Separation anxiety

Separation anxiety describes genuine distress a dog experiences when left alone, or separated from a particular person. It's more than simply disliking being alone. A dog with separation anxiety often shows signs of real panic, not boredom or naughtiness, and the behaviour typically starts within minutes of being left.

Common signs include persistent barking or howling, destructive behaviour concentrated around doors or windows, toileting indoors despite being fully house trained, and pacing or drooling excessively.

Separation anxiety is usually worked on gradually, through a process of building up alone time in very small increments, often starting with seconds rather than minutes. The dog is only left for a duration they can cope with calmly, and that duration is increased slowly over many sessions, similar in principle to desensitisation.

Departure cues, such as picking up keys or putting on shoes, are often practised separately from actually leaving, so they stop predicting distress on their own. Many owners work with a qualified behaviourist for this, since getting the pace wrong can set progress back significantly, and because it's often distressing for both dog and owner to manage alone.

Leaving a dog for too long, too soon, is the most common setback. Even one session where the dog becomes distressed can undo progress built up over several careful sessions, which is why increments are usually kept very small at the start.