PREVENTING SEPARATION ANXIETY
Anxiety can contribute to hyperactive energy. You don’t see a lot of anxiety in nature. Fear, yes; anxiety, NO. It’s only when we bring animals into the home or cage them up that we create anxiety in them.
For dogs to be concerned about separation from you is normal. It is instinctual for them to worry or be sad if the pack is broken up, even if that “pack” consists of only you and your dog. And it’s not natural for a dog to be shut up in in a house or apartment alone all day with nothing to do. Your dog can’t read a book or do a crossword puzzle. Her energy has nowhere to go while you’re gone. No wonder so many dogs experience separation anxiety—and end up with all that built-up, hyperactive energy when their owners return home.
I find that owners often don’t recognize symptoms of anxiety in their dogs. They think that separation anxiety begins when they leave the house—but in reality, it starts with unreleased energy that has been building since the moment their dog woke up. An owner wakes up, brushes his teeth, drinks a cup of coffee, and makes breakfast—and all while his dog is in the background, following him room to room, pacing. The owner thinks, “Oh, she just loves to be with me; she has to make sure I'm fine all the time.” All this is fiction the human creates in his mind in order to feel good. That dog shows you not how much she loves you, but how anxious she is. If you leave the house without giving her some way to release that energy, of course she’ll have separation-anxiety issues.
I tell my clients to take their dog for a good long walk, run, or even a Rollerblade session first thing in the morning; that’s good for the human’s health too. Really tire her out. Then it’s feeding time. By the time you leave the house, your dog will be tired and full, and in a naturally resting state. The mind will be calm-submissive, and it will make much more sense for her to be quiet for the rest of the day. You’ll also be less likely to have a hyperactive dog greet you at the door. Another piece of advice is not to make a big deal out of coming and going. If you share excited energy when you come and go, it only feed an anxious mind.