If you’ve recently purchased a new puppy that whines and barks when you leave, and engages in destructive behavior, he could have puppy separation anxiety. This condition is a very common one, especially in puppies who have been rescued from shelters or those who have been purchased from pet stores. However, if left untreated, this condition could worsen and cause real trouble for both you and your puppy.

Puppy Separation Anxiety Defined:

Quite simply, separation anxiety is just that – your dog’s anxiety when you leave him. A dog is a pack animal, and very social. He feels as if he should be with you (his pack) at all times, and that’s just what he’d do if you let him. When you leave, he can’t understand why you’re not there and why he can’t be with you. This worry and anxiety manifests in different behaviors – from self mutilation to barking, whining, chewing, or destruction.

How to Treat Separation Anxiety:

Puppies can be treated for separation anxiety more easily than full-grown dogs. One of the first things your puppy needs is a comfortable place where he feels safe. A bed (or even a folded blanket) works perfectly. This should be the place where your puppy receives plenty of affection, praise, and treats, so he comes to equate the spot with comfort. A crate for a puppy will do well too, but you can’t leave the puppy in his crate too long.

Now that he has a comfortable spot, move on to the behavior modification. When you come home, your puppy probably goes completely crazy. He might jump up on you, whine, lick you, and all kinds of other things. It’s important that you ignore this behavior. Don’t talk to him or comfort him; simply stay calm until he calms down. Once he calms down, feel free to give him the love and affection. This teaches him to accept your return calmly.

Another way to help your puppy overcome separation anxiety is to go through the routine you usually go through before you leave. Go outside, stay for five minutes, and then come back in. Do this several times throughout the day so that your puppy gradually gets accustomed to you leaving and coming back. You can then periodically increase the time you stay gone so that his fears are assuaged more and more when you leave.

If you think your dog is exhibiting signs of separation anxiety, you’re probably very worried and upset. While some cases of separation anxiety are very mild, others can become extremely serious. Below, we’ll discuss separation anxiety, dogs, and what to do in order to help your dog overcome the condition.

What is Separation Anxiety?

This condition is often present in dogs who have had something traumatic happen to them, or in dogs who have been purchased from animal shelters or pet stores. Quite simply, the dogs are afraid to be away from their owners, and when they are, they feel very anxious. Most dogs experiencing this condition display symptoms like destroying things in the house, barking and whining to get to their owners, chewing or licking, self-mutilation and more. It’s a very sad condition, but there are some things the owners can do to help their dogs become more well adjusted.

How to Treat Separation Anxiety

The most common and best method for treating separation anxiety is helping the dog become accustomed to the periods when you’re not with him. You can do this by starting small and doing your ‘getting ready to leave’ routine. This is probably when your dog first begins to exhibit nervous behavior. Get your keys ready, put your shoes on, etc. Approach the door, stand there for a moment, and then take everything back off and sit down. Continue doing this at different periods during the day until your dog realizes there’s nothing to fear.

Eventually, you can work up to the point where you’re actually going outside for a few minutes at a time, and then coming back in. Your dog will gradually realize that there’s nothing to be afraid of. This continuous working will eventually ready your dog for the times when you actually leave. Speak to your vet about the different things you can do in order to really help your dog get over separation anxiety. If the condition is bad enough, he may prescribe medication for your dog. Staying patient and loving is the key to success.

If your dog acts very anxious when you leave, whines and barks as soon as you’re out the door, tears things up when you’re gone, and will not leave you alone when you return home, he might have separation anxiety. This is a common condition in dogs that is treatable, but can cause mild to disturbing behavior in your four-legged friend. Below, we’ll discuss exactly what dog separation anxiety is and how you can handle it.

This anxiety is found more often in dogs who are rescues, those who have lived in pet stores or shelters, and dogs who have been abused. Other reasons your dog might exhibit this behavior include:

- Some kind of traumatic experience. If your dog was badly injured or scared, it can create separation anxiety.
- Changes, such as moving to a new house, a death in the family, or addition in the family. Another change that can easily cause separation anxiety is spending less time with your dog. If you had cause to spend a lot of time with him, and suddenly you’re not around as much, he could display separation anxiety.

Basically, your dog wants to be around you all the time. You’re his pack, and he feels safe and secure when you’re there. When you leave, he doesn’t understand why you’re leaving, how long you will be gone, or why he can’t be with you. Some behaviors dogs will exhibit that are attributed to this condition include tearing things up, barking, whining, self-mutilation like licking, chewing, loss of appetite, diarrhea, and more.

Dog separation anxiety is a serious condition in dogs and should be treated with patience and love.

Pet parents with dogs who exhibit ‘bad’ behavior may wonder whether their dog is the victim of canine separation anxiety. It’s true that many dogs who display certain kinds of behavior are suffering from separation anxiety. Sometimes, it can be difficult to tell what’s causing the behavior, so it’s important to pay close attention in order to determine whether your pooch is truly suffering from anxiety.

