Separation Anxiety is when a dog becomes frightened or stressed when they are left alone. It is can be displayed by a perfectly housetrained dog peeing or defecating in the house, by chewing on the furniture or other objects, barking, panting and pacing while you are away.  Your dog is not trying to be destructive. He is frightened and very stressed.  It will do no good to give your dog a row when you get home as he/she will not understand, and it will only make matters worse.

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Some of the positive things you can do to help a dog which has separation anxiety are:

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• Do not make a big issue out of leaving your dog.

• Get your greyhound used to being left alone gradually. 

• Leave your dog for short periods of time and gradually extend the time. This can be done while you are still in the house, go to another room away from your dog.

• Change your dog's anticipation of your leaving by changing your routine. For example, if your dog becomes anxious when you pick up your keys, try picking up your keys and then go watch TV.

• Use a crate or a dog/baby gate to separate your greyhound in a small area such as the kitchen, and gradually extend the area.

• Leave a radio or TV playing while you are away. It will be soothing for your greyhound to listen to background noise.

• If your greyhound has a tendency to chew, you can initially use a kennel muzzle while you are away if only for short periods. (SGS can recommend the correct type of muzzle.)

• Use a Kong or other toys to keep your dog occupied while you are away.

• If necessary, use of a pheromone dispenser will often help such as DAP which can be bought online or in some pet shops.

• In extreme cases, it sometimes may help to get a second dog as a companion.

 

If you are having problems with your greyhound and separation anxiety please do not hesitate to contact us for help.

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