Life gets crazy for everyone, and every day doesn’t go as planned. Sometimes you are forced to leave your pets alone for extended periods due to no fault of your own, and the consequences can be alarming for your pet’s health and your Armani shoes.
Below are some of the reasons your pet might be acting out while you are gone, and what you can do about it.
Imagine if you’re at home and your spouse, partner, or parent leaves without saying a word. You don’t know when they will be back or even if they are coming back. This human is your primary source for love, activities, and more importantly, is your only source for food and water. On top of that, you have no concept of time. Stressed is most likely the best word to use to describe what your feeling. That is how millions of dogs feel when you leave for work and don’t come back for four, five, or more hours at a time.
If your dog is a high energy breed like a Labrador, Border Collie, or a Dalmatian, then getting bored will happen fairly quickly. Most dogs, not just the high energy breeds, need an outlet to keep them busy during the day. If not, dogs will find something to do on their own and most likely, you’re not going to like what it is.
Behaviors your dog is likely to display if they are experiencing separation anxiety or boredom:
Just like toddlers and young children, dogs don’t know what they can and cannot play with. Pets are just as susceptible to poisoning, strangulation, and other household hazards as young humans are. If they get into a bad situation, dogs will often subject themselves to painful ways of escaping.
As good pet parents, we would love to take them (almost) everywhere we go, but most places are not pet-friendly and there are many times we have to leave Fido at home. We hope these tips help keep your dog from being lonely and stressed during those times when you are away.