Common Behaviors of Separation Anxiety

The following behaviors are some of the most common signs of separation anxiety. If your dog acts nervous when you’re about to leave (such as when you grab your keys, put on your shoes, etc.), he may be exhibiting anxious behavior. Often times, dogs who know their owners are about to leave will jump on them, follow them around, attempt to get out of the house also, or bark and cry. Another sign that you’re going through canine separation anxiety is if your dog is destroying things while you’re gone. You might notice that your shoes have been chewed up, parts of your house are destroyed, etc.

Other common behaviors of canine anxiety include self-mutilation from licking or chewing, barking and whining, attempting to escape the house, or following you around when you’re home.

How to Treat The Condition

If you’re fairly sure that your dog is exhibiting signs of anxiety disorder, it’s best to take him in for a visit with the vet. Often times, this can be corrected with behavior modification techniques that your vet can share with you. If the case is very severe, it’s possible that your vet will want to prescribe some medication for your dog – from anti-anxiety medication to anti-depression medication. A few simple behavior modification techniques can usually help, though.

First and foremost, help your pet see that there’s nothing to be worried about by going through your normal ‘leaving’ routine, walking outside for five minutes, and then coming back in. Repeat this process several times throughout the day. Each time you come back in, ignore your dog if he or she is exhibiting hyper behavior. Once he calms down, feel free to pet or show him affection. Gradually increase the time you stay outside so that eventually, the dog will see that you’re coming back and that they don’t have to be anxious.

Surprisingly, anxiety disorder associated with separation is very common in our canine friends. This is when the dog experiences severe anxiety or panic when left alone or separated from its owners. For example, if you leave the house and are gone all day, your dog will become extremely nervous and it may intensify as the day progresses. Because dogs need to be around humans and other dogs in order to be happy, they can easily succumb to panic and fright when they are left to themselves. There are, of course, different degrees of this separation anxiety.

There are some types of dog that have a higher risk of this kind of disorder and you should most definitely research this before deciding on a particular type of dog. Think about your lifestyle and whether or not you are gone for long periods of time before purchasing Springer Spaniels, German Shepherds or any other dog that is prone to anxiety disorders. Think about it before purchasing a dog from an animal shelter as well. Because many shelter dogs have either had trauma in their lives or have been abandoned, they are less trusting and may develop serious anxiety disorders.

You also want to find out when the dogs were taken from their mothers. This is because many people take them away too soon (especially the dogs that you find in pet stores) and this will increase the chances of anxiety. Many of these animals are stuck into a cage or display area without much attention and they can stay there for weeks and months by themselves. This is traumatic for animals and these dogs may also have a greater risk of developing anxiety disorders.

Another thing that is very important is the amount of time you spend with your dog. If you think that you’re going to be gone more than you will be home, you may want to reconsider getting a dog unless someone will be there to play with the dog and give him or her attention. Without these things, your dog will not be happy and well adjusted. If you think your dog may be experiencing some anxiety problems, look for some of these common signs:

• Your dog may recognize when you’re leaving simply by observing your habits. The dog may see you putting on your shoes, getting your coat on, getting your keys, etc. Watch for your dog to act strangely at this time. Do they jump on you or try to keep you there?

• When you are gone, your dog will become worse and may bark or scratch at the doors and windows. This is your dog’s attempt to find you. They may tear up items in the house or chew things. They may use the ‘bathroom’ inside of your home, and they can even lick or chew their skin until they have wounds.

• Your dog may even display some sort of obsessive behaviors in order to deal with the anxiety  such as spinning or chasing his or her tail.

You may notice that when you get back, your dog is excited to the point of frenzy! The dog might jump on you and lick you or use other signs of being glad that you’re home. A happy dog will do this for around a minute, but dogs with anxiety may do this for longer periods of time. If this happens, do not encourage your dog to become more excited and don’t pay too much attention to them. This will help alleviate some of the anxiety. Simply give the dog a pat and a few words and go about your business.

Here are some other things you can do to help reduce your dog’s anxiety.

Give your dog plenty of exercise. In fact, it’s better if you give him or her a ton of exercise right before you leave. This way, he or she will be very tired and won’t be as likely to have a lot of nervous energy. Try a half an hour walk before you leave in order to keep your dog’s anxiety down. In fact, the longer you walk him or her, the better it will be.

Before leaving, give your dog something great to chew on. Purchase a bone or something else that he or she will be satisfied with while you’re gone. In fact, giving it to your dog right before you leave may distract him or her and keep the anxiety down on that level as well. Also, before you leave, if possible, place your television or radio on so that your dog can feel as if he or she is not alone. If you can leave a window accessible for him or her to look out, that’s even better.

Practice getting ready to leave by placing your coat or shoes on and then reaching for the door of course, don’t leave. You only want your dog to see that you are getting ready to leave. Sit back down and then do it again a few moments later. Continue until your dog does not become excited at your leaving. You may want to give the dog a treat and praise him or her. Working at this gradually will help rid your dog of his or her fears.

Don’t comfort your dog too much when he or she is upset. While this sounds heartless, doing so will actually make the situation worse. It will actually make your dog think that there is a valid reason for his or her feelings and you don’t want that. Instead, try to minimize your dog’s need for concern by ignoring him or her.