Boston Terrier Seperation Anxiety Problems

Boston terriers have been known to develop seperation anxiety issues.



So what exactly is seperation anxiety?



Seperation Anxiety is actually an anxiety disorder that is defined through a state of intense panic induced from the dog's detachment from his owners.



So to put simply, when you leave the house, your boston terrier goes into a state of nervous anxiety which escalates exceedingly fast.



Boston terriers are social animals and need plenty of companionship to keep them happy and pleased. No boston terrier likes to be left alone for long amounts of time, but some handle it a lot worse than others.



The biggest cause of seperation anxiety for boston terriers is neglect. If you are gone a lot more than you are there in your boston terrier's life, separation anxiety is pretty much unavoidable. Your boston terrier requires your companionship, affection, and care to be pleased.



Symptoms of separation anxiety are pretty distinguishing. Your boston terrier will usually know when you are going to leave (he'll hear your keys jingling, see you putting on your coat, etc) and will get very anxious. He might follow you from room to room, whining, shaking, and crying. Some boston terriers even get aggressive trying to stop their owners from leaving.



Once you have left, the anxious behavior will quickly worsen and normally will peak within a half an hour. He might bark endlessly, scratch and dig at the windows and doors, chew inappropriate objects, and even urinate or defecate inside the house. In intense cases, he may even self-mutilate by licking or chewing his skin until it has become raw, or pulling out his fur.



Then when you return, he will be really excited, and will jump around you in a frenzy of delight for a lengthy amount of time (more than the usual 30 seconds of a pleased, well-balanced boston terrier.)



This prolonged greeting is a source of some misunderstanding. Without knowing that such a greeting actually shows a psychological disorder, a lot of owners actually encourage their boston to get more and more worked up upon their return (by stirring up their boston's excitement, encouraging him to leap around, and so on.)



Anytime you do this with your boston, you really need to stopshould really stop. I know that it can be tempting and very easy to do, and even seems harmless - but in actuality, you are just supporting his belief that your return is the greatest part of the day. So he is as happy as can be when you return, but when it's time for you to leave again, his happiness at your presence is under threat, and he gets even more worried when you leave.



More boston terrier training tips can be found at http://www.squidoo.com/boston-terrier-training

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