Back to school separation anxiety may affect your pet this September. Here are a few signed to watch for. 

• Obsessive barking or whining for long periods of time
• Urinating or defecating in the house
• Chewing the furniture
• Pacing
• Excessive clawing at the door
• Ripping the stuffing out of the pillows
• Chewing or shredding paper
• Rummaging through the garbage can

When a dog is suffering from separation anxiety, their behavior will turn destructive so it is important to know how to deal with it before your dog turns your home inside out.

Here are some ways to help with back to school anxiety for your pet. 

• Start leaving your dog home alone for brief periods of time before school starts so she’s more comfortable with being alone
• Teach your kids to avoid getting the dog overexcited before they leave and return home
• Make sure your dog has plenty of interactive toys available to her during the day
• Exercise your dog before everyone leaves the home in the morning
• Prepare everything the night before so everything remains calm when the kids leave for school in the morning
• Take your dog out for exercise after dinner so they can get rid of any pent-up energy
• Take your dog to the veterinarian to make sure they don’t have an underlying medical condition that could be causing her anxiety

We hope this is helpful to assist with the back to school transition not only for your kids but for your four legged friend as well.