Tips for helping dogs adjust as we return to work As more dog owners return to their offices and workplaces, all the Busters, Daisey’s and Poppies out there are wondering where their humans have gone. We spoke to specialists on dog behavior to learn how we can help our four-legged companions through this period of adjustment. After a year of lapping up quality time with their teleworking humans, our pups may find this shift back to the “old” normal to be pretty jarring. Especially if the dog in question is a COVID puppy and has never known a life when humans weren’t home all day. Dog-behavior specialists seem to agree that when it comes to helping dogs navigate this change, a slow and steady transition is key.
A lapse in housetraining or uncharacteristic behavior is no reason to punish them, and may simply be evidence that you’ve made the transition more quickly than they can tolerate. A dog’s separation anxiety is like a panic attack in humans. In this state, a dog is driven by pure fear, with no more power to think logically than a small child who has been separated from his parents. 6 classic signs of separation anxiety may include: 1. Excessive vocalization. 2. Regression in housetraining.
3. Destructive chewing, especially if it’s It will be important for people to start to set focused on exits, such as your door or aside scheduled alone time for their dogs now windows. so it is not such a dramatic change in schedule when people go back to work, 4. Refusal to eat. Starting with five to 10-minute absences and building up to one to two-hour absences is a good plan. Keep in mind that certain dog breeds are more prone to separation anxiety due to their genetics. Herding and guarding breeds, for instance, have been specifically bred to make them watchful of any potential changes in their surroundings, so they may get especially upset when one of the most important members of their flock — aka you — is no longer there.
5. Excessive drooling. 6. Self-injury, such as cutting his paws to dig through a crate or door. Independence training can help. Plan to take mini-breaks from your pet so he or she gets used to sometimes being alone. If possible, review Rover’s reactions remotely by using a nanny cam or GoPro.
Or you can place your laptop at dog level, start a Zoom call, duck into the garage and Shepherds, border collies, Rottweilers, boxers use your phone to observe how he’s — those are all dogs that have been doing, selected over centuries to notice changes in their environment. This will give you important information on how well you absence is being tolerated as At the same time, it’s important to respect their you build more absences into their days, individual personalities, as what calms one dog the dog should gradually learn to accept that sometimes you won’t be there, but you won’t necessarily soothe another. always will return home. 4
