A two-year-old girl knows how to help her grandmother’s dog cope with separation anxiety. The surprising little one shows sympathy for the distraught dog and tries to comfort it after her grandmother leaves home.
She sits down next to the dog and says: ‘Hi, don’t be sad’. She gently pats it and the dog behaves quietly and peacefully with her. The baby is right at eye level with the dog.
She talks quietly to the dog, saying, ‘Grandma will be back soon, Lulu’. She continues to pat its head and back and Lulu enjoys the company. The baby continues to assure Lulu that Grandma will be back.
She then pulls out a secret weapon and asks little Lulu if it wants a doughnut. She holds up a donut box for the dog to see, and she holds up one small donut and tells Lulu to sit down.
Later, she tries to tape Lulu’s head with plaster while she is in the doggy pram. The dog seems to enjoy the baby’s company and attention the whole time.
Dogs can experience separation anxiety when their owners go away for a while. This happens especially if the dog is excessively attached to its owner. When they are separated from their owners, they become very anxious and exhibit anxious behaviour such as vocalising, destroying, or soiling the house.
Owners can help their dogs by leaving behind clothes that smell like them. They can give their dog a treat when they leave to distract it from its anxiety. Or owners can simply invite this cute little baby to visit their home and talk and play with the dog to calm them down! It worked for Lulu.
