CAR AVERSION and ANXIETY

Anxiety and Sickness in cars is actually quite common, despite popular belief these behaviours are generally not caused through motion sickness or balance problems. It is my belief that this debilitating problem is caused through anxiety and fear.

I believe that carsickness and anxiety cases are initially, caused on that first journey when the puppy is taken from the litter to your home. We tend to get our puppies right at the start of the first fear period, which is between eight to ten and a half weeks. Read more

Doggoned Separation Anxiety

Dr. Jo Ann Eurell knows what it’s like to have a dog with separation anxiety. “My son’s Lab, Mandy, had serious separation anxiety which escalated whenever we took her to strange surroundings. Mandy would work herself up salivating and drooling when we tried to leave. And she was capable of barking for a very long time,” recalls the professor and veterinarian at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in Urbana.

Separation anxiety can be defined as increased fearfulness of the dog after the departure of the owner. For example, after their owners leave for work, anxious dogs might bark or howl, have bowel or bladder “accidents,” or destroy things. Dogs that form intense attachments with their owners, as Labradors do, are more likely candidates for separation anxiety.

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Using Music To Soothe Your Pet’s Fearful Feelings

Is your dog is scared from the sounds of thunderstorms, traffic, house guests, etc.?   According to veterinarian Sue Wagner, music and sounds can be used as a technique for your dog’s behavioral issues. 

Wagner believes that understanding how different noise levels influence the degree of anxiety your dog may experience will help you to reduce their stress levels.  Any type of clatter noises such as buzzing from the clothes dryer or a door slamming can trigger stress.  Recognizing that intense noises from both inside and outside where you live are also influencers will help you to reduce your dog’s anxiety.  If you have no control over the noises, calming music can be used to help – and there is no need for the music to be play loudly.
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