For some dogs, saying goodbye feels like the worst thing in the world. You’re cruelly abandoning them! And never coming back! They’re trapped forever! They miss you! We all hate leaving our dogs, but separation anxiety is a very real problem – especially when our dogs have become so much more used to us being around.
So if your usually happy and well-behaved dog starts getting distressed or destructive every time you leave them – they could be suffering from separation anxiety.
Here’s what it is, when it starts, what causes it, and some great tips on how to tackle it.
Does my dog have separation anxiety?
It’s normal for your dog to miss you when you leave. Separation anxiety is different – because the response is more extreme. Symptoms of separation anxiety in dogs include:
- Barking, whining, howling or crying (the sort that neighbours will notice)
- Pawing or chewing at doors, fences or their crate
- Breaking toilet training
- Trembling or shaking
- Panting or salivating
- Overenthusiastic welcomes
- Following you around (you’ve got a constant shadow)
What is separation anxiety in dogs?
Separation anxiety is the name given to the distress some dogs feel when they’re alone, or away from a person or dog they’re close to. What’s more it can start as soon as puppies are removed from the litter. Remember those sleepless nights listening to your tiny puppy howling when you brought them home? Puppy separation anxiety. Regardless of their age, here’s how to create great habits and work towards a calmer, happer dog.
How do you train a dog with separation anxiety?
Easing your dog’s anxiety starts with gently teaching them they can be OK on their own. Encourage independence from a young age, and resist the urge to have your pup at your side 24/7 when you first bring your dog home.
Whether you’re a puppy owner or your dog has suddenly started getting anxious, the key is to build up time they spend away from you. Do it gradually, so your dog doesn’t realise it’s happening – and doesn’t get distressed.
Here’s how to do it:
Start small. Leave the room and close the door behind you. Wait 30 seconds, then go back in. Repeat this over and over again until your dog doesn’t even react.
Over a few weeks, build up the time and distance you’re apart:
1 minute – you outside the door
2 minutes – you in a separate room
3 minutes – you upstairs, your dog downstairs
5 minutes – you walk around the block, your dog stays at home
Yikes. You get home to find scratch marks on the door and a poop on the floor. And your dog looks guilty. Telling them off seems like an obvious response.
But unless you tell them off in the moment, your dog is unlikely to link the punishment with the ‘crime’. That guilty look on your dog’s face? Probably not guilt at all – dogs pick up our frustration and adopt the appropriate response. Despite appearances, the time they spent scratching the door is long forgotten.
Top tip: don’t reward anxious behaviour
We know it’s hard. You want to make them feel better. If you shower your dog with affection now their anxious behaviour gets attention – and that can make their anxiety worse.
Keep your focus straight ahead and don’t give your dog attention until they’re calm. Then shower them with affection as a reward.
How else can you help a dog with separation anxiety?
Shoes on. Coat on. Keys in hand. Our dogs recognise signs we’re getting ready to leave. Before long, those actions start to cause anxiety on their own. But do them often enough without going anywhere, and you’ll disrupt the link in your dog’s mind. No more anxiety.
- Tire them out with mental and physical exercise
- Occupy their minds and banish boredom with toys
- Rotate toys (2 a day is plenty) to keep them interested
- Try calming products for dogs, like herbal sprays or pheromone diffusers
- Talk to your vet about tryptophan – a building block for serotonin – can have a calming effect on dog anxiety
- Ask for help.
Ask your vet, or ask a specialist. If your dog’s anxiety is severe and all attempts to ease it don’t work, a dog behaviourist will help. They can often spot seemingly small things that make your dog more anxious.
How long will my dog have separation anxiety?
Unfortunately it’s not a quick fix, but with a bit of perseverance and a lot of patience, it should get better. You’ll need to work on it over several months. But you’re not in it alone, our veterinary and nutritional team has lots of advice on the blog.
