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Let's face it; as much as our dogs depend on us, we depend on them just as much. Love, companionship, and playtime are all things that people depend on their dogs for just as much as their dogs may depend on them. For this reason, leaving your dog home alone for extended periods of time while at work or on vacation can cause a variety of problems for both pet and pet owner.

Separation anxiety is real, and it affects our four-legged friends too. The difference between you and your pet in this instance is that while you know that the two of you will soon be reunited, your pet probably doesn't have this type of forethought and so it is important for humans to be as accommodating to their canine companion as possible in this aspect.

Pets experience separation anxiety on a variety of levels. Some pets are perfectly fine with being away from their owners for extended lengths of time whereas other pets may fall into a deep depression. Even worse, there are those mischievous little guys out there who seek to tear up everything in your home that is important to you, perhaps in the hope that you will rethink leaving them alone ever again.

If any of the above sound like the situation between you and your pet, it is time for you to take action. Even though it may not seem like it at times, there is a way for you and your pet to handle separation in a much easier, more constructive way. Here are a few tips on how to help your pet handle his down-time.

Provide Them With a Comfort Zone

Providing your pet with a comfort zone is one of the most successful ways of making sure that they are as comfortable as possible when you can't be together. For every pet, this comfort zone is different; for some, it may require the confinement of a kennel or dog crate in order to be successful. Either way, having a place for them to call their own might help in the long run.

Make their area as comfortable as possible, even if it is a form of caging them to protect your home. Old pillows, a dog bed, their favorite toy, maybe even a tee shirt or something that smells of your scent'these are all things that could help them to feel a bit more at ease in their area, and perhaps make the hours until you come home that much more bearable.

Keep Them Entertained

A bored pet is a bad pet, plain and simple. If they don't have something of their own to keep them busy, chances are that they will find something of yours to accommodate their interest. Stop a disaster in its tracks by making sure that your pet has plenty of their own toys and items to entertain them while you are gone. This doesn't mean using old shoes and things of yours as it just confuses the difference between what items are okay for them to have and what are not okay for them to have.

Keeping your pet entertains not only gives them something to keep them away from your things, but something to help them pass the time while they don't have you around to keep them company.

Consider Getting Them a Pal

While this may be a big one for some households, sometimes the only surefire way to cure separation anxiety between you and your pet is to give them a playmate. If your household cannot handle two pets, by all means do not get into something that your family may potentially be unable to handle. However, if you do have the means this is a great way to get rid of otherwise seemingly incurable separation anxiety on the part of your pet.

These are just a few ways to help keep the time your pet spends alone as pain-free as possible, and you are encouraged to think of some of your own. Now that you know your pet will survive without you, now it is just a matter of handling yourself when the two of you are apart.