Anxiety pattern

Anxiety can manifest itself in different ways and under determined circumstances. The most common is the pattern of anxiety from being inside the house when absence of owners. To hold back this behavior, you will only have to apply the corresponding sensibility suppression process on the conditioning factor that causes this anxious response from the dog. When the dog externalizes this behavior it is typical to observe intermittent breathing , whining and excessive salivation.

As secondary effects from a pattern of anxiety, and not mentioning the physical aspects or consequences which have already been discuss on paragraphs above, we can mention the following:

1. Lack of control of the sphincter's (anus and bladder),
2. Howls, as a way of trying to call the attention of its owners, and expressing its anxiety, and
3. Trying to escape, scratching doors and windows to get out and be with its owners.

This behavior shows up when the dog has no reference from any of the family members not letting him gain the confidence he needs to have. And this happens even when the animal is at home where it should feel safer and more confident considering that it is its territory. Because of that, the only answer would be that the members of the family shouldn't encourage that the dog become excessively dependent from its nearest affective circle or environment. This is done with best of intentions. For this reason, the patterns previously mentioned, are perfectly applicable to reducing the dog's need to be dependent.

As with all the problems, one will have to subdue the dog to a strong physical effort previous to being left alone. In the same way, and to create a more propitious situation, you will feed him at this same instance, without giving him any more food for the rest of the day. With it, you will reach a double objective:

1. For the dog to feed himself when he really needs it, and
2. A much more important aspect, to create the first positive conditioning related with the absence of the owners, meaning that absence equals feeding.

If when arriving home you find that the dog hasn't touched the food, you will repeat this same drill after an hour.

In the same way, and as a way to reinforce the previous conditioning step, one will right before leaving him alone give him only some elements of distraction . It is not necessary that these toys or articles be bought expressly for these occasions, what is really important is that you will only give him these elements at the instant in which you are leaving the house. All this is made with the intention, of making the dog forget about the fact that he is staying alone, it's a temporary diversion.

These elements of distraction must have specific characteristics besides just being attractive. The dog will be given the freedom to tear them apart if he so wishes to do so, but their use has to imply the dog moving around up and down making them more attractive even.

Putting aside other elements of distraction, the following are recommended:

• a basketball, which implies movement, due that it won't be able to hold it in his mouth the ball will constantly roll and he will definitely go after it to try to catch it,
• old newspapers that he will easily tear apart, and by doing so it'll burn some energy, and finally,
• if the veterinary doesn't have any objection to it, a cow's knee bone, for the moments in which he is inactive.

For this to be effective, the element will be taken from the dog by the first member of the family to arrive home. Now then, from the second day on, the dog will try to hide them to prevent that it be taken away from him, specially its bone. Remember to give him affection when leaving the house, but not at our arrival to it.

The area in which you leave the dog while absent from home must be large.