How to Deal with Separation Anxiety in Dogs
Dogs are social and crave company by nature – that’s why they bond so well with us. However, if they’re not taught over time how to feel safe being alone, this can lead to separation related behaviour problems, commonly known as separation anxiety.
If you are frequently out of the house, however, it may not be the best time to get a dog at all – or else it might be better to rescue an adult dog who is already able to be left.
Keep reading to discover the common symptoms of separation anxiety in dogs and find out how to treat separation anxiety in dogs with our useful guide.
Why do puppies and dogs get separation anxiety?
The first thing to remember is that dog separation anxiety is entirely natural. For dogs as a social species, being alone is scary and often makes them feel unsafe, so reacting to being left alone in this way is to be expected unless we spend time teaching them otherwise.
It’s easy to think your dog’s being naughty or is annoyed at you for leaving them, however this couldn’t be further from the truth. Separation anxiety in dogs arises when dogs haven’t been taught the coping strategies they need to feel safe and cope with being left, and is a fear (sometimes intense) of being alone – and can be viewed as similar to a human panic attack and is just as debilitating.
It’s difficult for owners to deal with a dog or puppy that can’t be left alone, and it’s probably one of the hardest behavioural problems to overcome. Like many behaviour related problems however, prevention is far better than a cure.
Reasons for separation anxiety in dogs
In many cases, separation anxiety in dogs has its roots at the very beginning of a puppy’s new life with their owner.
- Setting unrealistic expectations: If your dog is constantly with you, every second of the day, this is what they’re going to grow up to expect. As they get older, they will struggle to develop any resilience to short periods of being on their own.
- Leaving for too long too early: A new owner may create puppy separation anxiety by shutting their puppy in a different room to spend their very first night on their own. We should never forget that for a puppy in their new home, their world has just totally changed and they have never spent a night away from their mother and littermates. By being left at this time, it often immediately teaches the dog that they are going to be left alone in this new life and it’s distressing and scary.
Signs of separation anxiety in dogs and puppies
Signs of dog separation anxiety vary from the mild to the extreme and may include the following:
- Looking worried and stressed.
- Whining.
- Excessive barking and/or howling when left.
- Chewing and other destructive behaviours.
- Loss of toilet training in an otherwise toilet trained dog.
- Vomiting or diarrhoea.
- Scratching or digging at doors.
- Pacing.
- Excessive panting and salivation.
- Attempts to escape.
- Self-mutilation.
- Aggressive behaviours or other apparently unrelated behaviours that occur at other times due to increased stress or anxiety.
Is it separation anxiety or something else?
First things first, make sure your puppy’s behaviour isn’t due to another cause. They could be bored, frustrated, being left for too long or too early, or they may not be getting enough social company or appropriate physical or mental exercise, which may lead to behaviour problems that look like separation anxiety or share some of the symptoms.
These symptoms often get lumped in with dog separation anxiety, but they are often fairly easily solved by looking at the symptoms and working out what might be causing them – and then making some changes.
Think about the below questions before deciding on whether it’s separation anxiety in your dog:
- Is loss of toilet training because they are being left for too long – or not taken out before being left? Or because you haven’t taught it properly in the first place?
- Are they barking because they are bored, under-exercised, hearing neighbours or passing squirrels?
- Are they destroying your house because you have left them for hours with absolutely nothing to do?
- Are they getting enough exercise both before and after they are left or are they full of pent-up energy?
- Are they getting an outlet for their breed/type specific behaviours?
- Do they have plenty of mental enrichment?
- Are you leaving them for too long too often – especially if they are a breed or individual who absolutely thrives on your company?
Watching your puppy on a webcam can help you decide whether it’s boredom – in which cases the behaviours will appear fairly calmly and often intermittently, with sleep in between. Or, if it’s dog separation anxiety, it’s more likely to be constant, and your puppy will display obvious signs of stress.
