I was at a new Home Dog Training client in Cumming a week or so ago working with her and their Golden Retriever named Beatrice. Beatrice was just turning two years old and was not listening, jumping on everyone in the family, and was a terror when they tried to walk her on the leash. It was quite obvious that she had “focus issues” and was trying to be the boss of the family. We quickly put those issues to rest and she began to understand that her job was to listen and not to give orders. Our client was very happy with what she had learned and amazed at how well Beatrice was responding to her instructions. She was excited to continue practicing and making Beatrice even better. As we were finishing up, she asked me about “school”.
The kids had in-home learning for the last eighteen months and had always been home with Beatrice. In a few weeks they would be going back to in-class learning and would be gone all day. Since Beatrice was only two years old, she had never experienced a time in her life without the family always being close by. How was Beatrice going to react and what could the family do to prepare for the transition?
I told my client that there has always been an issue at the “beginning of school” period when the family dog goes from having a full house to an empty house. This year is going to be especially difficult because it has been almost a year and a half since the house has been empty. Beatrice has lived most of her life bonding and sharing social experiences on an almost continual basis and now she is about to experience elongated periods where she will be alone. Dogs don’t like sudden changes and often react negatively to them. There is no way that we can eliminate the short term impact that this sudden change will have on Beatrice, but there are ways to minimize the trauma and get her through it in the best way possible.
One of the most common issues that the start of school creates with our dogs is separation anxiety. This can lead to destructive behavior and endless barking. Here are some things that I often suggest to many of our clients:
- Pay less attention to your dog – A week before school starts, start to cut back on his play time. You may have him in another room or in his crate. If he is with you, do not respond or engage in play activities with him as much as before.
- Start early – Several weeks before school begins, get your dog used to being alone by separating him from the family. If, during the summer, you often took him with you to run errands, start leaving him at home.
- Practice leaving the house – Gather your stuff, go out the door, but then come right back in again. Your dog will slowly stop associating the action of going out the door with your long term leaving and will be more relaxed when you actually leave.
- Be calm and assured – When leaving the house, you often mistakenly confuse your dog if you say sweetly “It’s okay, we’ll be home soon“. If he is feeling anxious about your leaving, your happy, high-pitched voice tone will make him think it’s okay to feel anxious. As pack animals, dogs expect their leaders to be strong and confident when they leave the pack. So, before you leave, ignore your dog for about ten minutes. You are the boss and you are the important one. Your leaving will have no safety impact on him.
- Toys – Make sure that your dog has his favorite toys with him as you leave. This helps redirect his focus from your departure. Make sure those toys are always available so he will not associate the toys with the act of leaving.
I want to emphasize that you should start these suggestions as soon as possible before the start of school. The longer you can put your dog in a “transition period” from “full house” to “empty house”, the better equipped he will become in being happy and comfortable in being by himself.
Please call Robin or me at (770) 718-7704 if you need any dog training help. We are blessed to have been your local dog training professionals for over sixteen years. We have trained over 5,000 great dogs and loving families and are ready to help you.
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