Separation Anxiety is one of the most common forms of anxiety that dogs can experience, and while we wish we could alleviate our dog’s stress and take them with us everywhere we go, that’s not always possible. Not only can separation anxiety lead to health issues and illness in your dog, but it can also be very stressful to you, the pet owner. Knowing that your dog is home alone, struggling with stress and anxiety, can significantly affect your own daily life, interfering with both your work and social activities. That is why it’s important to know how to recognize the symptoms of your dog’s separation anxiety and find a way to treat it.

 

First off, what does separation anxiety in a dog look like? The symptoms of separation anxiety may look different for each dog. Most dogs with separation anxiety try to remain close to their owners and will follow them from room to room. Dogs with separation anxiety may begin to display anxious behaviors as soon as their owners start preparing to leave. Typically, dogs with separation anxiety will have a dramatic anxiety response within 20 to 45 minutes after the owners leave them. It’s important to note that reactions only happen when left alone. If your dog is displaying any of these behaviors while you’re at home, there may be another underlying issue that needs to be addressed.

 

The most common behaviors of separation anxiety are:

 

• Frequent accidents while you’re away, even if your dog has been potty trained.
• Excessive barking and whining that is only triggered when left alone.
• Destructive behavior such as digging, chewing and scratching at doors or windows or destroying household objects
• Excessive attempts to escape from an area where the dog is confined.
• Restlessness and or pacing in a fixed pattern or circular path.
• Drooling and panting more than usual.
• Low mood or depression.
• Unsettled stomach, nausea, vomiting or loss of appetite.

 

Although there is no single known cause of anxiety separation in dogs, it’s important to know some potential scenarios that may trigger your dog’s separation anxiety so we can better understand why your dog may be feeling anxious:

 

• Change of owner: Is your dog is a rescue or was your dog adopted from a previous owner? Dogs who have been adopted from shelters are more susceptible to developing separation anxiety. It is believed that the disruption and uncertainty of being abandoned, or the stress of being surrendered to a shelter or given to a new guardian may cause your dog to feel anxious when left alone.
• Change in schedule: Have you had an abrupt change in your schedule? Is your dog suddenly spending more time alone? If your dog is use to you being home for most of the day/evening and then you suddenly start spending more time away from the house for work and/or play, this may cause your pup to feel depressed and anxious.
• Change in residence: Have you moved into a new home? Dogs thrive on routine and stability. Sometimes the process of moving to a new place with new smells and sounds can disrupt your dog’s feeling of security which can trigger separation anxiety.
• Change in household membership: Is a member of your household suddenly absent? If a resident family member is no longer living in the household due to death or moving away, this again disrupts your dog’s sense of security which may manifest itself in separation anxiety.
• Traumatic event: Has your dog experienced a traumatic event while alone at home? Has there been a break in at your home, or maybe your dog your dog was home alone during fireworks or a thunderstorm?
• Genetics: Certain breeds of dogs, such as German Shepherds, Labrador Retrievers, Boarder Collies, Bichon Frises, Australian Shepherds, Cocker Spaniels, Vizslas, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Toy Poodles, German Shorthaired Pointers, and Yorkshire Terriers are predisposed to anxiety and can be particularly susceptible to separation anxiety due to their strong attachment to their owners and need for mental stimulation.
• Other outside stressors: In addition to the possible causes listed above, your dog may be feeling separation anxiety due to boredom, loneliness, old age or change in health.

 

Sometimes it is difficult to determine whether a dog has separation anxiety or if there is something else that may result in similar symptoms or disruptive behavior. Before attempting behavior modification for separation anxiety, it’s important to rule out other causes. If your dog is having accidents in the house, it could be the result one of a number of medical issues including, urinary tract infection, bladder stones, diabetes, kidney disease, Cushing’s disease, as well as a number of other conditions that may cause your dog to have incontinence problems. Also, there are a number of medications that may contribute to your dog’s frequent urination and lack of bladder control. It’s always best to consult your veterinarian, especially if your dog’s accidents are occurring not only when you dog is home alone, but when you are home as well.

 

Other than possible medical issues, your dog may be displaying behavior problems that are similar to symptoms of separation anxiety, but are in fact related to different issues altogether. It’s important to rule out the following behavior problems before trying to treating your dog for separation anxiety:

 

Submissive or Excitement Urination: Submissive or Excitement urination is normal in young dogs and typically happens when a dog feels excited, shy, anxious or threatened. It also happens when a dog wants to acknowledge another’s dominance. Some dogs may urinate submissively when a person approaches to greet them, when they are being scolded, or when they hear loud noises. Often times submissive urination will be accompanied by other submissive postures such as flattening their ears, avoiding eye contact, tucking their tail or rolling on their back to display their belly.

 

Incomplete House Training: A dog that occasionally urinates in the house might not be completely house trained. The training may not have been consistent or might have involved punishment which may make the dog afraid to urinate if the owner is watching or nearby.

 

Territorial Marking: Dogs might urinate in small amounts in various locations to mark their territory, assert dominance or leave their scent. This behavior is often triggered by new people, animals, objects or environments.

 

Boredom: Dogs that do not get enough exercise or mental stimulation may become destructive.

