Once we are back at work and school our dogs will be left wondering what the heck happened. A blissful few weeks of human contact and then they are back to waiting for hours for everyone to come home.
Some dogs will be fine with this. They are naturally chilled and just take things as they come. Many others will fret and struggle with this sudden change back to being left at home alone.
Before we worry about this too much, we can prepare our dogs for separation before it happens. On fine days you can put the dog outdoors whilst you are working. If your dog is usually in a dog run when you're at work, put them in there. This reminds the dog that they don't always have your undivided attention. It doesn't have to be for a long time, maybe half an hour or so. Just to help them cope without you.
Practice your long drop-stepaways. I know this sounds weird, but what happens is that your dog is reminded that you are the one in charge and that you make the rules. Therefore when the rules revert to the dog being left at home, then so be it. You've been in charge all along.
If your dog starts to kick up a fuss when left outside alone, contact me. If you have done training with me prior to this I can outline some actions to take. If you aren't familiar with the training method, I will be holding classes again once we relax the isolation rules. You are still welcome to contact me, and I will try to assist with fixing this.
Opmerkingen