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Does Your Dog Have Separation Anxiety Or Is He Just Bored?

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Separation Anxiety vs. Boredom in Dogs

Separation Anxiety in Dogs
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This is the magic question: Does your dog truly have separation anxiety or is your dog bored? It’s not easy to answer, but there are a few telltale signs that differentiate separation anxiety from boredom.

As a professional dog trainer, who works with separation anxiety in dogs as well as bored dogs daily, I’ll discuss: the major differences, a few solutions for boredom and when to seek professional help.

Boredom in Dogs

Most dogs and puppies are bored. They’re left home alone while their pet owners work all day. When dogs are bored, they will find something to do if mental enrichment is not provided. Bored dogs will bark incessantly, chew on or through everything, climb on counters to forage for food, and so forth. If potty trained dogs are not provided plenty of opportunities to use the restroom, they will potty indoors too.

Oh, bored dogs can destroy a house quickly. Restless dogs will pull down curtains, chew baseboards, scratch doors (if left alone in rooms), whine when pet owners leave, and destroy window blinds when barking at people and dogs. With bored dogs, anything can happen because they’re just trying to find something to do.

How do you prevent your dog from tearing up your house? Provide daily food stuffed food puzzles, such as Kongs, take him out for regular potty breaks via pet sitter and go on long walks before you leave for work.

RELATED: How to Find a Pet Sitter

Separation Anxiety in Dogs

Separation anxiety is completely different than boredom, and it’s much more difficult to address. Dogs with separation anxiety have a panic attack when left alone. Panic attacks are uncontrollable, severe and often self-destructive responses to being left alone.

Many dogs diagnosed with separation anxiety will paw their crate, doorway, windows or flooring until their paws are bloody. In certain dog separation anxiety cases, some dogs have pulled out their teeth or degloved their ears when trying to escape a crate or home.

Dogs with separation anxiety are inconsolable when they’re left alone, and they won’t lick Kongs or puzzles because they’re freaking out. It’s similar to having a panic disorder in people; these dogs are unable to control their response, and it only gets worse if not addressed quickly by a professional.

When to Seek Professional Help

Both situations require professional help, but separation anxiety needs to be addressed immediately. Never assume a dog has separation anxiety until a professional dog trainer or veterinary behaviorist diagnoses it. Usually self-mutilation is a telltale sign though.

So many pet owners assume their dogs have separation anxiety when they’re actually just bored. Enriching a bored dog’s life is easy. It takes a bit of preparation, but it’s worth it because no one enjoys coming home to a destroyed house.

Boredom in dogs is much more common than separation anxiety, but both should be addressed quickly.

Best Fish Oil Supplement For Dogs Of 2017

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This Fish Oil for Dogs Works Wonders

Nordic Naturals Fish Oil
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Fish oil is good for you, and it’s excellent for dogs too! An excellent quality fish oil brand contains DHA and EPA, which are omega-3 fatty acids that reduce inflammation. Most veterinarians recommend fish oil supplements for canine skin issues, such as allergies, flea-bite dermatitis, persistent yeast infections of the skin and shedding coats.

With that said, anti-inflammatory benefits of fish oil will benefit much more than your dog’s skin. Many dogs have found pain relief from osteoarthritis, improved cognitive issues and boosted immune systems, which ultimately lowers incidents of disease and cancer. Given the number of benefits, pet owners should certainly supplement their dog’s daily meals with fish oil.

Which fish oil for dogs is best for your pet? Check out my favorite fish oil supplement that works wonders!

Favorite Fish Oil Brand for Dogs

My holistic veterinarian and veterinary behaviorist highly recommended a specific brand of fish oil and so did my personal naturopathic medical doctor. Yes, even my doctor recommended this brand for my personal supplementation as well.

Most professionals recommend Nordic Naturals fish oil for dogs and humans. There are many fish oil supplements to choose from, but there’s a reason why Nordic Naturals fish oil is the best brand.

Nordic Naturals fish oil products are tested for purity and heavy metals, and are sourced from the Norwegian Sea. There are so many additional reasons why this product is far superior other than fish oils, so check out their website for more details.