It’s important to note that sometimes puppies may start off as bored but as the period of absence goes on, may work themselves up and become really stressed and anxious.
If you’re unsure, or if you think your dog has separation anxiety, find a professional behaviourist experienced in separation related behaviour problems and have them come and assess your dog and create a behaviour modification plan.
Many animal behaviourists now do consultations online as this allows them to see your home, how your dog behaves, and look at treatment/management options remotely.
Top tips for preventing separation anxiety in dogs
Read below for our 7 top tips on how to prevent separation anxiety in dogs and deal with minor cases:
1. Let them know they can trust you
From the minute you bring your puppy home, they need to learn that they can trust you to be there for them, but there are times when they can’t always be with you – and that’s fine.
Often puppies follow you because you might be doing something interesting – and then it becomes a habit. Once or twice a day, give them the very best treat that you know they love and that will take a minute or two to eat, and then go off into a different room. If they follow you, that is fine. But ignore them and just stand and stare out of the window or check messages – do something really dull with no interaction with them. In other words, teach them that sometimes following you is often boring but staying on their own can be really enjoyable. Make this a very short period to start with and then come back with no drama or fuss.
You are giving them the choice but for puppies who often have a big case of FOMO (fear of missing out – and let’s face it, you might be doing something really exciting) learning that you can be boring and good stuff can happen when you are not there is a valuable lesson.
Don’t lock them away to do this – as otherwise you are likely to create frustration. Frustration probably causes dog separation anxiety just as much as fear of being alone does.
2. Don’t make it a big deal
Try quietly walking away while they are eating, and return with no fuss at all. Make these comings and goings a part of life from the very start so you give them the confidence to be able to deal with that and learn that the world doesn’t end when you walk away.
You can build that up to going and having a shower without them, going for a walk around the garden – anything to teach them right from the beginning that not being with you every minute is not a crisis. In fact, if you give them something tasty to occupy them with, it can even be seen as something to look forward to.
However, if at any point, your puppy gets distressed or seems worried, stop. Go back a few steps. Remember you are aiming to teach them that being alone is OK.
Some breeds/types and individuals struggle with this far more than others. Often this is companion breeds, some of the herding breeds and dogs who were designed to work very closely with their owner. And certain individuals of any breed. If you try and push this too far too fast in these pups, you are in danger of creating the very problem you are trying to prevent.
3. Slowly build it up
If all is going well, you can slowly start to go out without your puppy for five minutes, then 10 minutes, then 30 minutes - until they’re happy to stay on their own for an hour, but always make sure that you take it very slowly and to start with stay close at hand. Use a webcam so you can monitor them at all times.
4. Make use of toys
Leave them in a totally safe area where they feel comfortable, with something to remind them that fabulous things happen even when you are not there. Use stuffed toys filled with their favourite yummy snacks or dog-safe peanut butter etc to keep them occupied and make your absence enjoyable. You might also want to leave the radio or TV on to help them feel less alone.
5. Use technology
It is important to be able to monitor your dog or puppy at all times. We don’t know how our puppy is behaving when we are not there to see them, and it is easy to assume they are happy when maybe they aren’t.
Many people have no idea their dog has separation anxiety until their neighbours tell them that they are barking or howling – or until you see the more extreme symptoms.
Use technology to help you know exactly what’s going on when you leave, so you genuinely know your puppy is happy and not distressed. Set up a webcam with an app so you can watch your puppy on your phone while you’re away.
6. Dog sitters and day care
If you need to leave your puppy or dog before they are used to home alone time, ask friends or family members to sit with them – or use dog sitters or day care.
7. Call a professional
While prevention is fairly straightforward, if your dog has separation anxiety, it isn’t going to go away – in fact it usually gets worse. Contact a behaviourist who specialises in these behaviours to help you develop a behaviour modification plan to help your dog cope with home alone time.
For more puppy advice and guides, take a look at our content hub, full of useful information on how to raise a healthy and happy dog.
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