When it comes time for your vacation, are you an overly happy person, bubbling with excitement about the upcoming trip? Or are you a worrier, tense and sometimes cross about all the packing and preparations?

You might be surprised to learn that either behavior can adversely affect your dog.

Consider what happened to Carry and her Labrador mix, Cocoa. Carry, wanting to have the least amount of impact on Cocoa while she was away on her first vacation in years, arranged for a pet sitter rather than taking her pet, a rescue dog, to a kennel. Unfortunately, Carry was feeling stressed before her departure, and soon after she came home from vacation, problems with Cocoa surfaced. Cocoa left messes in the house when Carry was at work. When a veterinarian found nothing wrong, Carry began to suspect the dog was being vengeful about Carry’s leaving on vacation.

Cocoa’s problem was not revenge, but separation anxiety. Many people wrongly assume there’s a house-training issue if dogs make messes while alone, but that isn’t always the issue. If the dog was only left alone a few hours, or if the issue crops up after a household change, separation anxiety may be driving the problem. Put simply, your dog feels stressed while you are gone. That stressed feeling can create enough angst that your pet can end up with an unexpected need to answer the call of nature. Dogs that are a little insecure to begin with are prime candidates.

Ironically, it wasn’t the time away on vacation that took its toll on Cocoa; it was Carry’s behavior before the departure. Many dogs respond to our emotions, and insecure dogs more often do so adversely. Even if Carry hadn’t taken this trip, she could have built toward separation anxiety issues by showing too much excitement or angst each day before she left for work.

Fortunately, this problem can be solved with training such as the “I’ll be back” technique, which teaches both dog and owner to have a calmer departure.

If you are planning a vacation and are in the habit of becoming overly excited or too stressed before you leave, take a cue from your dog. You will enjoy the vacation more and your dog will feel more secure in your absence.

–

Swager is a behaviorist and dog trainer who has authored several books and a DVD on separation anxiety.

The Iams Company reminds pet owners that back-to-school time may mean sad puppy eyes for some four-legged friends. When kids leave for school, many pets experience separation anxiety and need help adjusting. For tips on how to ease separation woes, visit www.iams.com or call Iams customer service at 1-800-863-4267. (PRNewsFoto/Iams)

Anonymous