When it comes to sending the kids off to school in the mornings, I as a parent find myself missing them but I also know that they will be home later in the day. The thing is, when they head off to school each day, I am not the only one who finds themselves missing the kids company. Because in my home, our family includes our fur babies, who find themselves missing the kids as well and really dealing with their own back to school blues. So when we were given the chance to partner with Purina for this post on how to help our dogs, I was excited to learn more and share what I learned with my readers!
Our dogs are like the kids, and with our dogs, they are very close to the kids. They look forward to playing with them each day, getting those hugs from the kids, and even snuggling with the kids at night. And when the kids leave for school, our dogs end up getting anxious, awaiting their return, and acting as though every minute that passes by, is the longest minute at times. So as a pet parent, I want find ways to help my fur babies and make that separation anxiety that they may feel at times, not be so hard on them. Recently I was given the chance to ask the questions I had, get answers, tips and some great advice from Purina Vet Dr. Kurt Venator on how to help our dogs deal a little better when it comes to their separation anxiety.
We found that when we leave the house, our two smaller dogs who are younger than our dog Chloe, chew on anything and everything they find. Leaving our house looking as if a disaster hit, and leaving our fur babies with the look of guilt on their faces when we walk in the door. So when we leave we were given the tip to get our pups a Kong and to fill it with peanut butter or something they like, giving them something to chew on and also something to keep them busy when we are not at home.
Another great tip that we were given is one that helps to give our pets a chance to understand that we are leaving, by doing something as simple as shaking our keys, letting them know we will be leaving soon. It was suggested that we let our pets know we are leaving about 15 minutes prior to going out the door and let them know we will be home later, that way they can prepare themselves and understand that we are leaving and will be back.
When it comes to leaving the house, and helping our pets with their separation anxiety while we are away, the Dr said that putting on some soothing music can help. By using music, the dogs can soothe with the sound, as well as drown out the sounds from outside that might cause their anxiety to be heightened.
Then, when we get home, even when we are tired, we were told that giving our pets that attention they desire, helps with relieving the anxiety they might have felt while we were out. When we spend time with them and give them that attention by playing with them, taking them for a walk, or even snuggling them, they are not only happier, but it can also help with keeping them healthy both mentally and physically.
In all, we found the advice that we were given is advice that is very helpful, and that not only helps our dogs to feel better about the back to school season, but great advice for everyone to feel better as well. So if you find that your fur babies are having issues with anxiety when you leave the house, be sure to try some of these great tips as well as head on over to the Purina site where you can find other tips and tricks that can help with keeping your fur babies happy and healthy!
This post was sponsored by Purina. All opinions are my own.
