Why Does Your Dog Cry When You Leave?
Busy life and the fast pace of the city keep us on the streets most of the time. There are few moments of the day that we can dedicate to our dogs, so sometimes they get extremely sad and start crying, but what is really behind this behavior, why does your dog cry when you leave?
Our friends are extremely social, which is why they don’t usually get along very well with loneliness. In addition to crying, they can develop aggressive behaviors, with tendencies to cause damage to the house. Consequently, it becomes of utmost importance to have knowledge about the causes and to contribute to the management of their loneliness.
How does loneliness affect dogs?
In general, humans, and even pets, enjoy small doses of solitude a day, but never in excess. Most people don’t like being alone all the time, much less our dogs.
The absence of free time reduces our hours of recreation with the dog. This, eventually, leads to quite negative consequences both physically and psychologically for the animal. If your dog cries when you leave, one of the undoubted causes may be constant exposure to loneliness at home.
These companions, faced with the ‘dead’ hours at home, present inappropriate behaviors to attract the owner’s attention. Aggression, destructive behaviors, repetitive movements, howling, continuous barking and crying are some of the most common ways in which the dog expresses his feelings.
It is important to differentiate between loneliness and separation anxiety. The latter occurs when the dog distances itself from its ‘die’ element (mother, siblings or a specific person), which maintains its state of stress, even if it is accompanied by other relatives.
Reasons why your dog cries when you leave
Like their closest ancestors, wolves, dogs are social animals that generally live in packs in the wild. Even when they are in a home environment they cannot dissociate themselves from this instinct, so they adopt us as part of their social circle, of a new herd.
The dog cries when you leave, being completely alone, a consequence of a natural tendency to be sad and, in very extreme cases, to suffer from the previously mentioned separation anxiety.
The traumas possible that it could have in the past are another trigger for the development of this erratic behavior. Abandoned puppies often have a hard time before being adopted, so their fear of feeling alone again makes them nervous in the absence of their partner.
One more reason why the dog cries when you leave is the bad habits instilled by the owner. Spoiling our friends, and not providing them with a correct education that allows them to deal with loneliness, leads to excessive attachment, which we must avoid in order to maintain a healthy relationship with them.
Separation anxiety
Fear motivates these behaviors. Our dog feels threatened, in danger, so he activates his alertness, which leads him to the destruction of objects, crying and despair.
This state of uncontrollable anxiety for our pet is natural in animals used to living in herds. The truth is that at least 15% of the canine population suffers from it. If we do not pay enough attention to their behaviors, the dog can lead to an unhappy, sad, stressed or anxious state.
Tips to prevent your dog from crying
It is extremely important that your partner learns to be alone. If your dog cries when you leave, you should educate him so that he is not stressed and can keep himself entertained while you are away. Getting a variety of toys – bones, chew toys or intelligence games – to manage your pet’s anxiety is one of the first steps.
A comfortable, warm and calm environment will help you feel safe. A soft bed, and even in the shape of a cave, will give you a refuge space that will encourage your stability. It is advisable, on occasions, to leave a radio on so that the dog does not feel absolute silence.
Taking a walk before you go out is another good activity if your dog cries when you leave. Exercise will tire him out and he’ll sleep while you’re gone. If you are away for a long period of time, feed it right after physical activity to avoid a stomach twist and lower anxiety levels in the animal.
A great option, if you have the conditions and the desire to do it, is to adopt another dog so that both of you can relate. It is an action that should not be taken lightly, and it is that all the factors inherent to one or another animal must be considered ; the timing of the presentations has to be respected for the adoption and the relationship to be a success.
