier dog. You are welcome to reprint this article if you keep the content and live link intact.

Copyright 2006 Paul Nelson

Separation anxiety in dogs is characterized by destructive behavior when the dog is left alone. This behavior can include barking, howling, destroying household items, digging, chewing and sometimes urination. Some dogs will literally go into a panic and dig at a door or a window to try and escape and find their owner. Typically this is set off when the owner goes to leave the dog at home, and can even start when the dog senses or see small signs that the owner is leaving the house. It is common for a dog with separation anxiety will also respond to the owners return with hyperactivity after a period of being left alone. Some dogs will even follow there owner from room to room to make sure they will be not be left alone.

Some owners find using a distraction for there pet while they go out is a good way to releive some anziety, this can include leaving the radio or tv on so the dog can hear humans talking, or leaving them with a toy or a treat ball to give them something else to focus on. With more severe separation anxiety problems it can be helpful to change the leaving routine so that the dog is unaware of your intention to leave. Normally a dog will notice small signs like the owner putting on the shoes or grabbing the keys and in a dog with separation anxiety this can translate into panic. Try making leaving the house unexpected to your dog by putting your shoes outside or leaving without doing your leaving routine. Then after waiting 10 minutes outside return to the house. This begins to desensitize the dog to the fear of separation. It is good to make sure that leaving the house and arriving is always a calm event, if the owner responds to the dog in an excited way it increases the excitement of the dog.

Another strategy to desensitize a dog with separation anziety is to show the dog repeatedly that the leaving routine doesn’t need to result in a panic attack. The owner of the dog goes through the familiar leaving routine, grabbing keys, putting on shoes and picking up a bag to leave then sitting down again. After repeating this exercise a number of times, try going one step further and finish the leaving routine by opening the door and standing outside it for a minute but with the door open. These exercises need to be repeated over and over to desensitize the dog.

It is important to get a dog with separation anxiety comfortable with even short absenses, daily routines like getting the paper, result in a short absense and this can be used to make the dog feel that leaving will result in the owners return.

Once your dog can handle short absences (30 to 90 minutes), he’ll usually be able to handle longer intervals alone and you won’t have to repeat this process every time you are planning a longer absence. The hard part is at the beginning, but the job gets easier as you go along. Nevertheless, you must go slowly at first. How long it takes to condition your dog to being alone depends on the severity of his problem.

Paul Nelson loves to write articles for Animal lovers, and real Issues facing day to day issues. www.vetstop.com