Why do dogs have separation anxiety?

There are several events that can trigger separation anxiety in dogs. Those that are given up by their previous families and placed in shelters often exhibit this behavioral problem. This is also the case for dogs whose families have moved to a new home and those that have lost a human family member (either because of death or moving away).

Dogs whose owners change their schedule can also experience separation anxiety. For example, if you used to work at home but then get a new job in an office, your dog might get anxious when you leave for work since he's used to having you at home the whole day.

Separation anxiety versus simulated anxiety

Just because you have a seemingly sad dog doesn't mean he's automatically going through separation anxiety. He might be experiencing simulated anxiety, which has similar symptoms with the former but is actually a type of learned dog behavior.

Simulated anxiety happens when the dog mainly wants to get his owners' attention. For instance, if your dog frequently jumps on you, you might push him away to show that you don't like his behavior. But, while the action might have a negative connotation on you, your dog might actually interpret it as positive since he got you to notice him. As a result, he'll develop the habit of jumping on you when he wants your attention.

So how do you tell if your sad dog has simulated anxiety or true separation anxiety? Well, if your dog has the former, he'll usually exhibit negative behavior most of the time; if he has the latter, he'll usually behave badly only when you're out of the house.

Signs of separation anxiety

Different dogs exhibit different behaviors, but there are several common signs that you should look out for. These include:

• Howling
• Excessive barking
• Pacing in a circular pattern or a straight line
• Digging (particularly in points of exit like doors and windows), sometimes in an attempt to escape
• Chewing on objects other than his toys, or excessively chewing to the point of destroying his toys
• Urinating or defecating, with some dogs even exhibiting coprophagia (eating their excrement)

How to reduce or eliminate separation anxiety

One of the first things you should do is to remove leaving and arriving cues (such as fussing over your dog when you get in the door). Acting like going to work and coming home are a big deal can actually make your dog more anxious, so go through your routine quietly and act like it's a normal part of the day that your pet should get used to.

If your dog has mild separation anxiety, you can calm him down by giving him an activity toy that's filled with delicious treats when you leave. This can distract him from your departure since his attention will be focused on extracting his snacks from the toy. It will also make him associate his alone time with a positive experience (i.e. enjoying yummy snacks).