Des Moines, Iowa — A dog trainer in central Iowa says he’s seeing a big boost in clients needing help dealing with separation anxiety in pouting pooches.
Jack Fitzjunker, who runs Dog Training Elite of Des Moines, says many Iowans adopted dogs during the worst days of the pandemic, but now the kids are back in school and most adults have returned to in-person workplaces, so the suddenly-lonely canines are acting up.
The separation anxiety is often worse for high-energy, working dogs like German shepherds and border collies, he says, and the warning signs are varied.
You can’t go from spending all of your day around a pet to being gone for eight or nine hours at a time, the trainer says. To begin with, he suggests a combination of physical and mental exercises for the dog.
It may also help to take “baby steps” with the separation. Try leaving the dog for five or ten minutes, then returning, and taking progressively longer trips away to help the dog adjust to being alone. He notes, it’s good for dogs to have some alone time as it gives them an opportunity to rest and recharge.