Feeding Fish Oil to Your Dog

When adding fish oil to your dog’s diet, it’s important to start slowly. Adding too much fish oil too fast will cause upset stomachs and diarrhea. Add fish oil to your dog’s meals daily, and slowly increase fish oil amounts over a 7 to 10-day period. Nordic Naturals oils don’t have a strong fishy smell, but dogs readily lap it up when poured over their kibble, home-cooked meal or raw food meal.

It’s very important to understand the recommended fish oil dosage for your dog’s size as well as her needs. Your holistic veterinarian is the safest way to find your dog’s dosage.

Many times, holistic vets recommend higher fish oil doses for dogs with arthritis and skin issues. However, never assume your dog’s fish oil dosage because it can cause tummy issues. Nordic Naturals has canine dosage recommendations listed on their label too, but always consult with your holistic vet for best results.

WATCH: Nordic Naturals Fish Oil for Dogs Review

Does Your Dog Have An Attitude?

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Dog Attitude Problem

Dog Attitude
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So many pet owners are convinced their dogs have a major attitude; I hear it from clients daily. They become extremely frustrated when their dogs ignore cues, run away or destroy furniture. But do dogs really have attitudes? I think the answer just might shock you!

Defining Attitude

Having an attitude means someone or something is uncooperative, selfish, defensive, rude, resentful, defiant, resistant, combative and sometimes aggressive. Wow, while this may sound like your dog’s behavior, it’s important to note these adjectives are human behavior traits.

As humans, we link inexplicable, defiant and frustrating dog behaviors quickly because these traits are linked to human behaviors. Additionally, we tend to justify labeling certain behaviors because it’s what we know and are familiar with, which can be a very slippery slope. Certainly, we all know someone with an attitude, especially in certain situations, but assuming a dog has an attitude doesn’t benefit dogs nor their pet owners.

Drop the Attitude

Take a step back, and look at your dog differently. I know, it’s difficult because I’m asking you to look at your dog from a non-human perspective. When frustrated, pet owners become laser-focused and are determined to attribute human traits to a dog’s behavior. If this happens to you, take a deep breath in and remember dogs are totally different from people. Dogs live in the moment.

In previous blog posts, I’ve discussed that dogs are not vengeful, spiteful or guilty. While it seems like they are those human traits when you find dog poop in your shoe, it’s just not so. When people assume non-humans are displaying human traits, it’s called anthropomorphism.

Honestly, people do this all the time. I know I’m guilty of assuming my car is tired after a road trip, or my toaster is spiteful for burning my toast even though the settings are correct. It’s human nature and, while it’s funny at times, it’s important to understand it’s simply not true. Dogs don’t have attitudes. Dogs do not purposely act uncooperative, defiant or resistant.

Then What’s Really Going on With Your Dog?

Dogs do what works for them. They chew shoes because they’re in front of them. Dogs potty indoors because they need to potty and have not been taught to potty outdoors yet. Popping pillows and chewing furniture is fun, and it’s certainly something to do when bored. Stealing food tastes good and becomes a game. It’s that simple. Dogs don’t have pre-calculated intentions; I promise. 🙂

When dogs ignore known dog training cues, such as “sit,” it’s probably because they got too excited to respond or don’t really know the cue. It’s the same with the “coming when called” cue; most dogs have not practiced it enough to become fluent around running squirrels, passing cars, nearby dogs and so forth. Dogs don’t have attitudes. They may be confused and scared instead.

Before assuming your dog has an attitude, take a moment and look at him from a different perspective. When in doubt, pick up all chewable items, crate your dog when unable to supervise and practice cues daily.

Tips To Prevent Overly Excited Dog Greetings

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Calming an Overly Excited Dog

Dog Gets Too Excited
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Ding, dong! Every pet owner’s heart drops as her dogs charge toward the front door. Ringing doorbells and door knocks can literally cause chaos, which translates to overly excited dogs greeting guests. Next time you’re planning a summer get-together, try these polite greetings tips. It’s important to practice this with your dog every day and reward good behavior generously before your party.

Control the Chaos First

Containing your dogs’ excitement is key before guests ring the doorbell or walk into your backyard. Calm dogs generally greet guests with polite manners, so crate your dogs in a back room with soft music playing in the background (this drowns out doorbell sounds).

