11 Tips For Treating Separation Anxiety in Dogs

The human-animal bond begins the day we bring our new family members into the home. We love our pets, and more of us are taking the opportunity to enjoy their company for longer periods of time.

With the rise of remote work, dogs will stay at our feet during the day and sleep on our beds at night. This differs from even a few years ago, where most of us would leave for work for large portions of the day.

This phenomenon has contributed to a rise in dogs who suffer from separation anxiety, as they are not used to being left alone for any real length of time. It is becoming an increasingly recognized concern for pet owners and their dogs, especially for puppies and young dogs born or raised during the recent COVID pandemic.

Signs Your Dog Has Separation Anxiety

• Pacing, whining, barking or howling
• Trembling
• Defecating and urinating in the home
• Vomit or foamy patches 
• Weight loss
• Sores on feet or limbs from overgrooming
• Destructive behaviors such as chewing

You may notice signs around the home that your dog has tried to escape when home alone. Unfortunately dogs can’t talk, so they can’t tell us what the problem is verbally. Scratch marks at the door, or furnishings near windows knocked over are common clues your pet is feeling anxious without you there.

Separation anxiety usually starts within a few minutes of your dog realizing they are alone. They can start to panic, and feel anxious and this feeling can last the whole time they are alone at home. Some dogs can even have separation anxiety if just one particular person has left the home so can present differently depending on the situation.

Separation anxiety is distressing for dogs, and usually gets worse with time. The sooner you recognise your dog is suffering from separation anxiety, and start to make changes to help them feel more secure in their own space, the better things will be for your dog, yourself and your neighbors.

Thankfully, this behavioral issue can be eased and eventually cured, and lots of the tricks we as vets use are easy to implement at home by yourself. So, let’s look at some vet-recommended tips you can use to help your dog with their separation anxiety.

Tips For Seperation Anxiety: First, Start Small

Making small changes consistently over time can add up to huge impact. It may not seem like a big deal to leave your dog in a room by themselves while you use the restroom, but during this short time, your dog is learning to cope without you.

Use Distraction 

Going out for a short while? Put the TV or radio on to give your dog some background noise to ease anxiety. Classical music is thought to be very relaxing for dogs. You can close the curtains to block the sights of passers by or traffic that may upset your dog. 

Try to give your dog their favorite toys on rotation to play with when you are not there. If going out for a short time, you can use food toys such as stuffed Kongs to keep your dog occupied and happy. Licking is a soothing motion for dogs, and can help dogs who lick at their skin or joints when stressed have an alternative outlet for this behavior.

Practice

Go through your routine of leaving your home, put on your coat, pick up your keys and leave the home for a few seconds.

Gradually increase the amount of time you are away for, it can be as short as a minute, and work up from there. This allows your dog to learn to adapt to small periods of time where you are not in the home.

Be Calm

It’s tempting to make a big fuss of your dog when you get home, after all you have missed them so! However this can reinforce the nervous energy dogs have felt all day, as it is a positive reward for the behavior.

Try to come in, sit down and wait for your dog to return to a calm level before going over to engage in petting or praise. This helps your dog understand you will only respond to calm behavior and they will learn to settle more quickly each time you do this.

Use Pheromones

Pheromones are a completely natural way to help your dog feel more relaxed. They are a scent only dogs can smell and are appeasing, meaning they help relax and calm your dog. It’s the same scent their mother would give off when a pup is young to help keep them relaxed.

Pheromones can come in diffusers, collars or sprays to scent bedding for example. If using plug in diffusers, keep them running all the time, and replace them regularly.

Use Technology

It’s possible to be sitting in the office working, while also telling your dog what a good boy he is in real time. Video cameras are small, relatively affordable and can provide a real-time link between you and your dog. Not all dogs will find this soothing but some may. When you notice signs of your dog becoming distressed you can talk to your dog through the video camera to help relieve anxiety.

A live feed can monitor your dog’s behavior throughout the day. You can use this footage to see if there are trigger points for the anxiety, such as a post delivery. Knowing the trigger can go a long way to creating a plan to overcome the anxiety your dog is feeling.

In this example you could place a secure mailbox outside the home, avoiding the post being delivered to the door itself. This may sound like a small issue to us, but canine anxiety can be triggered from seemingly unimportant interactions.

Crate Train

Dogs can learn to feel safe in a dog crate. It has the added advantage of preventing damage while you are out. Start crate training as young as possible, and use lots of positive praise, treats or toys to encourage your dog to use this space.

They can sleep in it, and go into the crate for short periods during the day when you are home to become accustomed to their own personal space. You can then leave them happily in the crate for longer periods of time.

Always use soft bedding and make sure the cage is the right size – too small and they will be uncomfortable, but too large they can pace and scratch causing damage to the crate and themselves.

Find Company

Have a relative that works from home or is retired? Could they pop over during the day? Maybe your dog could go to doggy day care or spend time on a pack walk? This works well for dogs who are comforted by the company of others, and for dogs who are used to large, busy households.

Channel Nervous Energy

If you know you are going out for the day, take your dog on a long walk, and have plenty of breaks to let your dog sniff and explore. This uses a combination of physical and mental energy.

Your dog will be more likely to come home after this type of walk and rest while you are away. Increasing exercise in nervous dogs once or twice daily can be a great way to give them an outlet for the extra emotion they are carrying.

Ask For Help

Veterinary behaviorists have lots of experience helping dogs and their owners overcome separation anxiety. Behavioral problems can take many months, sometimes years to correct, and using a veterinary behaviorist can keep training consistent and overcome roadblocks as you meet them.

Prescription Medications

Some dogs have separation anxiety that is so severe that the dog cannot be receptive to any of the tips above as they get so stressed at the first signs of you leaving. In this case, using veterinary approved prescription medications to relieve anxiety in combination with a training program is needed.

The drugs will not fix the problem on their own, they just help alter a dogs mental state so they feel more able to cope and respond to training cues. Some dogs will need to be on medications for many months while training is going on. Talk to your veterinarian if you would like advice on prescription anti-anxiety medications.

Summary

In summary there are lots of ways to help dogs cope with separation anxiety. Managing separation anxiety alone can feel like a very isolating, overwhelming problem.

Try not to be too harsh on yourself, and instead break the problem down into lots of little steps, and reach out for help from your veterinarian if you are struggling. If not addressed early, separation anxiety can get worse with age, so the sooner you start trying to tackle the behavior, the happier and more settled your dog will be.