What is separation anxiety and does my dog have it?

Separation anxiety is activated when a dog gets upset when his guardian or favorite person leaves. The dog has anxious behaviors such as whining or barking, chewing windows or doors, urinating and defecating, or even pacing. Dogs that have this don’t like to be alone, are scared of loud noises, fear being around new people, or act up when they are near their favorite person. Dogs with separation anxiety are hard to keep kenneled as they want to be near people. Dogs will chew through kennels, doors, walls, windows, or whatever else keeps them away from people. Separation anxiety can be caused by abandoning the dog, giving the dog to a new family, or even by leaving the dog alone for hours at a time.

Buddy's problem

My dog Buddy has moderate separation anxiety. He’s closest to me, and when I went to bed, he had numerous accidents all over the house. That’s why he sleeps with me now. And once we left him in my room as I left for school, and he chewed a me-sized hole in the wall. He also chews on door frames and whines and paces around when I’m in the shower. I think the reason why he has separation anxiety is that he never had a chance to bond with his previous family members, as he was mostly tied outside or told to lay down by himself. And not that he’s got a person that pays attention to him, and he doesn’t want that love to go away. We tried to kennel him to stop him from using the bathroom everywhere and he chewed through the metal and left blood and saliva everywhere, and met us at the backdoor. We left him tied outside for 15 minutes because we let him use the bathroom and he tore a gutter off the side of the house and destroyed it.

Curing Separation Anxiety

While there is no ‘cure’ for separation anxiety, you can slow it down a little. You can start by leaving your dog something to do while you are gone such as a puzzle toy or putting some peanut butter on one of his favorite toys. You can even leave some clothes you wore near the dog so he has a whiff of your scent. You can also make sure he has a safe place to go when scared, such as a bed that is strongly his and not shared by other dogs in the same household. In severe cases, it is recommended to get some prescribed medication such as Clomicalm or Prozac. If you have a dog with severe separation anxiety, it is best to not leave the dog with someone they don’t know. Hitting a dog that has an accident when it is anxious makes the dog more scared and even more anxious.

What breeds are more prone to Separation Anxiety?

Every breed of dog, purebred or not, is capable of developing separation anxiety, but some breeds are more prone because they can become more loyal to their owners. Breeds such as the:

• Labrador Retriever

• Border Collie

• German Shepherd

• Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

• Jack Russel Terrier

• Dachshund

One thing in common with these listed breeds is that they can get bored easily, and sometimes boredom causes the dog to sink his teeth into your new couch. But these dogs are also very close to their owners to the point where they can’t function on their own. My dog Buddy is part Labrador and my aunt has two dogs, one is a miniature Dachshund, and the other is a mixed-breed Dachshund. The two dachshunds will whine at the door and bark whenever she leaves and will wait until she comes back.

Ending

Many dog owners don’t suspect their dog to have separation anxiety and think that the chewing is caused by boredom. That was the case of Buddy before he came to us. He would chew on the porch he was tied to because he wanted to go inside where people were. But now that Buddy’s my dog, he will get all the attention he wants, plus more. Happy reading! And of course, Canine Good!