Seperation Anxiety

Question
Hi.  My boyfriend and I moved from the US to Germany with our pug puppy, 10 month old.  Ever since the flight we have noticed changes in his behavior, it has only been a month since his flight over here.  For instance, he has always followed me around but now it is extreme.  If I get up he sits up and runs after me, even if it is to go across the room.  We live with my boyfriends parents and leave him with them when we are gone.  When we are gone he hangs out in our upstairs apartment and only comes down for food, walks, and potty breaks.  Before we left he was a very independent little guy and now he seems so dependent on us.  Is there anything we can do to help him?  Or is it just about giving him time to get use to this new place with new people?  Please advise.

PS He now shakes when we take him to the vet, he never did that before.

Answer
Hi there Alexandra. Wow! Germany? I've always wanted to visit there...
Your dog seems to definitely be suffering from separation anxiety. By a guess, I'd say that I'm 100% certain that this is caused by your new surroundings. I'd give it some time, and if he still has the anxiety try some of these methods to cure it:

* Keep arrivals and departures low-key. When arriving home, only give the dog attention after he is calm.

* Do not respond when the dog demands attention. Ignore attention-seeking behaviors. Only give attention during times when the dog is not actively seeking attention, such as when lying down calmly.

* Reduce the contrast: most separation-anxious dogs cannot tolerate the either-or conditions of attention when the owner is home vs. no attention when the owner leaves. Reduce the contrast by picking two days out of week when you are home. Ignore the dog for 6 to 8 hours on those days, matching the time you are away at work. Limit attention to only feeding or letting the dog out to potty during this time. The dog will learn: "what's the big deal when my owner is gone; even when he's home, he still sometimes ignores me."

* A half-hour before you leave (If possible), take the dog for a vigorous 15 minute leash walk. Have the dog heel at your side and sit every 30 paces. This helps channel pent-up tension.

I recommend consulting a vet to rule out any underlying medical disorder contributing to a dog's anxiety. Such conditions could include low thyroid levels, improperly functioning adrenal glands or even tumors. I know, hard to believe, huh?

Let me know how it goes!