I have a confession: my dog sometimes pees on the rug. It’s nothing personal and we don’t talk about it (much). It is a symptom of her separation anxiety.
My dog, like most people, has a routine. And she likes to keep things in the rut in which she has grown accustomed. There is no question that her actions come from a past life (she was an adult rescue). Just like humans, pets need to acclimate to new normals in order to mitigate the most severe reactions of separation anxiety that could occur.
As the Raleigh area begins to transition from its period of strict stay-at-home orders, people and pets may find themselves struggling to readjust. Just as you would prepare your children for bedtime hours in the days leading up to the end of summer vacation, you should consider how to manage your pet.
If your pet has grown used to having you home all day long and you immediately disappear as you begin to work outside the home again, your pet may demonstrate separation anxiety. It could be as simple as an involuntary urination in the house or as destructive as chewing drywall or breaking through windows or doors.
The best way to avoid any extreme reaction is to transition your pet back to your typical routine. All Breed Care can assist you by helping you get your pet out the door and back to a normal midday walk with our dog walkers.
If you have a new puppy, you want to build times into your schedule where you leave them alone. You also want to get them used to a dog walker during the day. Exposing them to different schedules and people, with safe social distancing, will help to prevent separation anxiety.
Hopefully you can avoid any behavior issues from separation anxiety by taking steps now to get your pet readjusted slowly to different routines. And to make that even easier and more economical, we are offering a special to our Raleigh area clients. Buy one week of dog walks and get the second one free. Contact us to find out how to get this special and schedule your pet on walks with us.