We all love dogs, and only a proud dog owner understands how it feels to live with a dog. They not only make our lives better but also become the center of our world. Dogs have been human companions for a very long time, and they love their human friends more than their life. Their wagging tail and bright shiny eyes never fail to tell how much they adore their human boo. 

Well, you can always feel the love your pooch has for you through his playful jumps and never-ending excitement when he sees you enter the house. And, this happens every time you come back home. He follows you everywhere and always craves to spend time with you. And no dog parent can deny the fact that they love to see their dog excited every time they come back home, and his gesture of following them everywhere makes them love him even more.

But, there are times when a dog parent comes back home and hear the neighbor complaining about how their dog was disturbing the entire neighborhood by barking or howling persistently. Did it ever happen to you? If yes, then there are chances that your dog might be suffering from separation anxiety, and you need to take it seriously. 

Well, if you are pondering over the weird behavior your dog is showing off these days, then do not worry!! Through this article, you will get an insight into what separation anxiety is, along with the symptoms that will help you realize if he is suffering from the problem or not. So, without wasting any more time, let’s move onto the problem and its symptoms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Separation Anxiety

 

 

Separation anxiety is a serious concern among dogs and needs to be dealt with carefully. It is a situation that dogs face when they do not find their human friend/owner around. The main reason behind dogs developing separation anxiety is that they are social animals and prefer to live in packs. 

For a domestic dog, the pack is their owner or the person they are attached to. So, when they do not find their owner around, they start feeling anxious or gets distressed. Due to the feeling of anxiety or distress, they exhibit destructive behavior. 

 

 

When it comes to dogs exhibiting disturbing/destructive behavior, their owner starts feeling frustrated and many times punishes them for the same. Well, it should not be this way since punishing dogs suffering from separation anxiety may worsen the situation. 

 

Thus, one needs to understand that their dog is already suffering, and he needs to be dealt with care and support to recover from the situation. After all, they develop separation anxiety because they do not find you around and all they crave is you, your time, love, and support.

 

Symptoms of Separation Anxiety

 

Now that you are aware of what separation anxiety is, let us talk about signs that will help you understand if your dog is suffering from the same or not. 

 

Before you take a look at the symptoms, understand that if your dog is suffering from separation anxiety, he will exhibit these symptoms only in your absence, not while you are present.

 

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Constant Barking or Howling

 

If you often hear your neighbor telling you how your dog keeps on howling or barking while you were not home, take it as a sign that your dog might be suffering from separation anxiety. 

 

Dogs tend to get distressed when they do not see their human boo around and end up barking or howling persistently due to the stress they develop when left alone.

 

Further reading: Simple tips to get your dog to stop barking. 

 

Chewing or Destroying the Furniture

 

Nobody likes to enter their home after a tough day at work only to see destroyed furniture or their favorite pair of slippers. People usually frown upon their dog after seeing the destruction he had caused in their absence. 

 

If you, too, have ever faced such a situation, then instead of getting angry, try and understand that it is not in his control, and he might be prone to separation anxiety. 

 

Pacing

 

You might have seen your dog moving in the same direction, usually in a circular motion or back and forth along a straight line. Well, this too might be a sign that your dog is suffering from the problem of separation anxiety.

 

Digging or Attempting to Escape

 

There are chances that if your dog does not find you around, he might try to dig through the doorways or try to escape from the window. Well, during this attempt, he might cause self-harm, including broken teeth or nails, scraped paws, etc.

 

Acting Up While He Sees You Leaving

 

Have you ever noticed your dog acting up just when he realizes that you are about to leave for work or anywhere else? 

 

Well, it might be an indication that he is suffering from the problem of separation anxiety and cannot stay at home alone without you. 

 

Always remember that if your dog is suffering from separation anxiety, then he will only show these symptoms when he does not find you around. And if he behaves the same way even in your presence, then he might need to be taught a few polite manners.

 

Defecating Indoors

 

If your dog is well-trained to do his business outside the house and he starts urinating or defecating inside while you are not around, it might be because he cannot stand to stay alone at home without you. 

 

Wrapping it Up

 

Now that you know about separation anxiety and its problems, make sure you do not get your dog wrong if he is acting up. So, if you see your dog acting differently than how he used to, consider how he behaves and try to understand if he is suffering from the problem of separation anxiety. 

 

If it turns out to be a yes, then take the necessary measures to help him get out of the situation.

For further information, check out my manual on Dealing with Separation Anxiety below!