One of my dogs has started to follow me when I go upstairs and he sits at the top stair
He is 3 years old and has only been doing this for the last 7 months
Never been any issues with anxiety that I am aware of
Hi I have a Lowchen male dog.and when any company I have in the house go to leave he kicks up a terrible fuss . Shaking a toy and barking like mad and tries to stop them leaving. . It is very distressing for him and for me , help as otherwise he is a lovely dog.
Thanks, Sophie… I appreciate our insight regarding the separation anxiety in dogs. Loneliness triggers separation anxiety in the dogs which is considered as a mental disorder. Suitable initiatives should be taken into consideration to deal with such situations. A pet owner should do a lot of research on the internet to learn more about the separation anxiety and factors which should be taken into consideration to deal with it.
what i suggest is carry your pet along with you whenever possible
That enables
Thanks for sharing best information.I like this,i follow it.
“If your dog seems to worry when you’re heading out, destroys stuff when you leave the house, follows you from room to room when you’re home, goes berserk when you come back and seems to be eyeing you suspiciously even before you leave—you may be dealing with a case of separation anxiety.”
My staffie/patterdale barks when I leave the house am I have to tie her up outside the shop, she has even managed to get loose and follow me. When I have left her and come home I found she had urinated and left a present on a lovely rug which had to be thrown out. She goes upstairs to sulk on my bed. Leaving toys out has not been successful as I am finding them hidden behind and wedged between my bed headboard or in my wardrobe. She is nearly 3,
My wife’s dog has quite a bit of separation anxiety. When I moved in with her, I brought my dog with me, and that has helped with my wife’s separation anxiety a bit.
Although it is a disorder that occurs most frequently in children, it can also be suffered in adolescence, youth and even during adulthood.
Its symptoms may be related to the characteristics of panic disorder since there are episodes of sudden feelings of intense anxiety.
Hi Sophie,
My dog kept following me everywhere I went. And if there was any time apart he would show over-enthusiasm when he saw me.
I thought something was wrong with him.
But it turns out that it’s totally normal, he just loves it when I pat him or play with him.
No anxiety issues.
My dog always shakes when my husband leaves for work. I comfort her while he is at work and it seems to not help. I am home all day. She is only left alone when we take a grocery run. She has gotten to the point where she has to go to bed with him before i go up. I want to try and help to get her back to the dog I once knew. This is something new with her. I have two dogs. One does this and the other one can care less. I am at my wits end. Can anyone give suggestions.
Hello! I have 4 years old shih tzu and hates to be left at home alone. I didn’t know how bad it was for him till I received complain from our neighbours. I am afraid that after this lockdown will end situation with him will be even worse. Yesterday we left him alone for 40 min and he bark and cried almost all that time. What can I do to change this behaviour?
Hi. My dog Bella was doing the same. So I bought a camera off eBay for £19. It is movement dectected and I get alerts when she moves or there is a sound. I can then press the microphone on the app and talk to her. It’s stopped my dog barking and I can see what she’s up to. I can press on the app anytime nd it shows me what she’s doing. You can also add multiple cameras for different rooms. Bella has now started going in the lounge instead of the bedroom so I need to get another camera now ?
Hi! I have a miniature schnauzer. He is fine with me leaving, but if I am home and my son tries to leave he goes ballistic… barking and racing to the door, seems to want to bite him. My son says he does not do this if I am not home. He does carry on with others leaving as well, just not as intense. But only if I am home.
My Jack Russell is exactly the same. I’m the primary caregiver/owner but when I am at home and husband leaves, he goes crazy. When I’m not at home and husband leaves the house, he is calm.
I currently have a micro mini Daschund hound.He had severe seperation Anxiety when we first rescued him. After working on lowering his Anxiety for 5 months he was great‼️ But we recently moved and I feel like I’m right back where we started barking ,whimpering, pooping , scratching at the door ‼️ while we are out. How do I get him back to the good boy I know is in him.We worry that our landlord is not going to allow us to have him if this isn’t corrected soon.When we got him I was warned NOT to put in create because he will scratch it till his little paws bleed . Signed please help me.
