German Shepherd Anxiety Problems – Signs and Treatments
The German Shepherd is particularly loyal to their pet owners and may experience anxiety when separated, a condition known as separation anxiety. This may lead to aggressive behaviors, excessive barking, and destruction of furniture and household items. There are some common reasons for separation anxiety. The German Shepherd is a pack-orientated breed and in the wild they closely follow their pack leader. This behavior is adapted from their ancestors the wolves. Your pet may consider you to be the pack leader and may feel abandoned when they are separated from you for long periods of time, causing anxiety. Similar to other breeds such as springer spaniels and Airedales, the German Shepherd is prone to deviation. It is advisable to thoroughly research the breed of dog including the breeders where you are purchasing your pet from. Pets that have experienced trauma with previous owners or who have been abandoned and placed in dog shelters, may be more prone to anxiety. 
Traumatic experiences such as these can make the pet more distrustful of their new owners, and they may be frightened that same situation will happen again with their new-found owner. Early weaning, such as separation of the puppy from their mother and siblings within the first 8 weeks, may also make some pets more prone to anxiety. During the early stages of the puppy's development, they learn basic survival and social skills from their family and early separation may cause them psychological trauma. Physical and emotional neglect of your pet may lead them to become anxious, and it is important to provide your pet with extra attention and affection. For this reason, pet owners who work long hours should consider if this breed is right for them.
There are some ways in which you can help to reduce signs of anxiety:
Noise anxiety is a very common anxiety problem for dogs. A fear of thunder may cause symptoms of shaking and in extreme cases it may cause them to panic, defecate indoors. It may also cause destructive chewing and running, defecating indoors and behaviors which can place your dog in danger, such as running away from their owner. The German shepherd can be sensitive to the flash of lightening, and their heightened sense of smell means that they can often sense a thunderstorm long before they can hear it. Treatment varies depending on the dog. You can change the dog's environment such as finding a location that will reduce the noise level or turning on music or the television to divert your pet's attention. Pressure wraps are a simple and effective treatment for a number of dogs. Pressure wraps are anything that wraps around the dog's torso and chest to provide a constant and gentle pressure. This treatment has been around for many years and has been confirmed to be very effective. Behavior modification is a good way to desensitize your pet to the noise. Begin by gradually exposing your pet to low levels of noise, and increasing the level until your dog tolerates it well. Continue until they are comfortable to a noise which is a similar level to the feared noise. Prescription medication can be prescribed by your veterinarian in severe cases.
Traumatic experiences such as these can make the pet more distrustful of their new owners, and they may be frightened that same situation will happen again with their new-found owner. Early weaning, such as separation of the puppy from their mother and siblings within the first 8 weeks, may also make some pets more prone to anxiety. During the early stages of the puppy's development, they learn basic survival and social skills from their family and early separation may cause them psychological trauma. Physical and emotional neglect of your pet may lead them to become anxious, and it is important to provide your pet with extra attention and affection. For this reason, pet owners who work long hours should consider if this breed is right for them.There are some ways in which you can help to reduce signs of anxiety:
- Crate training is one effective way to alleviate anxiety.
- Provide exercise routines.
- Distract your pet from boredom. Give something to eat or play with while they are inside the crate.
- Positive reinforcement. Reward them when they behaves well.
Noise anxiety is a very common anxiety problem for dogs. A fear of thunder may cause symptoms of shaking and in extreme cases it may cause them to panic, defecate indoors. It may also cause destructive chewing and running, defecating indoors and behaviors which can place your dog in danger, such as running away from their owner. The German shepherd can be sensitive to the flash of lightening, and their heightened sense of smell means that they can often sense a thunderstorm long before they can hear it. Treatment varies depending on the dog. You can change the dog's environment such as finding a location that will reduce the noise level or turning on music or the television to divert your pet's attention. Pressure wraps are a simple and effective treatment for a number of dogs. Pressure wraps are anything that wraps around the dog's torso and chest to provide a constant and gentle pressure. This treatment has been around for many years and has been confirmed to be very effective. Behavior modification is a good way to desensitize your pet to the noise. Begin by gradually exposing your pet to low levels of noise, and increasing the level until your dog tolerates it well. Continue until they are comfortable to a noise which is a similar level to the feared noise. Prescription medication can be prescribed by your veterinarian in severe cases.
German Shepherd Anxiety Problems – Signs and Treatments
Reviewed by Mark Williams
on
04:01
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Reviewed by Mark Williams
on
04:01
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