Separation Anxiety Is your dog destructive when he’s home alone? Does he bark and whine when you leave the house. Does he try to get out or scratch at doors when you are gone? Does he follow you from room to room? Is he often restless? If these symptoms sound familiar to you then your dog may be suffering from separation anxiety. When a dog is displaying the above mentioned behaviours many owners think that they are a result of the dog being insecure and needing their owner’s love and constant company. In order to understand why the dog is behaving this way, we must first understand what separation anxiety truly is. What is separation anxiety? Separation anxiety may stem from a lack of leadership from the owner. By allowing the dogs to answer the door, to bark at the letter carrier or pull the leash on walks, people are telling their dog that he is the leader. The dog sees himself as the alpha and thereby must protect and take care of the pack. When the human members of the pack leave, the dog cannot take care of them and therefore separation anxiety sets in. What is the solution? Finding the cause for any issues should be the first step in finding the solution. Separation anxiety worsens over time and will not resolve itself. Addressing this issue takes patience and time as it took time to develop. A step in the right direction is to ensure that the owner is the pack leader, this alleviates the pressure that is caused by the dog feeling he must protect and take care of the pack. Bark Busters...a better way to a better dog! Alana & Marco are owners of a Bark Busters franchise. They are dog behaviour therapists and trainers that specialize in behaviour issues such as: barking, jumping, pulling on lead, separation anxiety and all types of aggression. Check out their website at www.barkbusters.ca or contact them at 1-866-418-4584 email: am@barkbusters.ca