If you’re a regular reader of the Families.com Pets Blog, you may have noticed that my dog Lally has a bit of a nervous personality. Sometimes, her separation anxiety causes me distress — when I get ready to leave for work, she’ll sit and shake, which makes me feel really bad about having to go out.
Both Lally and my other dog, Moose, were really happy when we lived in New Jersey. Not only for the fenced-in yard (though we all loved that feature), but also because my grandmother was good company. She couldn’t drive, so she was almost always home when I was at work.
Lally’s separation anxiety got markedly worse after I moved out. She no longer had human company if I went out to work or to run errands.
But now that I’ve got roommates, her separation anxiety (and mine) is improving. It’s been a few weeks since she pulled the shaking routine while I was getting ready for work — and that makes me feel a lot better! I don’t like thinking that she’s unhappy while I’m out of the house.
She’s even figured out that if she wants human companionship, all she has to do is start talking. My roommates report that Lally will come to the baby gate at the end of the hall and start talking (it’s something between a grumble and a whine — we call it “wobbling”) when she wants company.
I joke that she likes my roommates better than she likes me, but they still insist she’s a mama’s girl. Either way, I’m just glad she’s less anxious when I’m not at home!
So why is this an “impractical solution” for separation anxiety? Not everyone is willing or able to take on roommates — and not everyone has roommates who are home when they are at work and vice versa. It isn’t a solution that would work for everyone, but for the moment, it works for my Lally.