Separation Anxiety: Causes &Symptoms.
Separation anxiety in dogs is a behavioural condition where a dog finds it difficult to cope and experiences significant distress when separated from their owner or left alone. This can lead to a variety of unwanted behaviours that are extremely stressful for the owners as well as the dog and make daily life very difficult to navigate.
The RSPCA estimates 8 out of 10 dogs experience separation anxiety at some point in their lives but over 50% will not show obvious signs.
This has risen sharply since covid lockdown measures were introduced as many adult dogs became accustomed to having their owner’s home all day and puppies bought during lockdown were not trained to get used to being left alone for short periods building up to longer periods.
Common symptoms of Separation Anxiety include:
Excessive barking or howling when left alone
Destructive behaviour (chewing furniture, scratching doors)
Urinating or defecating indoors
Trembling Vomiting
Not eating before owners leave or not eating treats when alone
Self-injury from excessive cleaning, licking or biting a particular area
Pacing, circling or restlessness
Salivating or drooling
Trying to escape, scratching or digging especially around doorways or windows
Following owners around the house
Attention seeking behaviour just before owners leave the house
Genetics. Although separation anxiety can affect all breeds, some breeds such as German Shepherds and Labradors are reported to have higher predisposition to separation anxiety
Common causes of separation anxiety
Traumatic experiences (e.g., abandonment, changes in family structure)
A lack of early training to get the dog used to being left for short periods of time and gradually built up.
Changes in routine (moving, new family members)
Long periods of isolation. It is not recommended a dog is left for longer than five hours although this is different for all individual dogs.
Lack of quiet space the dog recognises as their own safe space
Boredom and lack of physical exercise prior to being left
Lack of enrichment provided whilst left alone such as food stuffed toys, puzzles or a special toy
Toileting issues caused by illness
As with all unwanted behaviour it is important to rule out illness or injury as a cause of the behaviour especially if it suddenly occurs as a dog feeling unwell from illness or experiencing pain or discomfort from injury will naturally feel vulnerable and fearful when left alone. If you suspect illness or injury it is necessary to contact your vets before working on the behaviours associated with separation anxiety.
Never punish your dog!
Punishing a dog with separation anxiety for the associated unwanted behaviours will very likely make the anxiety and separation issues much worse!
Your dog is not trying to be naughty or a nuisance but is trying to communicate they feel unsafe and are anxious about being left.
Some guides and trainers may suggest letting your dog “cry it out”. This can be neurologically damaging as dogs and puppies left to cry it out learn that being alone is terrifying. This distress is made worse because the stress hormones released when your dog is left alone take days to leave the body causing long-term damage to their body and mind.