Separation Anxiety in Dogs: The Signs You're Missing and What Actually Helps

Today we're talking about separation anxiety.

in dogs of course more specifically how to recognize it how to separate it from ordinary boredom or nuisance behaviors and what actually helps to address separation anxiety if your dog has it If your dog barks for hours, destroys something near the door, eliminates in the house, or becomes frantic as you prepare to leave, you may have been told your dog is being stubborn, spiteful, or manipulative.

Or you may just feel that way.

No one even said anything to you because it does kind of feel that way.

I want to start by challenging that idea, however.

Your dog is not making a statement.

I promise.

Your dog is in distress.

This is more than your dog just being sad that you're leaving.

All dogs don't want their owners to leave.

No dog is happy about that.

Most dogs would rather come with you wherever you're going.

Separation anxiety, however, is a much more serious emotional reaction to being left alone or to being separated from a particular person.

For some dogs, it looks like panic.

And if it is severe enough, it is panic with all the resulting things that go with that.

Adrenaline, tunnel vision, can't hear, heart rate, breathing, all those panic responses, just like we have as humans.

And that really matters because the plan cannot be Well, my dog will just get used to it if I leave them long enough and frequently enough.

Most dogs do not become calmer by repeatedly experiencing panic.

What they do instead is they practice the panic and they get better at it.

The first thing I recommend is also one of the easiest things an owner can do if their dog has separation anxiety.

Record your dog after you leave.

Use a pet camera.

There's a number of these on the market.

Just Google it.

A phone camera or any device that lets you see the first, let's say, 20 to 30 minutes of alone time that your dog has when you leave.