There are different viewpoints of separation anxiety. I will explain them and show you different things you can do to help your dog to overcome this problem.
-destroying things especially curtains or things close by the window while you are gone
-constantly barking or howling while you are gone or as soon as you leave the house
-having an �accident� in the house while your are gone provided your dog is housetrained
-following you everywhere
-getting overly excited when you leave orr come back
Just to make things clear, those things can be a sign for separation anxiety but they don�t have to. For example it can be harmless if your dog just follows you around since most dogs do that. But if you see all signs together, there is a good chance that your dog got separation anxiety problems.
If you just got your dog, don�t worry too much. It might just take your dog a while to settle in the new home.
First of all make your home dog proofed. Put everything away from tables and things that are in the reach of your dog. You might want to confine your dog in one safe room.
Practice with your dog. Only leave him alone for a few minutes. Come back when he stops barking if possible. I know it is not easy to do if everybody is working but try to practice on days when everybody is at home. Slowly expand the time. Come in and out several times a day. Just go to the mailbox or do similar things. Try to come home between errands and try not to leave your dog alone for a long time at the beginning
Very important: Don�t greet or make much noise when you come back or leave the house. Don�t make any high pitch noises or act excited. The dog should know it�s not a big deal if you are leaving or coming and that everything is going to be ok. It sounds a little bit harsh but don�t pay attention when you come home. You can pay attention after 15-20 minutes. If your dog jumps up at you just ignore it.
Dogs pay attention to small details. Everybody got their own little ritual before they get out of the house like putting on the shoes, getting the keys etc. If dogs see one of those things, they think you are ready to take them out and get very excited. For example: At the beginning Snoopy got very excited each time I moved towards the door even if I would just go pass it and go into another room. The same happens when I would go to the bathroom because before I leave I would go to the bathroom take a quick look and do some things to get ready and so on. So Snoopy associated the bathroom with walks.
With practice you can get the excitement out if it. This might sound silly to you but just act like you are getting ready to go somewhere, put your shoes on, your coat etc. And then just sit down on the coach and watch TV for a few minutes before you all take it off again. Just watch your dog and see what gets him excited if it�s the key. Just rattle with the key during the day and put it away. At some point he shouldn�t pay too much attention to it anymore.
Exercise is also very important. Make your dog tired before you leave. Play ball, do something so he will be able to sleep and rest while you are gone.
If your dog is having an accident, please don�t yell. I said before you shouldn�t pay attention but if your dog is having problems like this, always take him out right after you come home. We had to do this for a while, it can be annoying to walk your dog 5-6 times a day but it�s worth it. At some point, he will get over it and it�s not necessary to go out all the time anymore
Give him something to occupy. Some people have good experiences with �Kongs�. It�s a plastic toy that you fill with treats. It is pretty difficult for your dog to get them out and he will be busy for a while.
There is also another viewpoint about separation anxiety. It can be that the dog thinks he is responsible for everything and he doesn�t like it if you just leave the house without him or maybe worries about you. Some people call that being in charge but to be honest I don�t like this word. It�s important that your dog knows you are capable to manage things and he doesn�t have to worry. So what can you do? Basically it comes down to training. Basic training like sit, stay and so on and your dog needs to learn his rules what is allowed and what not. You need to take him out on your terms unless it�s an emergency on the dog�s side of course. But don�t take your dog out just because he wants to go for a sniff.
Please don�t forget, to get over separation anxiety takes time and patience. It took us 2-3 month and it might take more or less time for your dog.
Please don�t get a second dog only for this reason. There is no guarantee that a second dog will reduce the problem it�s more likely that the separation anxiety won�t go away.
Turn on the radio or TV. I don�t think it is going to hurt for short times but I wouldn�t leave it on and keep it running the whole day. This won't trick the dog, it's more likely to make him nervous.
Block the window or the view outside. I think it�s ok to let the dog look out the window. Why not? Imagine yourself, you are waiting for somebody and you are not able to look outside, wouldn�t that get your fear up instead of down?
If your dog got separation anxiety, you shouldn�t put him in a kennel. It looks like an easy solution but he might hurt himself.
