Make Boarding Easy by Reducing Separation Anxiety

If you have a dog, there is a good chance that sooner or later you are going to need to board it. For some dogs, this is an extremely stressful situation; for others, it hardly fazes them-and some even enjoy it. What is often the difference between such dogs is called separation anxiety. Minimizing separation anxiety is something you can do to help your dog and you-and not just for boarding, but for a better quality of life every day.
So what exactly is separation anxiety? In short, it is a measure of how much that dog needs your presence to feel secure and satisfied. Between humans, it's called being co-dependent. If you have ever seen someone in a severely co-dependent relationship then you know how miserable and/or out of control they can become when the person they depend upon is not around.
As with people, a dog with separation anxiety needs to learn that it can be perfectly happy and fine when you are not around. When a dog learns this, your absence will not cause it to become anxious (which can lead to undesirable behaviors). And when you have to board your dog, you may be surprised to find that he enjoys it. Following are three big tips to help reduce or eliminate a dog's separation anxiety.*
Ignore your dog
One of the biggest causes of separation anxiety is also one of the reasons dog lovers have dogs-they are our biggest fans. Every time we walk in the door, they greet us and we cheerfully greet them. It's a giant love fest. It feels good and everyone is happy, right? So what's wrong with that?
The problem is that if the dog is anxious when you leave, then your triumphant and celebratory return sends him a different message. It is something along the lines of:
Yes! I have returned! You were worried that I might not-and you should have been-but now I am back and all is well! This is cause to celebrate! After all, the next time I leave may be the last time you see me.
Ignore your dog when you leave and ignore him when you first arrive home. Your coming and going are no big deal. When you get home, wait until he is calm and ignoring you before you pay him any attention.
Mix-up your doggie routine
If dogs could talk, they could teach spies how to observe their targets. Your dog will know your routine better than you do. The stricter your routine, the more a dog can come to depend on it. Mixing up what you do with your dog and when you do it enable him to be adaptable to other changes.
Socialize your dog
Expose your dog to as many situations, people, and other pets as you can in a safe manner. The bigger his world is then the less impact an unfamiliar situation will have.
*Every dog is different. These training tips are for a general audience. If your dog is experiencing any severe behavioral disorder, contact a qualified trainer/behaviorist. A qualified trainer/behaviorist will need to obtain information from you and observe your dog in order to make an informed diagnosis and create a behavior-modification program.

Written by Jill Manty for the owner of http://www.meadowlakepetresort.com/.
This article can be reproduced in whole or in part, providing this byline is included along with a followable link to http://www.meadowlakepetresort.com/.

You Want Me To Train Where?

Can't find the time to train? Life too hectic? Too much to do?
We all have good intentions. Sometimes life just gets in the way. We put off what we know we should do.
When it comes to dog training, we all want a well behaved dog but it can be difficult to find the time to teach the dog what we want. They won't figure it out by themselves, as much as we'd like to think so.
One thing we all do - is go to the bathroom...
What? What has that got to do with dog training?
Dog training is about finding opportunity to reinforce behaviours you want to see more of. When I go to a client's house, I tell them one of the ways to get more of a behaviour is to capture it! That means watch for something the dog naturally offers and want to see more of, such as sit or down, or a cute head tilt and reward it! The more something is rewarded, the more it will occur. When you are sitting around watching TV or at the computer and your dog naturally settles into a relaxed down (on one hip), quietly reward it.
I don't suggest teaching everything this way as it can take a long time but I do recommend it as an adjunct to training with luring and shaping.
I recommend keeping small containers with treats in various rooms, ready to use as rewards.
Here is where the bathroom comes into the picture. Don't worry, I won't get too personal!
I know, without a doubt, my dog will offer a big long stretch when I am in the bathroom. At first I didn't do much about it and simply thought, isn't that cute.
Then the trainer part of my brain kicked in. I decided to keep a small container of treats handy, (on the back of the toilet) in all my bathrooms. From that moment on, every morning, I began marking ("yes") and rewarding that spontaneous stretch.
It didn't take long before I was able to add a verbal signal. I tried to think of something snappy and fun but all I came up with was "stretch". I'm not terribly creative that way but I do have a great behaviour on cue now!
That got me thinking of all the behaviours you could train while in the bathroom: sit stay, down stay, targeting, back up, sit pretty, play bow, high five, eye contact, play dead, go to mat.
It all depends on your imagination and creativity!
It may sound like a crazy thing but I suggest you pay attention to what your dog does when you are in the bathroom. Does he lie down? Reward it! Does he sit? Reward it! Does he play bow? Reward it! Does he spin? Definitely reward it!
Your family and friends may wonder why you have a container of dog treats in the bathroom but so what, you'll be having fun with your dog!