Dog Anxiety
Questions and Answers

Dog Questions and answers
Q: I had two dogs that were inseparable; they went up and down together. One of them was a Labrador Timmy and the other was cocker spaniel Rocco. Rocco always slept cuddled up next to Timmy. However, Rocco got sick and we had to put him down. Ever since then, Timmy has been giving us a lot of trouble. Whenever we leave him alone he bites at the furniture and is destroying the house little by little. Why has he started behaving this way?
A: Sadly, Timmy is having trouble living without Rocco and he is doing all of these things because he misses his friend. Believe it or not dogs can also create an excessive dependence on other animals. To avoid this problem, it's necessary to teach the animals to be alone every once in awhile, as well as take them out on walks alone. To resolve the problem you are having with Timmy, your family needs to dedicate more time and attention to him. Don't change Timmy's schedule around otherwise it will make him feel even more insecure, but at the same time, introduce him and take him to new places so he can enjoy new experiences, such as meeting other dogs or animals. Try to find another friend for him if possible.
Q: I think that Benson, my boxer, is starting to get anxiety. He barks like crazy when we leave the house and whenever we get back home, he has always destroyed something. He's starting to disobey whenever we ask him to do certain things too. What should we do to resolve this problem?
A: It sounds like Benson is not suffering from separation anxiety, but that he is confused about his place in your family. He seems to be used to getting all of the attention that he gets mad whenever one of the people in his family leaves "his" house and does not like being ignored. You are going to have to establish some ground rules and let him know who is actually in charge here.