Pomeranian separation anxiety is all too common and if you’ve ever owned a Pomeranian you’d know it. The moment any of us leaves our home, they’re the first ones to cause a ruckus and, while you’re gone, enter a sad and unrecognizable state. While separation anxiety is common among Pomeranians and other small breeds, there’s no reason your Pomeranian shouldn’t be able to resolve these issues with a little help from you.
So, how can you help Pomeranian separation anxiety? Creating a regular routine and safe environment before leaving your home will help your Pomeranian’s separation anxiety. Using tools and tactics like taking them for a walk, playing soothing music, giving them calming supplements, and more, you can treat Pomeranian separation anxiety.
Your Pomeranian deserves to live a happy and healthy life where they’re able to have a better handle on their separation anxiety. Whether your Pomeranian makes a big ruckus or simply sulks, the only way to help with your Pomeranian’s separation anxiety is to take the necessary steps now. Thankfully, all it takes is for you to start and you’ll start witnessing a positive transformation in your Pomeranian!
How to Help Pomeranian Separation Anxiety
Pomeranian separation anxiety is absolutely treatable and results in a Pomeranian that’s cool, calm, and collective when you’re not at home. I remember when growing up, whenever my mom would leave the house our Pomeranians would go absolutely bonkers. After that, they’d sit endlessly at the window sill and front door waiting for her to come home.
While it can be endearing knowing your Pomeranian’s waiting for you so loyally, it’s important for your Pomeranian’s physical and mental health to spend the day not focusing on when you’re getting home or wherever you’re coming back to. Help Pomeranian separation anxiety so your Pomeranian can actually live their life, even if when in the confines of your home.
So, what are some effective tips on how to help Pomeranian separation anxiety?
1. Take them for a walk
In my experience, the most effective form of getting your Pomeranian over their separation anxiety is to tire them out before leaving. By taking your Pomeranian on even a short walk, you’re not only giving them (and you) an excuse to get some exercise, but they’ll likely be more tuckered out.
Calming Pomeranians down before leaving them is exactly what needs to be done to help Pomeranian separation anxiety. Also, exercise has the effect of producing a sort of “exercise high”, which will give your Pomeranian the confidence and contentedness they need to be alone for a period of time without you.
2. Say goodbye before leaving
Pomeranians and all other dogs recognize consistent, regular behavior from their owners and rely on it to understand the current environment around them. That’s why it’s important to have routines, including making them understand that you’re about to leave them alone for a while, which should prime them for the event.
By saying goodbye to your Pomeranian in the special way that you do, it’s a signal to them that you’re going to leave them alone. If your Pomeranian has separation anxiety, just leaving on the spot without a “ramp up” is scary, so you want to avoid that feeling of shock as much as possible. That’s not good for any kind of anxiety disorder, especially separation anxiety.
3. Be calm and don’t overexcite them
As I mentioned before, one of the most important actions you can take before leaving your Pomeranian alone is to induce a calming environment around them. Pomeranians and all other dogs look up to their owners and are able to read the situation by our behavior. As a matter of fact, dogs are so effective at this that they tend to mirror our emotions.
For this reason, it’s important to be calm, cool, and collected so you can induce that same feeling in your Pomeranian. On top of that, it’s also extremely important not to get them overexcited for any reason. By getting them excited, they might think the excitement will continue forever, only to find that you’re about to leave them alone. That definitely won’t feel good for your Pom.
4. Play soothing music
It’s probably clear enough that creating a calm environment for your Pomeranian is effective at treating their separation anxiety, which is why I suggest playing some soothing background music while you’re gone. Similar to the feeling we get when we have some sort of sound playing in the background, whether from the television or music speakers, dogs experience a similar feeling.
Whenever I leave the house, I put on calming, soothing music that even puts me at peace. Sounds from nature, like waves crashing, birds chirping, or rivers running, are also helpful, which I even play when I’m home sometimes. I also know some dog owners put on the television while they’re gone, which may also work for your Pomeranian!
5. Keep the house relatively warm
You know that lethargic feeling you get when the weather’s warm or you step into a sauna? Well, I’m not advocating to turn your home into a sauna, but at least keeping the temperature above cold can ensure your Pomeranian is comfortable and has every reason to just relax in a state of content.
