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Dogs with separation anxiety get this from the stress of being left home alone. These dogs are afraid of you not coming back for them. They get nervous, and urinate in the house, become wildly destructive, bark excessively or howl until you come home again. These behaviors can lead to more serious dysfunctions.

To treat this separation anxiety you first need to know why they react the way they do. In the wild they live in packs and are hardly ever by themselves. The do just about everything from hunting to eating to sleeping in a pack. So when you bring them home and they still have this need to be around you, they can get extremely nervous not being able to control their actions. It's like humans with phobias. When we get scared we are not thinking clearly, and neither is your dog. This can be a real problem in today's world where your daily schedule does not allow you to be home with them 24 hours a day.

If you can help it. It is better to stop separation anxiety before it even happens. It's easier to do this when you have adopted a puppy, but either way it is still very possible to break them of this uncontrollable issue.

All people have a certain routine they follow to ready themselves. Whether we notice or not we have a set routine for when we leave everyday, and your dog does pick up on this. The know that after you shower, you put on your shoes, and you grab the keys they are about to be left home alone once again. While you're getting all this done the anxiety is building up in your poor dog.

A really simple way to help relieve a little anxiety is to change up your schedule of getting ready. Before you hop in the shower, jingle your keys. Just mix up your schedule as often as you can. That way your dog doesn't pick up on a set routine of leaving them alone, and the anxiety can't build up on them.

Most make a big show of when they are leaving. They give their dog a farewell hug or give them long goodbyes. You may think this helps them since you are going to be gone for such a long time. That giving them a little love will last them until you get home. This isn't the case. Your dog is only alerted to the fact that they are going to be left home all alone. So instead try to sneak out when they aren't looking.

Another option that may work better for those who crate their dogs when they're left alone is to crate the dogs for short periods throughout the day when you are home. In doing so, you are letting your dog know that being crated is nothing to be excited about and this will lessen their anxiety when they need to be crated for longer periods.

Remember, don't stick to a specific routine before you leave for the day, and don't make a big deal out of leaving. After you've taken these small and simple steps you and your dog will be much more comfortable when you leave for the day.