Does my dog suffer from Separation Anxiety?

By Vanessa

According to Malena DeMartini-Price, separation anxiety is having profound anxiety or panic while being alone.

You may not have discussed your dog’s condition with your veterinarian yet, but you probably have an idea that your dog’s behaviors when you are not at home are not “normal”.

So what are you observing in your dog?

The top three behaviors that are seen in separation anxiety are destruction, vocalization, and elimination.

Destruction

Depending on the destruction, it can either look like your dog was having a party, suffering from boredom, or that they were having an epic panic attack. Maybe:

  • You came home to find the garbage strewn about the kitchen?
  • You had to replace pillows, shoes, or even a couch?
  • Your dog engaged in some light home (re-)construction by chewing on a door’s trim or your home’s dry wall?
  • Your crated dog has chewed on everything in, on, around, and even the crate itself?

It is important to either talk to your veterinarian, a veterinary behaviorist, or a Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer (CSAT) (like me!) about the destruction you are seeing. They can help determine if the destruction is the result of separation anxiety.

Vocalization

Some pet guardians may have received messages from neighbors or landlords about their dog’s barking, whining, crying, or howling. It is possible that your dog is barking at specific triggers during the day, such as the mail carrier or garbage trucks. However, vocalization due to separation anxiety is different. This vocalization lasts longer than the time it takes a trigger to come and go. Unfortunately, vocalization from separation anxiety can last for hours for some dogs.

Elimination

Another behavior that we often see is improper elimination, either urination or defecation in the house or in their crate — but not as a result of potty-training issues. If your dog is potty trained, but you are coming home to soiled carpet or crate, this could be an indication that your dog suffers from separation anxiety. It is also recommended that if this is a new behavior, you go to your veterinarian to rule out any health conditions.

Now that you know the top 3 signs of separation anxiety, let’s delve into the causes of separation anxiety.