Separation anxiety is one of the most common problems Bullmastiff dog owners face. After all, your dog is extremely loyal and wants to go where the owner goes. We would love for our Havanese to accompany us wherever we go, but that is not feasible, especially when we have to go to work or to areas where dogs are not allowed.

Leaving them at home can cause anything from mild levels of anxiety to serious behavior problems resulting in barking and destruction of your household items. When you get home, your dog may have chewed on his favorite pair of shoes or urinated on the carpet because he was anxious when you weren’t around. Sometimes it’s hard to imagine their cute Havanese becoming a little monster at home, all because they’re worried he’s left them and won’t come back.

Sources of Dog Separation Anxiety

The main driving force behind anxiety is their inherent nature of being pack animals and separating them from the pack causes them uncertainty and agitation. They feel a sense of detachment when their master leaves and this disturbs them. In fact, there are certain actions that the owner takes that are based on this anxiety and it makes them even more agitated.

For example, if you pay attention to them before you leave or right after you return, and this is done consistently every day, the pattern you establish becomes ingrained in your routine and your agitation increases day by day.

Reduce dog separation anxiety

What you don’t realize is that you actually have more control over your restlessness than you think. Certain changes in your actions could go a long way in reducing your agitation and thus curbing your anxiety.

Here are some simple ways you can reduce anxiety:

Mix it every day:If you have a set number of tasks that you do each day before you leave, you may want to change it up a bit. If you know that your Havanese starts misbehaving when picking up the car keys, for example, try using another method of picking up the keys next time. Put your keys in your pocket well in advance before you leave. Another common trigger is your morning walk just before you are dropped off. If they know you drop them off right after you walk with them, try taking them for a walk well before you plan to leave.

stay neutral: It’s hard not to give them love just before leaving. After all, you will also miss them all day. However, doing this only increases their anxiety when you leave them. The same applies when you return home. Try not to pay too much attention to them before you leave or just after you return. The most effective way to reduce their anxiety is to decouple your departure and return with the amount of attention they receive. It is recommended that you pretend that nothing has changed before you leave or when you return and do so by ignoring your dog for 10 minutes before and after. Don’t pet or hug him during these times, even if he makes sad noises or has a sad expression. Remember, you are doing this only to help them reduce their anxiety when you are not home.

Start with shorter periods:If you see your dog getting anxious as soon as you leave, go outside for a few minutes and then come back inside. That will change your expectation of how long he will be gone and when he will return. You can slowly increase the time you leave them so it feels natural for them to come back even if you leave.

you’re not being mean

You may think that some of these methods are cruel and you certainly feel that way when it comes to Bullmastiff dogs that become very attached to their owner. The thing to keep in mind is that when you do this, it reduces their anxiety, which in turn allows them to be calmer and healthier in the long run.

If your dog’s anxiety problems continue for a long time, you should do everything you can to reduce them early and not let them get worse. The last thing you want to do is come home to find out that your Havanese has done something he shouldn’t have done and you immediately respond by yelling at him (and that’s because you created the situation in the first place).

You can learn these and other training secrets on the Havanese Training site.