Owner sets up camera to see how her dog deals with anxiety and captures the sweetest scene
Separation anxiety in dogs is a real thing. It happens when they become upset because the person taking care of them has to leave them alone for one reason or the other. This is a common issue in dogs who were abandoned earlier in life and who now worry their owner will leave them again.
Dogs cope with this anxiety if a variety of ways, including making a mess, withdrawing, or, as in one dog’s case, cuddling with her mom’s clothes.
Kalina has a unique way to cope with her separation anxiety
Kalina really loves her mom, Raven Atchison … so much so, that the German shepherd gets upset when her mom leaves her alone at home.
Atchison tries to stay at home with Kalina as much as possible, but she sometimes has to leave her home and leave her dog alone. Fortunately, Kalina has found a unique way to cope.
Atchison sets up a camera to watch over Kalina
Atchison decided to set up a camera so that she could keep an eye on Kalina while she was gone. This allows her to check up on her dog to make sure that she is doing OK.
“I set up these cameras so that when I’m away from home, I can check in on her and make sure she’s OK,” Atchison told The Dodo. “And to see if there are any stressors in her environment when I’m not there.”
Her surveillance of Kalina resulted in an adorable incident as she found out her dog’s unique coping mechanism while checking out the video one day.
Atchison catches Kalina in the act
As Atchison watched the video, she saw Kalina walk across her mom’s bed to grab an article of Atchison’s clothing from a nearby nightstand. The sweet dog then laid down on the bed to cuddle with the article of clothing and ease her stress.
The answer to a bigger mystery
“My heart absolutely melted! I’m incredibly touched that my scent alone is such a comfort to her,” Atchison said. “To have been able to watch her snuggle up with my clothing, and then actually lay down calmly and peacefully with it made my entire day.”
It was only after she saw the video that she put two-and-two together as she recalled finding her clothing in weird spots in the past. It seemed that Kalina had been using Atchison’s scent to comfort her when the stress of being alone had become too much.
“It definitely solved the mystery with a very cute answer,” she said.
Helping your dog deal with separation anxiety
The most important thing you can do for your dog if they suffer from anxiety is to help them relax while you are not home. One of the easiest ways to do this is to create a dog zone with a few toys, treats, and other items to comfort and calm them. You can also turn on a fan or white noise machine and close the blinds to reduce the amount of visual or auditory distractions from outside.
When you are with your dog, make sure that they get plenty of exercise. This helps to tire them out and makes it easier for them to relax. You can also get them dog puzzles that challenge them mentally and can keep them mentally occupied while you are away.
You can watch the adorable video of Kalina comforting herself with her mom’s clothing below.
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