Back-to-school season is a big change for your kids and your pets.
Next week is officially back-to-school season, when textbooks replace beach days and barbecues. Keeping with the scholastic spirit, we have a question for all you pet parents: Did you know pets can experience separation anxiety when kids head off to school? If you notice behavioral changes in your pet -- chewing on items that smell like their companion and going to the bathroom
in inappropriate places -- he (or she) may have a case of the back-to-school blues. In particular, dogs who have had to change homes before being adopted into their current family may be more likely to develop separation anxiety.
Here's a homework assignment for treating separation anxiety in pets:
- Start early: If you have a new pet, you can begin anti-separation-anxiety training right away. Don't make a big deal about leaving, and only leave him alone for short periods of time at first. When you come home, simply greet him and return to your routine.
- Promote independence: Both adults and children can actually over-bond with their pets by spending every moment with them. While your family should certainly show love and affection to your animal, remember that independence is healthy. Place your dog in a sit-stay or down-stay to keep him from following you and your family members around the house, and then praise him quietly when you return to the room he's in.
- Invest in entertainment: Leave something to divert your pet's attention when the family is at work and school, such as a pet-sitting video. Another great product is the Kong toy, which keep dogs busy as they search for the treats inside.
- Exercise with your dog before you leave: Ask your children to play or exercise with your dog before heading off to school. A tired dog is less likely to experience stress when you leave.
- Practice gradual departures: Collect your belongings and say your goodbyes, but only leave for a few minutes. Increase these training trips by five or 10 minutes at a time. After a couple of days, your pet should be comfortable being alone for a few hours.
Judith- Thank you for contacting us. I've passed your request on and you should be contacted by someone from Shelter Outreach.
We are having trouble figuring out how to contact anyone at petfinder - I'm hoping this works. We have questions concerning how shelters are found and what we can do to improve our visibility on your site. Since the search is by zip code, only those who look in our zip code (which is in an industrial area near the airport - where people don't live!) can easily get to us and we're the largest no-kill shelter in the state. Tiny little rescue groups come up for pages and pages before anyone gets to our shelter which has many more animals to select from. When I put my zip code in (where I live) - it's around 12 pages or more until I find our shelter. There has to be a better way - can we talk to someone?? Thanks. Judith Gardner, President and CEO, Arizona Animal Welfare League and SPCA, Phoenix, AZ 85034 jgardner@aawl.org
Great Ideas Kim!
Your are right! Taking your pet for a walk first thing in the morning is great exercise for both of you. Getting out in the crisp morning air, getting your body moving, and spending a little quiet time with your pet will make a big difference for both of you during the day. You will have to get up a little earlier in the morning, but it will pay off! Your pet will have soundness of mind and you will have peace of mind! Thank for the thoughts Kim! For other ideas on great things to do and places to go with your pets, check out: http://www.vetdex.com/pilot.asp?pg=default&grp=135