Seperation anxiety in dogs

Separation anxiety in dogs can be a heart-wrenching situation to deal with as a worried pet guardian.

Let’s say you adopted an adolescent or adult dog.

He excelled in basic dog training courses.

You tackled potty training without any problems.

He loves sleeping curled up on your legs in bed at night.

But when it’s time for you to leave your home, your angel turns into a monster!

Your anxious dog paces, whines, and starts drooling. He refuses to go into his crate or room.

You lug him resentfully into it and leave for work with your fingers crossed.

Three hours later, your neighbour calls to say that your dog has been barking all morning.

If it doesn’t stop, she’s going to report it to metro and SPCA.

You come home to find that your dog has destroyed his crate to escape and pooped on the floor.

The room is covered in the stuffing that once was his dog bed. There are scratch marks on the window sill.

And this is the third time this week that it’s happened exactly the same way!

What is a good pet owner supposed to do in this situation?

This is a description of a dog that is suffering from separation anxiety.

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What is separation anxiety?

There are several signs of separation anxiety in dogs. It occurs when a dog is alone and becomes distressed. It may be that your dog becomes anxious if he’s closed off in a different room of the house from everyone else, such as during a party when he is separated.

Seperation anxiety might occur only when your dog is left alone in the backyard – or even when he has another dog companion, but his guardian isn’t present. Many dogs become overly anxious when their owner leaves the home for an extended period of time. In time, with repetition of this situation, the dogs can begin to develop anxiety after just a few minutes of being alone. Eventually, separation anxiety in dogs grows worse until even the slightest suggestion of you leaving the house, such as picking up the keys or walking to the mailbox, triggers anxious behaviour.

These are examples of dog separation anxiety symptoms:

Pacing

Drooling excessively

Panting

Eyes darting side to side

Whining

Barking

Howling

Jumping on the window frame to look outside

Digging or clawing

Becoming destructive – eating shoes, clothes, destroying pillows, blankets,

Losing bowels or bladder – (pooping or peeing inside in places he typically doesn’t)

What causes separation anxiety in dogs is dependent on each dog’s situation, honestly.

Here are a few examples of situations with dogs and separation anxiety that develops in those cases.

Let’s discuss some of the reasons.

* Some dogs genuinely bond more strongly to one human in their life than another.

These dogs follow their owner everywhere.

Separation anxiety for these dogs could occur even if there are other people or dogs in the area.

If their specific person isn’t around, they show signs of anxiety.

* In some cases, a dog that has experienced certain types of trauma may develop anxiety issues.

For example, with a rescue dog, separation anxiety may present itself after several months of being adopted.

If the dog had previously been in an unpredictable or unsafe environment, it will take time for the dog to adapt to a comfortable lifestyle with a strong bond for his new owner.

However, after that bond is sealed, the dog may gradually present symptoms of separation anxiety that become more and more severe over time.

* Another situation that could create symptoms of separation anxiety could be boredom.

Dogs need mental stimulation just like we do! Symptoms of boredom tend to overlap with the symptoms of separation anxiety.

Symptoms of a lack of mental stimulation in dogs includes excessive digging, barking incessantly, chewing on everything, getting into the trash when you’re not home, gaining weight, and following you around the house all day.

* Vets and behaviourists suggest that dogs need at least 30 minutes of vigorous exercise per day in addition to 1-2 hours of normal activity.

This means that in addition to a couple of hours of walking, exploring the house, training or playing with a toy on his own. Rover also needs 30 minutes of heart-thumping running, fetching, swimming, climbing, and more.

So, if your dog isn’t getting his quota of exercise, his hyperactivity may contribute to his separation anxiety symptoms.

Lack of exercise is a common contributor to dog separation anxiety at night.

While you’re getting your beauty rest, Fido is pacing the house and whining outside your bedroom door. Be sure your pooch is getting enough exercise to wear him out for a good night’s sleep!

* Sudden separation anxiety in older dogs may be caused by medical issues.

If the symptoms of anxiety include incontinence, it’s important to rule out medical problems.

Like urinary tract infections, a weak sphincter, hormone imbalances, bladder stones, diabetes, Cushing’s disease, and kidney problems, to name a few.

Tips for How to Help a Dog with Separation Anxiety

Patience, patience, patience. I absolutely understand that dealing with separation anxiety in dogs is incredibly difficult.

Never fuss, yell, or punish your dog if you see symptoms of separation anxiety. Attaching punishment or negative attention to your dog’s existing or growing anxiety will not help it get any better.

Ask a friend or neighbour to periodically check in on your dog throughout the day.

Send your dog to doggie day-care until you can work through separation anxiety behaviour.

If your dog does not typically stay in a crate while you’re gone, give crate training a try. In a lot of cases, dogs feel more secure and comfortable in a small, den-like space like a crate.

It will take a village. By that, I mean, everyone who lives with you will need to participate.

You’ll also need a team of friends, family, pet sitters, dog walkers, trainers, etc.

In some cases, medications for treating separation anxiety in dogs can significantly help. You should schedule a behaviour consultation with your vet. This is typically a slightly longer appointment than a check-up visit to allow you time to go into detail about your dog’s medical and behavioural history.

In some cases, as with humans who suffer from anxiety, anti-anxiety medications can help with extreme separation anxiety in dogs.

In other cases, a short-term calming medication can help during the training process until the appropriate behaviour modification has taken hold.

Separation anxiety in dogs is exhausting for your pet and yourself.

It might be as simple as offering a few dog separation anxiety toys to take Fido’s mind off of you leaving.

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