Scottsdale Pet Expert

Recently we have been pet sitting for a household that has a pet that has sever separation anxiety. Perhaps you have experienced this before? You leave the house for work or errands and come back to things destroyed. I don’t mean like your dog chewed up a toy…I mean like couches are eaten, holes in the wall, and anything they can get their paws on has been scratched, and teeth on has been chewed. This is separation anxiety.

As professional pet sitters we see this all the time. Dogs are den animals. I believe the American Humane Society describes it perfectly:

Why use a den?

Dogs are den animals. They need their own sanctuary that is just large enough for them to fit inside and feel secure. They need a “home away from home” where they can go when they are stressed. If you don’t provide your dog a “den” of its own, it may make do with whatever is around — a chair, the narrow place behind the couch, or the wedge of space between the bed and the wall.

A crate is an indoor doghouse that is used for brief periods of time. Its primary function is to serve as a bed or den. It can also be an ideal tool to housetrain your pet or to keep canines that suffer from separation anxiety from destroying the house while you run a few errands. However, the dog is not supposed to live in the crate. Endless hours in the crate can lead to severe social and isolation problems for your dog — and it will no longer see the crate as a special retreat.

When you are home, your dog needs to be out with you. In fact, the crate should be kept in the room where the family spends most of its time. That way, your dog can seek refuge from the hubbub of household activity, yet still feel like a part of the family.

Once your dog realizes that the crate is a sanctuary and that no one can bother it while it is in its “den,” your dog will begin to seek out the crate on its own. For more information on crate training, call your local animal shelter.

More information that you should read can be found here: http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/our_pets_for_life_program/dog_behavior_tip_sheets/separation_anxiety.html

The next time you consider leaving for long amounts of time and your pet experiences anxiety, consider crating them, sectioning off part of the home, or providing them with a “safe” place. This will help easy their fears when mom and dad is not there.

This information has been provided to you by Danielle Vasta, the Pack Leader for Bella’s House & Pet Sitting in Scottsdale AZ. Danielle has been recongnised as a pet sitting expert in The FabJob Guide to Becoming a Pet Sitter, Martha Stewarts Cat Chat Radio Show, NPRs Dog Talk Radio, East Valley Tribune, Arizona Republic and more. Danielle is also the founder of Bella’s Business Consulting and the co founder of The Business of Pet Sitting online community.