HELLO! MY FUR BABY MADDIE IS STARTING SOMETHING NEW, LIKE WHEN I LEAVE TO RUN IN THE STORE FOR JUST A MINUTE!!! SHE STARTS TO SHAKE BAD!! SO WHAT DO YOU THINKS GOING ON? AND TO ADD TO THIS SHE GOES “EVERYWHERE” WITH ME, EXCEPT DOCTOR VISITS!! LOL PLEASE HELP !!!!!
Has anyone tried calming CBD chews for dogs? My dog pants and leaves a puddle of drool on the floor when I leave. He’s 5 and just started doing this about 7 months ago.
My shih tzu is 3 years old and if either my husband or I are getting ready to leave . She starts scratching, barking, and shaking uncontrollably. Even if we have only been gone like 5 minutes (for example taking out the trash) she goes crazy when we come back. I have been told to try CBD for dogs to try calming her. Has anyone tried this?
Wow, the post highlights a lot of important things. We love dogs. They should be taken care of. In addition to providing outdoor accommodation for your dog, you can arrange for their training. Thank for shared.
My Shihtzu is 1 yr old.She’s used to going with me when I go out to run an errand.This last time I left and took 5 hrs to come back home and since then my dog is very distant with everyone and has no interest in anything…is this separation anxiety or something else?
Hi Mary – I’d recommend having a chat with your vet. It could be a behavioural issue, but there might also be something else going on that happened to coincide with her being left alone for a few hours.
How to bathe my dog it, I bought this pet shampoo
I have 4 dogs all small that have sever anxiety when leave the house. 1 I got as a puppy during covid so its very bad since I have been home so much with him. She screams if I even spray the hairspray can more or less put my shoes on. he is a very small Chi. I am embarrassed, he screams so loud it sounds or people must think I’m beating him. When he starts this the others join in screaming and howling. It is so bad I really do not know what to do about this.. I know from reading your article and comment that its my fault I just don’t know what to do about this. I have always spoiled my dog so bad but this time It has gone to far. Please help.
Hi Barb – don’t beat yourself up, it’s been a tough year! We’d recommend speaking with a qualified behaviourist to get the behaviour nipped in the bud ASAP 🙂
The article is very emotional. But things are changing now. Cafes, malls even offices are becoming dog friendly nowadays.
Hi, can you help? Our pup is 14 months old, we go out once a week to the pub for a few hours (4) for a meal and a drink, he is normally very good, we take him for a long walk before we go out and make sure he has water, food and toys in his cage, normally he is very good and it isn’t a problem, we came in last night and he has destroyed his cage, wrecked the tray, chewed it up and destroyed it and the mat that was on top of it. He has never ever done this before. We have however, recently been away for a couple of days on our own and left him at boarding kennels for a couple of days, was this a step too far, please can you give me some advice, thank you.
Check with boarding facility: what was her behavior in your abscence? Was she scared from noise of kennel or other dogs? Did she socialize with staff? Was this 1st boarding exp? Bad experience may explain behavior and separation anxiety.
thanks for the ideas
My moms shih Tzu is 2 years old and HATES being home alone. We got her during quarantine and she’s always been used to someone being home at all times. My mom doesn’t work and I work from home but when we need to make errands or just get out of the house she goes ballistic. Chews on door, throws up. I’m convinced it’s separation anxiety at this point. It worries me, please help :/
We’re sorry to hear that your mum’s dog is struggling with separation anxiety at the moment, Michelle. Our head Vet Sean has some tips that may help, you can watch them here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paP29DmAnSQ&t=2s 💙
I haven’t ever known a dog that didn’t get separation anxiety, although some dogs have it much worse than others. I always make sure my dog has their special toy and blanket before I leave so that it can cope a little better.
Your dog gets upset when you leave the house because they have a solid attachment to you and may experience separation anxiety or fear of being alone.