Many German shepherd get anxious when separated from their owners. Dogs with low levels or anxiety bark when separated from their owners. German shepherd anxiety can destroy your house, poop where they’re not supposed to or bark for hours when you leave home.

Sources of German Separation Anxiety Changing Your Routine

Dogs in the wild live in packs. They form close bonds with their owners and can get upset when you leave them alone. You increase your German shepherd anxiety by giving him special attention before leaving and after coming home. This reinforces his anxious feeling when you leave.

You can reduce your German shepherd’s anxious feelings when you leave home by:

Changing Your Routine

The first thing to do is to change your morning routine. Your dog may associate your alarm with your getting ready to leave the house. This can be fixed by waking up earlier then later. If you always take a shower and dress for work before having breakfast, mix things up and eat breakfast first. Small variations can reduce your G

Get up at different times, get dressed earlier, take your keys down before you leave and wait for a while. Little variations will reduce German shepherd anxiety.

Stop Reinforcing Your German Shepherd Anxiety

Spending too much time with your German shepherd before you leave the house or when you come home only reinforces his anxiety level.

The best way to reduce your German shepherd anxiety is to ignore him when you get home and don’t pet him before you leave. Never cave in if he makes sad noises.

Putting him in his crate before you leave. German shepherds in the wild sleep in cave like structures. He’ll feel nice and secure in his crate…a great anxiety reducer (plus you’ll never have to worry about him doing damage again when you leave home.)

If your German shepherd gets anxious the minute you leave home, leave for a few seconds and return. German shepherd anxiety can often be greatly reduced by changing his expectations of how long you’ll be gone.

Don’t Feel Mean

Most German shepherd owners love their dogs and don’t want to treat them cruelly. Don’t feel mean if you follow these steps. You’re reducing your dog’s anxiety and helping him remain calm. Remember, you’re the “Alpha Dog” – his leader…always in control. He’ll learn to trust you. His anxiety will be reduced knowing you’ll return and are in control.

If your German shepherd has extended, serious anxiety problems, deal with it right away. Even if he just gets upset and isn’t destructive when you’re gone, you can reduce German shepherd anxiety and his worries about being abandoned by teaching him to associate your leaving with the pack order and its survival.