 

Territorial Barking: Dogs may respond to unfamiliar sounds, smells, people, dogs or other animals surrounding their territory by barking or howling excessively.

 

Puppydom: Puppies go through a destructive chewing phase as a way to explore their world, relieve the discomfort of teething and to ease boredom.

 

Now that we’ve gone over the symptoms and triggers that may cause separation anxiety, and we’ve ruled out medical and behavioral issues that and determined that our dog does in fact have separation anxiety, how should we go about treating it? Treatment is not a one size fits all scenario. There are many different treatment options and methods to consider. It may take some trial and error before you find the best solution for your dog’s individual needs, so it’s important to stay patient and committed to the process.

 

Tips to Help Dogs with Mild Separation Anxiety:

 

• Keep arrivals and departures low-key. Never get your dog excited when you return home. You want to limit the adrenalin rush your dog may experience when they see you in order to eliminate their anxiety when you leave. Ignore your dog for the first few minutes after you walk through the door. After the dog has calmed down, you can say hello and give them some pets.

 

• Leave your dog with an article of clothing that smells like you, an old tee shirt that you’ve slept in recently, for example.

 

• Restrict the amount of space your dog has access too. Large spaces may add to your dog’s anxiety. By setting up a crate or gating off an area in a room, you are providing your dog a special place where they can feel safe. In this safe space you can include a comfortable dog bed, a water bowl, and a durable toy. Don’t forget the old tee shirt with your scent of it. If you’re setting up a crate, you can cover it with a lightweight sheet or blanket in order to give your dog a cozy, den-like environment. If your dog has a tendency to chew, make sure that whatever you leave in with your dog in their safe space will is durable and is not likely to become a choking hazard.

 

• Try counterconditioning your pup. Counterconditioning is basically changing your dog’s reaction to being alone from anxious to relaxed or from negative to positive. In order to do this, every time you leave the house, give your dog a puzzle or toy stuffed with a special treat. A hard rubber toy, such as a KONG, stuffed with peanut butter is especially effective because it will occupy your dog’s attention for a longer period of time. Once you return, be sure to remove the special toy immediately. The whole idea is that your dog only has access to this high-value treat when you aren’t home. You can try doing 5-10 minutes practice departures a few times a day for several weeks.

 

Treatment for Moderate to Severe Separation Anxiety:

 

Desensitization: One treatment approach for more moderate to severe cases of separation anxiety is desensitization. The idea of this approach is to teach your dog that when you pick up your keys and put on your coat, it doesn’t always mean that you’re leaving and therefore make your dog less sensitive to being alone. This method is to be done systematically, over a span of weeks or possibly months. If you do decide to try to use this method, please proceed with caution and monitor your dog’s reactions closely. You may even want to consult a board-certified veterinary behaviorist or a Certified Professional Dog Trainer as this procedure could possibly backfire, causing your dog to be even more anxious or stressed. Below are the basic steps involved in desensitization:

 

• If your dog typically starts showing signs of anxiety or stress as you’re are getting ready to leave the house, begin by exposing your dog to your usual predeparture rituals, but in various orders several times a day. For example, collect your keys, put on your coat, put on your shoes, but instead of leaving, sit down and watch tv. Repeat these fake cues in various orders multiple times a day for as many weeks that are necessary until your dog no longer shows signs of anxiety. Then move onto the next step.
• Next, engage in your normal departure ritual, but instead of leaving the house, go to a room out of sight from your dog. Once your dog is comfortable with you going through the predeparture cues and being out of sight, try stepping outside for a few seconds and then returning immediately. Continue to practice each of these steps until your dog shows no distress response.
• Finally, when you are able to go through your predeparture rituals and step outside briefly without your dog getting anxious, you can start working your way up to short absences. During this step, add a verbal cue like, “I’ll be back.” These short absences should be no longer than a minute at first with an interim of time between absences to ensure your dog is calm and quiet before you leave again. Very gradually, over a few weeks, increase the length of separation to 40 minutes. You may want to incorporate some counterconditioning by giving your dog a stuffed food toy just before leave. Just be sure to take the food toy away when you return. Remember, this is a slow gradual process that takes time. If you expose your dog to a length of separation that is too long too fast, it could possibly cause your dog more anxiety and worsen the problem. If you detect any signs of stress, such as panting, dilated pupils, yawning, salivation, trembling or pacing, then you need to shorten the length you are absent until your dog is relaxed again and progress from there more slowly.

 

During the desensitization process, it is important not to leave your dog alone except during the desensitization sessions. In the interim, here are some suggestions that may serve as viable temporary solutions:

 

• If possible, take your dog to work with you, ever if it’s just for half a day.
• Arrange for a friend, family member or pet sitter to come to your home and stay with your dog while you’re not there.
• Take you dog to doggie day care or to a sitter’s house.
• Consult with your veterinarian about the possibility of drug therapy. A good anti-anxiety drug should not sedate your dog, but simply reduce their anxiety. Such medication should be a temporary measure to use conjunction with behavior modification techniques.

 

When treating a dog with separation anxiety, it is important to remain patient and consistent. Anxious behaviors in dogs are not the result of disobedience or spite, so do not scold or punish your dog. Punishing your dog can actually make their anxiety worse. Rather than punishing you dog, encourage good behavior with positive reinforcement through reward and praise.