Making Your Dog More Comfortable When They Are Home Alone

When you leave for work, is it stressful for you and your dog? Perhaps your pup suffers from separation anxiety and you are looking for a way to make him or her more at ease when you walk out the door. Even if you are just planning to get a dog, it is helpful to understand ways to make your dog feel more comfortable when it is time for them to be left alone.

Focus on Staking Out a Comfortable Spot for Your Dog

If you have a young pup, you may find that unless you cordon them off in a small area with a baby gate, they are going to get into some trouble while you are away.

Choose a location for your dog to get cozy in that makes sense for you and your family. With that being said, pay attention to where your dog enjoys laying down to take a nap or likes to hang around.

Should you decide to use a space that your dog is unfamiliar with, begin by creating a positive association with the area. To do that, start feeding your dog its meals there.

Next, spend some relaxing time there with your canine. For example, pull up a chair and work on your laptop while your dog chews on a food toy there. Your dog won’t likely acclimate to the desired space overnight. It might take some time.

Should You Crate Your Dog?

The answer to this question is an individual matter. Some dogs feel safe being inside their crates and enjoy going inside of them when they are feeling tired or under stress. Other dogs do whatever they can to try and get out of their crate, such as trying to chew through them. When it comes to crating your dog, follow your instincts and make the right choice for you and your pup.

Creating a Comfortable Ambiance for Your Canine

Logically, one of the things you can do is to have your dog’s bed, food, water, and toys placed within the gated area where he is going to be kept. However, there is more you can do to make your dog feel more at ease.

Think about the familiar, normal sights and sounds that your dog experiences while you are at home with him. He is used to hearing things like running water, footsteps, clanking dishes, and the television or radio. When you leave, all he hears is silence. This stark contrast may be enough to make your dog nervous.

If your television stays on most of the time when you are at home, by all means, leave it on a low volume for your dog. The same goes for music if that is what your dog is used to hearing. If you usually have a ceiling fan spinning above, try leaving it on for your pup.  

Does your dog enjoy looking outside of the window, or do you find that it stresses him out even more? Find this out before giving him or her access to seeing out of the windows while you are not home. Some dogs will stay stressed or anxious all day long while they bark at would-be predators. Other dogs may enjoy calmly gazing at the outside world.

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