“Why does my dog chew my shoes?” “Why are our dogs scratching the doors as soon as we leave for work?” Why won’t my cat stop scratching the couch?” If you feel anxious when you leave for work because you simply don’t know what kind of destruction you will come home to, you have pet parent anxiety.
What’s a Pet Parent To Do?
You certainly aren’t going to surrender your beloved pets, but you certainly can’t continue to replace doors, window sills and furniture. Who could? We had pet parent anxiety when we rescued Foster, our first dog.
We didn’t know what his level of separation anxiety was until he came home to live with us. Foster caused us to lose a LOT of money in pet deposits in the homes we rented.
When we bought a new home, we didn’t want to have to keep replacing doors because he was so nervous when we left him home alone. Because we loved him and because we had a lot of pet parent anxiety we created CLAWGUARD -- because of the love of our rescue dog.
Signs You Have Pet Parent Anxiety
- When you leave for work do you hear your dog barking and scratching at the door and worry about the damage he will cause?
- Do you feel guilty for having to leave him home alone?
- When you pull into the driveway do you have to take a deep breath before you open the door because you’re not certain what type of damage or mess you will see?
- Do your neighbors complain about the constant barking when you’re gone?
- Have you ever wondered, “How much longer can we put up with this?”
If you’ve thought any of these -- you do have pet parent anxiety.
It is stressful -- for you and your dog.
How To Alleviate Your Pet Parent Stress
- Get your dog a friend -- another dog or a cat.
- Hire a pet sitter or dog walker to stop by and visit and take your dog for a walk.
- Protect your home with CLAWGUARD products.
- Tire your dog out before you leave for work. A tired dog is a happy dog.
- Give him food puzzle treats.
- Turn on the television or the radio so he won’t be in a silent house all day.
- Crate train him. Some dogs absolutely love their crate.
Living with and loving a dog means you will have times when your shoes get chewed and your dog barks a lot, but the good times always outweigh the bad. And who can resist the lure of a snuggle with your dog after a long, hard day at work? We know we can’t!
We build shields that help protect homes from damage caused by dogs and cats. Products include door shields, couch guards, and universal protective tape that protects commonly scratched areas like window sills, furniture, banisters, weatherstripping and more. Check us out on Amazon and read our many FIVE STAR reviews!