If your dog will only go for a walk with you and will not allow anyone else to take him/her, then you are probably dealing with a dog who has separation anxiety.
This is a common concern, especially in cases where the animal has been adopted from an animal shelter or was abused previously.
When the dog doesn’t want to go for a walk without you, there are ways to relate to him/her in order to help the dog calm down.
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Separation Anxiety
You see, separation anxiety is just an exaggerated form of normal fear that can be caused by many different things.
Dogs are social creatures and they get lonely when their owners are gone.
When this happens, the dog begins to exhibit behavior that seems abnormal.
They may pant when they are in a room alone, refuse to go for a walk by themselves, or even love it when you come home with a new toy!
But all of this behavior is mainly a way for the dog to cope with being by itself.
How to Help
There are several ways to help a dog with separation anxiety.
The first is to make sure the dog gets exercise regularly because exercise helps induce a sense of relaxation.
Then, you should start letting the dog be alone in different rooms of the house in order to help it get used to being by itself.
Do this over a period of time and be patient, because it can take a while for a dog with separation anxiety to get used to feeling alone in various locations.
Dog’s are social animals that have a pack mentality.
If they are not accustomed to being alone most of the time, because it is then that they can develop anxiety.
They need to be around people in order to feel safe and secure.
This is why you must properly socialize your dog.
Create Variations
Try to take it to a different place each day so that it doesn’t get too accustomed to the one place.
For example, go for a short walk around the block, and then go back home. Take a short trip somewhere else in the city, and then go back home again.
Always take him or her with you to different places where there are other people because being around those people will generally help to reduce separation anxiety in dogs that have it.
Another thing you can do is make the crate an “easy” place to be.
This way, the dog will not feel quite so alone in there and when it does happen to go in there when you are gone, the dog will be less scared.
It doesn’t matter what size crate you use; just make sure that it is easy for him/her to get in and out of because that is what it needs to do in order to feel like it is at home.
Invest in a crate cover or make one by using a piece of material or something else that you think will make the crate an inviting place to be.
If the dog feels secure there, then it won’t feel as lonely when it is in the crate alone.
Also, try to leave some treats for your dog in the crate because that will also help to comfort him/her.
To get your dog used to other people taking him for a walk, make sure you let it off leash when you go with another person.
If that doesn’t happen yet, try to let the dog off-leash in a different area that is not your house or yard.
This way, your dog will see another human being and will think of him/her as a friend and it will help to reduce separation anxiety in dogs that have it.
Once your dog is accustomed to seeing other people, give the dog treats and take it for a walk with the person you don’t know well.
When it knows that you are not leaving forever, then he or she won’t feel as lonely.
You can also take it for a walk with anyone because it will help to get it used to other people taking it for a walk.
Just remember that your dog needs to build trust with others first before it will be able to trust completely.
If all else fails to help your dog with separation anxiety, then consider finding a trainer.
You can find plenty of them at the local animal shelter or take your dog to one of them for professional help.
Final Thoughts
If your dog won’t my dog go for a walk without you and will not allow other people to take them, then it is likely that your dog is having separation anxiety.
There are many different ways that you can help him/her, but the most important thing is to socialize your dog.
If you do this, then he or she will be able to cope with being by himself/herself and won’t need you all of the time.
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