Asha Dillon was so upset about her puppy whining and crying every time she left the house that she quit her job to help him with his separation anxiety.
The qualified nutritionist and product developer spent most of her free time with her Cocker Spaniel, Romeo, but it still wasn’t enough.
Romeo cried, tore up Asha’s furniture, followed her to every room in the house, and even insisted on being in the bathroom when she showered.
He also showed several other signs of behavioral problems, such as gnawing Asha’s Bottega shoes, clinging to her, and cowering behind furniture in the aftermath of a storm.
“I felt responsible for Romeo’s destructive behavior and I had to do everything I could to help him,” Sydney’s Asha told FEMAIL.
Asha Dillon was so upset to see her puppy whine and cry every time she left the house that she quit her job to help the dog with his separation anxiety
Asha had five dogs growing up, and most of them had been fearful – but none were as bad as Romeo.
“Honestly, I’ve had so many troubled pets that I decided I had to do something to fix it,” she said.
The 30-year-old soon quit her job as a product developer at Bod Australia and began working on a solution that would help Romeo better adapt to being alone for long periods of time.
Asha previously worked at several ASX-listed companies and developed more than 75 human supplements during her decade in the wellness industry.
She first came up with her own brand, Leader Pet when she realized that pets suffer from many of the same problems as humans.
“All my friends and family started telling me that dogs have problems just like we do – they have sensitive tummies, diarrhea, IBS, joint problems, stress, anxiety.
“We’re millennials — our dogs are like our kids, and we want them to be as happy and comfortable as possible.” Many of the pets adopted during the pandemic, including Romeo, suffer from separation anxiety.
“It’s especially hard because you spent so much time at home during the lockdown – and then you’re just gone and your pet doesn’t know how to live without you.”
What Are the Signs of Separation Anxiety in Dogs?
Common signs of separation anxiety:
- Destructive behavior
- Howling, barking howl
- following you
- Go inside to the toilet
- Excessive excitement on return
- Cringe at loud noises
- Easy-to-miss signs to look out for:
- Trembling, panting
- Excessive salivation
- vomit
- Self-injury (tail biting or paw licking)
- Repetitive actions (circling, pacing)
- Do not eat meals when you are out
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