Pet Care - Separation Anxiety

Vicki Davis posted on April 10, 2006 10:47 :: 6432 Views

Pet Care - The shelter receives many calls related to a pet's unacceptable or disruptive behaviors. Separation Anxiety is a common reaction of pets, especially dogs, when left alone for long periods of time. Owners are plagued by the disruptive behaviors that result from separation anxiety and will often want to surrender the pet to us.

Being alone is an unnatural condition for a dog. Boredom and loneliness could lead to destructive behavior. For those of you who own a dog that shows disruptive behavior when left alone, you can turn the behavior around with effort and understanding. It may be difficult to break ingrained behavioral patterns in both the dog and yourself, but it is possible.

For those of you who may be contemplating acquiring a dog who will be left alone on a regular basis, we ask that you consider two things:

1. What are your motives in adopting a dog?
2. Are you willing to put in the time and effort required to meet the dog's needs?

Honest answers to these question may save you and the dog much grief and aggravation.
In itself, leaving your dog alone may not constitute inhumane treatment of the animal. It does, however, border on inhumane when the owner is not willing to minimize the stress experienced by the dog and share responsibility for the dog's misbehavior.
Please feel free to contact the shelter if you have questions regarding animal behavior. We have an extensive file of literature available-at no charge.

Enjoy your pets,
Vicki Davis

Vicki Davis is the Executive Director of the Tri-County Humane Society, located in the greater St. Cloud, Minnesota area. Vicki serves the community by providing quality care and adoption services for animals in need and by offering educational programs to encourage the awareness, understanding and practice of humane principles