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In Praise of the Unsung Heroes: A Loving Salute to Dog Owners Navigating the Journey with Separation Anxiety
Here's to you! To the silent heroes of the canine world, the dog guardians who face the daily challenges of living with a dog with separation anxiety, this one's for you. In this blog post, let's shine a spotlight on your incredible journey – the struggles, the adjustments, the guilt, and the unwavering love that defines your unique bond. A big, heartfelt shout-out to those on the path to recovery; your commitment doesn't go unnoticed. Acknowledging the Struggle: The struggle is real, and I see it. And for the people who think you're the one with attachment issues. You're the one who just needs to be a little tougher, you're the one who caused the issue. I say ..... for everyone who has underestimated your struggle, dismissed your intuition or lectured you. I SEE YOU and understand what you've gone through or are still going through. The Weight of Guilt: Guilt, that heavy burden that came with the realisation that your dog wasn't coping. I want you to release yourself from that weight. I want to acknowledge your dedication to your pup's well-being, in seeking insight, in gaining education and asking for help. Adjustments with Grace: The adjustments you've made, both big and small, don't go unnoticed. From rearranging schedules to accommodating unique needs, you've shown a grace and adaptability that is truly commendable. The Emotional Rollercoaster: Living with a dog with separation anxiety can be an emotional rollercoaster. Your emotional resilience is a testament to your compassion, and I want to honor the emotional labor you invest in your pup every day. A Loving Shout-Out: To everyone on this journey, I want to send a mighty shout out. Your commitment and sacrifices do not go unnoticed. Wherever you are on this journey, your efforts are changing the narrative for your dog. You are the unsung hero in their story. A Journey to Recovery As we celebrate you, the dog owners navigating the complex world of separation anxiety, let this be a reminder – you are not alone. Your journey is seen, honored, and celebrated. 🌈🐾 #DogOwnerHeroes #JourneyToRecovery #LoveUnleashed 🐕✨ Myths, Misinformation & Not So Helpful 'Tips' To Avoid
-An overview of some of the most common advice you can safely ignore Myth # 1 Leave Them With Something to Do and/or Something to Eat The Truth About Food The fact is that many dogs who are afraid when alone can’t eat anything! And let’s just imagine how much food we’d have to leave them with if we’re going to use it as a distraction while we’re away for an hour, two hours or more. Food may distract and soothe them during the time it takes them to consume it but what happens then? Chances are if your dog is experiencing Home Alone Fear or Frustration then this is going to be a sticking plaster at best. And not a very strong one. Myth # 2 Exercise it out of them All dogs benefit from age, stage and health appropriate physical exercise of course. It’s just one of the well being requirements we should strive to meet as dog guardians. It’s essential for their mental health too and it’s good for us too. Bonus! The Truth about Exercise Separation Anxiety related behaviours are often rooted in fear. Similar to a panic attack in people. Dogs on this spectrum cannot be exercised into a state of relaxation because they’re genuinely terrified. For others their symptoms are caused more by frustration and a Fear of Missing Out. Either way exercise alone isn’t the answer. Myth # 3 It’s All Your Fault Anyway! ‘Your dog is spoilt and over indulged.’ ‘You’re just too soft with them. ‘ ‘ You’re too affectionate.’ ‘You’re making too much of a fuss of them.’ ‘That breed are known to be an anxious lot.’ ‘You shouldn’t let them sleep on the bed.’ The Truth About ‘’Spoiling’’ Your Dog Some dogs are a bit Velcro, they need to stick close to their person or people. They’re more physically tactile and enjoy a snuggle up more than anything else. Some dogs need a little more help in confidence building and learning that being a little distance from their people doesn’t mean that the sky is going to fall in. It doesn’t mean that they’re going to develop full blown separation anxiety. Many dogs who seem otherwise independent – sleep on their own downstairs, will spend hours away from their people in another room/the garden, do fine with sitters or at daycare also completely fall apart if they’re left Home Alone. So you see, being a bit Velcro isn’t a predictor of SA. If you take anything away from this, please let go of that particular guilt. Let’s talk Breed. The truth is we haven’t found a correlation in Breeds or Types being more susceptible to SA. There would have to be a whole lot more research to discover whether there are particular connections. Myth # 4 They’re Playing You! - Let them howl it out I’m sure someone’s said something like this to you. That poo that you found on the floor when you got home, the chewed up remote, the untouched bowl of food – these are all planned out by your dog to make you feel bad about leaving them. Really? The Truth About The Revenge Poo, unstuffed cushion, chewed up door etc. There’s no such thing. Let’s think about it. This would take some planning by our dogs and great self control too if they’re going to save the need for elimination for when you leave them. Or refuse to eat. Destructive behaviours and toileting (when otherwise house trained) can have many route causes it may be symptomatic of SA and it may not. But I can assure you dogs do not have the emotional capacity for revenge nor the mental ability to plan. Myth # 5 Just Get another dog On the face of it this seems like a logical solution, if your dog struggles to be Home Alone, then a companion might help right? The Truth About Another Dog Might is right. This very rarely works. So that’s a hell of a risk. Even if you were planning a second dog. if it doesn’t work, what then? How fair is it to leave a new puppy or dog alone with a possibly very distressed one? And…. What if….. the second dog also develops SA? There’s no reason why this couldn’t happen. Yikes! Myth # 6 Nutraceuticals, Magic Massages and More (N.M.M’s for short) Have You Tried this Supplement, Plug In, Jacket, Herbal Remedy, Relaxing Music…..? There’s oodles of alternative, complimentary and other forms of remedy out there. They often have 1000s of fabulous customer reviews. Many are hugely popular and very profitable. They’re unlikely to do any harm, so why not give them a go? The Truth About N.M.M.’s There’s no good evidence that they will make a positive and lasting difference to a dog with SA. If only they did then the problem would be solved overnight. Yes they have lots of reviews, some claim to have studies backing them, but dig a little deeper and you’ll find that these aren’t very robustly conducted studies. I recommend you study customer reviews, often they’re talking more about customer service or some other aspect of the buying experience rather than effectiveness. Look at the one star reviews too. I’m not disparaging these, if they work for some people that’s great. But they can’t possibly be a magic wand for what is a very complex and variable set of issues. The one take way from this bunch of NMM’s is the use of sound. For noise sensitive dogs then background sound (white, brown or pink noise for example) can help. |