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Separation anxiety in dogs is fairly common, but if it’s severe enough, it can really disrupt your life as well as your dog’s. In this article, we’ll cover how to recognize separation anxiety and what to do about it.
Symptoms of separation anxiety
A dog with separation anxiety will exhibit symptoms of stress when they’re left alone. Some of the most common symptoms of separation anxiety are:
Scratching at doors
Destructive chewing
Whining, howling or barking
Urinating or defecating indoors (in dogs that are otherwise house-trained)
Escaping or attempts to escape
Pacing back and forth
Behavior that is not separation anxiety
Some symptoms of separation anxiety overlap with other behavior issues. Keep in mind that the symptoms of separation anxiety are specific to being left alone, so if your dog is exhibiting any of the behaviors listed below while you’re home, the problem isn’t separation anxiety.
Boredom: A dog who is bored may exhibit destructive chewing, whining or other symptoms that may look similar to separation anxiety. But a dog who is bored will likely do this while you are home (although they might also do it when you’re gone). If you suspect your dog might be bored, try increasing the amount of exercise they get each day, and give them toys that promote mental stimulation, like food puzzles.
Potty training: A puppy or dog who is not fully potty trained may have accidents in the house. Although indoor urination or defecation can be a symptom of separation anxiety, that is only true if the dog is otherwise fully house-trained. It’s common for a puppy or a dog who is new to your household to have accidents, and it does not indicate separation anxiety, but the need for more training.
Other puppy behavior: Puppies may exhibit myriad other behaviors that don’t necessarily indicate separation anxiety, but may be indicative of the need for more training (e.g. scratching at doors or chewing on things that aren’t toys).
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What not to do for separation anxiety
Punishment: Never punish your dog for separation anxiety. Your dog is not acting anxious out of “disobedience,” but out of distress. If your dog has separation anxiety, they are in a state of stress. Punishment will only upset them further and can make the problem worse.
Getting another dog: This may sound like a good idea, but getting another dog usually doesn’t work, because your dog’s separation anxiety is related to being separated from you specifically (not being alone in general).
Crating (in most cases): In most cases of moderate to severe separation anxiety, a crate is not advisable. Malena DeMartini-Price, a leading expert on separation anxiety in dogs, told Sniffspot that too often, a crate solves the problem for the human, but not for the dog: “What I often see is when the dog is stressed and destroying or escaping the crate, people just get a stronger crate...now the dog can't escape and the people don't see any damage, but the dog is still stressed and the problem is absolutely still there for the dog.”
Separation anxiety can be frustrating, but with training and a dose of patience, you can help your dog manage their separation anxiety and live a happier life.
Trainer Review of this Article
There is so much misinformation out there, we want to make sure we only provide the highest quality information to our community. We have all of our articles reviewed by qualified, positive-only trainers.
This is the trainer that reviewed this article:
Danette Johnston Owner - Dog's Day Out, Ballard, WA Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA) Licensed AKC CGC Evaluator NW Coordinator, Doggone Safe
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