Hi, I’m Floppy. I’m a cute and adorable dachshund, and I want to talk about one of my biggest fears. My fellow dachshunds and I fear being left alone by our owners.
While it is common for most dog breeds to have separation anxiety, we tend to take it a bit more to the extreme. However, it does not mean that you need to leave everything and spend all of your time cuddling us. Even though that would be fun, we understand that you have a busy life. You need to work, attend meetings, go to parties and whatnot. Still, we will channel all of our cuteness into giving you the most vulnerable looking puppy eyes of all time before you leave. The thing is, we really cannot help how bad we feel when we’re left alone for too long.
How Long Can You Leave Us Home Alone?
Veterinarians suggest that you don’t leave your dog home alone for more than four to six hours. When it comes to dachshunds, it is best to keep it to a maximum of four hours.
If we are very well trained and won’t pee unless let out of the house, then we’re at risk of developing a UTI or kidney stones.
Obviously, you cannot run home every four hours to check on us, but you can hire a dog care company to take us for a walk or ask a relative or a neighbor to do it. We’re friendly dogs, and we promise to be on our best behavior.
It is best to treat young dachshund puppies with even more care and not leave them alone even for four hours. If we’re too young or if you have recently adopted us, then leaving us alone can quickly trigger our separation anxiety and make us restless.
Being in a new home and surroundings can be an anxiety-inducing situation for most of us. Dachshunds need time to adjust to your schedule and to feel at home. Leaving us alone before we are mature can make us feel terrible. And you certainly don’t want that for your beloved dachshund.
You need to ensure that you don’t let separation anxiety set its root firmly in our minds. If you’re unable to make us feel comforted, then we will start associating anxiety to being left alone, leading to distress every time you decide to step outside the door without us.
But How Will You Come To Know That We’re Feeling Distressed and Anxious?
When we’re anxious, we tend to chew on things. We might nibble on some of your belongings, like shoes and clothes, to keep us occupied. Contrary to what you might think, this is not our stubbornness; we’re not rebelling. We are not spiteful because you left us alone. We are just too scared and anxious to be thinking about what’s acceptable behavior and what might make you angry. Chewing on things is how we express that we were upset when left alone.
Why Do We Bark Or Howl When Left Alone?
We try to communicate with people or call out to our owners through excessive barking and howling when under stress. Our howling could be frustrating for the neighbors, but it is our cry for attention.
Pacing around the room is another way we release our restlessness.
Unless you’ve trained us very effectively, going potty in the room or soiling the bedsheet can also be signs that we were scared and ended up losing control. This can happen even after we’ve been potty trained.
These actions are signs of our anxiety. Just like humans, even more so, we need to be comforted at such a time. Punishing us for bad behavior when we’ve been anxiously waiting around for you can make us confused. During distress, your dog needs a comforting pat to relax and realize that Mama or Papa is home, and everything is alright.
Indeed, we can sometimes be aggressive. However, these destructive patterns are not the product of our aggression; they stem from fear and stress.
Impact of Separation Anxiety On Appetite
Separation anxiety can make us upset and lead to a loss of appetite. I do not like to eat a lot of food when I’m angry or right after you’ve come back home. I need time to adjust to being okay again. It is better to plan our meals after a short while of being left alone. Leaving food for us at home before you go to work can also become another source of a mess in the house.
How To Get Your Dachshund Used To Be Home Alone?
Your dachshund needs to understand that you’re not abandoning him when you leave home. He needs to see that you’ll be out for a while, but you will come back to him.
We are smart dogs, if I may say so myself. Specific actions like picking up your handbag, wearing shoes, keeping some food out for us, and so on, can alert us to the fact that you are about to go out.
Downplay The Act Of Leaving
When leaving us home, you must stay calm and collected. We can easily pick up on your vibe and react to your emotional state. If you’re anxious about leaving us alone, we will also be anxious about the idea of being left alone. If you get over-excited when you return home, we will start waiting for you.
A simple “Goodbye, honey. See you soon” with a pat on the head can calm us. Make it a routine to say goodbye to your dachshund calmly before you leave and again when you return home. This will help us feel a sense of stability. We will feel assured that you are not abandoning us.
You can make it a ritual to say goodbye to us before you leave. We will get accustomed to the act and will not be taken by surprise.
Conditioning
Conditioning your dog to the idea that whenever you leave, you will eventually come back is a good idea. You can practice a small exercise for this.
Go out of the house for a small amount of time every day and then come back. Repeating this for a few days and gradually increasing the period in which you’re gone can get us used to the idea of you leaving and coming back.
Play With Them Before You Leave
Playing with us before you leave can tire us out. If we’ve received enough attention for the day, we might fall asleep for a while when you’re not home. Boredom is also less likely to strike in such a situation.
The Toy Trick
Another trick that you can use to get rid of our separation anxiety is to leave a lot of toys with us to play with when you’re not home. Toys can distract us for some time. When we finally get bored and sit back, it’ll be time for you to be home!
Moreover, chew toys can be a substitute for your belongings when we start getting upset. Remember to remove any valuables and sharp objects from the room before you leave us home.
Conclusion
Once we get used to your schedule, we will feel a sense of security. We will be capable of managing to stay at home alone, without getting destructive. However, there can always be lapses and bad days when we won’t be at our best when you’re not home. It is imperative that you understand this and do not get angry when you return.
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