How Can I Prevent Separation Anxiety In My Dog?
In the world of K9 University dog training there is an important phrase we live by: “What you pet is what you get”. As owners, it’s important to remember that each time we interact with our dogs, we are setting an example for the type of behavior that we are willing to reward. In this article we will take a closer look at this essential phrase and how it can prevent separation anxiety and other undesirable behaviors.
Have you ever experienced something similar to these situations?
You’ve just started crate training and your dog cries to get out…so you open the door. You’ve just taught the that crying gets your attention to be let out of the crate and you are conditioning your dog to understand barking and whining as a means of getting what they want.
Dad left 10 minutes ago to go get groceries and your dog has been panting next to you on the couch since… AND you’ve been petting them to reassure that “everything will be okay!” Did you know that over petting your dog can increase their likelihood of developing separation anxiety? You are rewarding and soothing their state of their anxiety by providing a positive reward for their behavior (petting to soothe panting & stress of dad leaving). Your actions are unintentionally are creating dependency on your affection and attention.
"What you pet is what you get" simply put means:
Petting to reward good behavior creates good behavior. Petting after bad behavior will continue to produce negative behaviors. Petting when your dog is stressed will only increase their tolerance to stress levels requiring more attention.
How to apply this phrase:
It is important that your dog learns to self soothe when overwhelmed in order to build the right characteristics to handle real life situations without overreacting. Once your dog is calm, it’s the appropriate time to show calm attention and affection. The timing of this positive reinforcement will teach your dog to gather their energy and relax before deciding how to react.