Once guests are gathered, allow one of your dogs to visit guests. This prevents your dog from riling your other dogs up with barking and fast movement. When the first dog has calmed down, add another dog to the mix and so forth.

Ask Guests to Ignore Dogs

Before the day of your party, ask each guest to simply ignore your dogs when they first arrive. Overly excited guest greetings will send excited dogs into a frenzy of jumping up and knocking people over. If guests have a hard time ignoring your darling dogs, ask them to stand around your kitchen island, picnic table or BBQ pit.

Giving guests something to do, other than greet dogs, works wonderfully. Don’t worry, your dogs won’t be upset they missed a super friendly greeting. Instead, your dogs are learning polite manners around guests.

Ignoring dogs means:

  • No petting.
  • No eye contact.
  • Turing sideways from an approaching dog.
  • Refraining from any high-pitched, rapidly repeating sounds.
  • Acting like they don’t see your dogs.

What guests should do when ignoring dogs:

  • Eat.
  • Drink.
  • Pass food around.
  • Talk to each other.
  • Freely move around without making eye contact with your dogs.

Keep Greetings Short

Once you’ve welcomed your guests and they have successfully ignored your dogs, it’s time for a break. It’s important to keep dog greetings short. After 10 minutes of your dogs greeting everyone, put them back in their crates with a food stuffed Kong.

It’s now time to enjoy your guests without worrying about jumping dogs or guests having their eyeballs licked while sitting on the sofa. Of course, your dogs can certainly tell guests goodbye, but they should do so politely. 🙂

Treat & Retreat

If guests ignoring your super excited dogs doesn’t work, then ask guests to play the “treat and retreat” game. For this dog game, guests sit still and toss food behind your dog’s behind, so your dog has to turn away to get the treat. Not only does this teach your dog that guests make food happen, but your dog also learns to keep all four feet on the floor during greetings. If your guests are unsure about the game, toss the treats for them to create the positive association for your dog.

Gatherings are perfect opportunities to practice polite dog greetings.

Teething Relief For Puppies

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3 Puppy Teething Toys to Reduce Pain

Puppy Teething Toys
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All puppies lose their puppy teeth. The puppy teething process starts around 4 months old and ends around 6 months old. Losing teeth is painful, but new teeth erupting through sensitive gums is even more painful.

If your puppy is currently going through the teething process, provide her cold, soft puppy teething toys to reduce inflammation and pain. This list of teething relief toys will help soothe your puppy’s gums. (There’s even a homemade dog toy too.) Offer a cold toy several times a day while your puppy is teething. Once a toy starts to thaw, remove it and refreeze.

1. Chilly Bone

Multipet Chilly Bone dog chew is an easy way to calm inflamed puppy gums. Toss this puppy teething toy inside the freezer for a couple of hours, and give to your puppy during supervised playtime.

It’s soft enough to lightly chew for sensitive gums and cold enough to reduce pain and inflammation. This toy will thaw as your puppy chews, so never give this item to your dog unsupervised. Once your puppy has thawed out the toy, just toss it right back into the freezer. When choosing a size, always choose a size larger than you think. This toy has beveled sides, so all puppies can gnaw portions of it even if it’s too big.

2. Frozen Kongs

Choose a soft, rubber Kong toy that is made especially for puppy teething and stuff it with cold yogurt, cream cheese or chilled canned food. Inserting cool foods into a Kong will reduce gum pain and inflammation while providing a tasty treat.

To make the treat last longer, stuff the Kong with watermelon chunks, banana cubes, and either peanut butter or applesauce. Freeze overnight and provide it to your teething puppy the following day.

3. DIY Towel Knots

Using a large kitchen towel, tie large knots in the middle and on both ends of the towel. Submerge into water for 5 minutes, wring out excess water and freeze for several hours. On a waterproof surface, and under supervision, give this DIY frozen teething towel for your puppy to chew on. While it’s tempting to soak an item in chicken broth and freeze, this usually results in dogs chewing and ingesting it, which is never a good idea.

Provide plenty of flexible and cold chews during the teething process, and remember puppy teething does not last forever!

Dog Training Nation is a dog training blog for pet owners and dog lovers. We cover a range of topics from puppy socialization tips to dog aggression to dog health. It is our hope you share our content to make the world a better place for dogs.

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