Believe it or not, puppies suffer from separation anxiety just like humans do. They begin to act out by chewing on your stuff, whine or barking while alone, and having “accidents” on the carpet.

Short of dressing your puppy in a straight dog costume and stuffing diapers in his dog clothes, here are some suggestions for improving your situation:

1. Stop making such a big deal out of your comings and goings.
Instead, sneak out the door when your pet is not paying attention and be equally stealth when you make your re-entrance. If you do this well, your dog may not even realize you’re gone half of the time.

2. Don’t always respond to your pet’s bids for attention.
When spending time with your dog, make it clear. When you are needing to work on something else, ignore your pet so that he gradually learns to feel independent.

3. Consider leaving your TV on so that your pet feels like there is someone at home.

4. Invest in pet toys so that your dog has something to distract himself with when you are out and about.