Keeping your home at a temperature you prefer is something only you can decide, but before leaving your Pomeranian for an extended period of time consider turning up the temperature just a tad. While you don’t want to boil them alive, by increasing the temperature of your home slightly above normal may cause your Pomeranian to feel more relaxed and help with their separation anxiety.
6. Make sure they’ve eaten enough
We all know how it feels to go without food for too long. Irritability and “snappiness” kick in, and we begin to focus on making sure we get what we want; food. Well, your Pomeranian may also get that feeling when you’re gone, so ensuring they have a full belly of healthy dog food can make a world of difference in their separation anxiety.
Just like the feeling we get after eating a big meal, making sure your Pomeranian is full can be an effective way of getting them in a calm, relaxed state. As long as you’re feeding them high-quality, healthy dog food, you can be sure your Pomeranian’s separation anxiety is being remedied in a safe and responsible way.
7. Don’t be away for too long
The most obvious (but extremely short term) solution to Pomeranian separation anxiety is to never separate from your Pomeranian! However, that’s just not realistic or sustainable, so starting out by leaving them even for 15 to 30 minutes at a time could help ramp them up to hours and even days.
No one likes to be thrown into cold water, but that’s the feeling your Pomeranian experiences when you leave for long stretches of time without some priming for separation. If you plan on leaving the home for longer than normal periods, including days or weeks, there’s no question you owe it to your Pomeranian to ease them into that experience.
8. Leave a pheromone diffuser running
Creating an effective routine is by far the most important part to help Pomeranian separation anxiety, but there are a few tools that can help you along the way. One of the more effective tools I’ve found is a dog pheromone diffuser, which slowly releases specific dog pheromones to the surrounding area resulting in a natural calming remedy for my Pomeranians.
By using an all-natural, drug-free calming pheromone diffuser, like the ThunderEase Dog Calming Pheromone Diffuser Kit (link to read reviews on Amazon), your Pomeranian will enter a calming state without any strange chemicals or tactics. These types of dog pheromone diffusers are able to reach an area of 700 square feet (or 65 square meters), which is highly effective.
9. Give them a healthy calming treat
If you’re serious about treating your Pomeranian’s separation anxiety, coupling your regular routine with effective products can really make a huge difference. Before leaving the house, I always give my Pomeranians a calming treat, which helps put them in a state of calmness and relaxation.
The Zesty Paws Calming Bites for Dogs (link to read reviews on Amazon) are widely popular for helping dogs get over their separation anxiety and for good reason. These calming bites are packed with all-natural, organic ingredients including hemp, chamomile, kelp, ginger root, tryptophan (found in turkey meat), and suntheanine. They even come in peanut butter flavor, which, if your Pomeranians are anything like mine, your Pomeranians will love.
10. Put on their anxiety jacket
In my experience, it’s been extremely difficult to get my Pomeranians to calm down in certain unfortunate situations such as thunderstorms, fireworks, and loud parties. However, I’ve found that by simply putting on an anxiety jacket, like the ThunderShirt Classic Dog Anxiety Jacket (link to read reviews on Amazon), they enter a calm state like no other, especially when treating their separation anxiety.
Anxiety jackets are truly a miracle when it comes to treating Pomeranian separation anxiety. Within a matter of minutes, the jacket creates a snug, comfortable feeling for them without making them feel constrained. These anxiety jackets are wildly popular with dog parents from all over the world and are even recommended by veterinarians and trainers alike.
Can Pomeranians Be Left Alone?
Your Pomeranian can absolutely be left alone and they should get used to it in a way that makes it easy for them. Our jobs as Pomeranian parents is to ensure they live a long, happy, and healthy life, which can be easily interrupted by Pomeranian separation anxiety. No Pomeranian should have the horror of you leaving hang over their head on a daily basis.
By taking active steps toward treating your Pomeranian’s separation anxiety, you’ll be well on your way to improving the life of your Pomeranian. Key to ensuring a positive outcome is to create a regular routine coupled with the use of effective products that, when combined, produce an environment where your Pomeranian can feel safe and comfortable.
