Dogs are sociable animals by nature and therefore tend to always seek the company and proximity of their humans.

However, this strong attachment to people can sometimes lead to a very common behavioral problem , but not to be underestimated: the so-called “separation anxiety” .

Separation anxiety can be explained as an excessive dependence of the animal on the owner , and in general on all members of the family.

This problem can have causes of different origins : a too fast weaning, a previous situation of abandonment, an incorrect education of the furry puppy , but also simply the character of the animal itself, which can be more or less subject to attachment.

Separation anxiety is one of the most common problems of animal behavior, especially canine, and at the same time also more difficult to solve.

THE SIGNS OF SEPARATION ANXIETY IN THE DOG

It is always important to learn to observe our dog to understand what he communicates with his behavior.

In animals, especially in dogs but also in cats, we may notice unpleasant behaviors , which are an alarm bell to very often indicate, at the origin, a bigger problem, such as that of separation anxiety.

Each animal has its own story, but here is a short list of the most common behaviors:

  1. Upon returning home we find unexpected “disasters” : chewed shoes, scratched furniture, gnawed chairs, destroyed curtains.
  2. We learn that the dog, in our absence, has been barking the whole time.
  3. We find its needs in unusual places in the house where the animal is not usually dirty, or even where it has been used to not doing so.
  4. The animal moves restlessly , walks repeatedly along the same path or assumes other anomalous behaviors such as biting its tail or persistently licking itself in the same point until the coat disappears.
  5. Sometimes the animal voluntarily causes physical damage to itself.
  6. The animal displays an unusual aggression .

We must understand, however, that these behaviors are not signs that the dog is angry with us, they are not gestures of anger, much less revenge.

Instead they indicate the fear of abandonment and loneliness .

(If you want to learn more about what all the possible fears of dogs can be and how to deal with them, click here and read the dedicated article ).

HOW TO PREVENT SEPARATION ANXIETY IN DOGS

A good education upstream of our dog, even better if as a puppy, is the key to avoiding these behavioral problems in the future.

In particular, our furry beloved must be aware and constantly perceive that he is in a relationship based on trust : he must know that he can completely trust his human, always, even in moments when physical proximity is not possible.

So what are the best behaviors to adopt to prevent separation anxiety in our dog or cat?

  • Provide the animal with a fun game to play in our absence, preferably one of his favorites. In this way, he will not only be distracted from the game and therefore will not think about our absence, but will tend to associate your leaving home with something positive for him!
  • Do not greet the animal either when leaving or returning. In fact, lavishing heartfelt greetings before leaving the house will only increase the animal’s anxiety. In the same way, repaying the animal’s feasts on our return will only accentuate the “particularity” of the event, which instead must be internalized as a normal and daily event. If the exit or the return home will not be accompanied by particular celebrations, but will pass very subdued, then the animal will get used to our absence much better without suffering from it.
  • If the family is made up of several members, it would be important, at least in the early days, to avoid going out all together. In this case, even spacing the outputs by about ten minutes will avoid making the animal feel as if it had been completely abandoned, and will allow it to better metabolize the fact of being alone at home.
  • If our furry dog has recently entered the family, it will be important to gradually accustom him to our outings , starting to leave him only for small intervals of time that will gradually increase, in order to make the detachment more manageable.

HOW TO OVERCOME SEPARATION ANXIETY IN DOGS

What to do instead if we have recognized separation anxiety behaviors in our furry dog?

First of all, it is important to underline what not to do: we do not scold or punish the dog .

Also because the animal is unable to associate a combined disaster a few hours earlier with the subsequent reaction. Nor do dogs feel guilt. The attitude of the low tail between the legs or the look with languid and “sad eyes”, is often mistaken for admission of guilt, when instead it comes to submission: the animal is as if it were telling us “I know you are in charge, but don’t punish me”. Because, even if they do not associate the lecture with the damage, they are able to perfectly perceive if there is an air of punishment in the house …

Instead, let’s look at what it would be right to do :

  1. Starting again to teach him, gradually, to face the time when he is alone at home, starting to get used to him with small outings .
  2. A good trick is to leave the TV or radio on at home to keep the pet company.
  3. Great to keep the dog busy, in our absence, with some games of his liking
  4. Vary the frequency, mode and time of exit, so that the dog does not expect it as a worrying event but something normal, on the agenda, which can happen at any time and that you don’t need to worry about. In this regard, it is useful to carry out the gestures that are made before going out … but without then doing it.
  5. Let the dog “tire” and relax before going out, maybe with a nice long walk, or after playing with it. He will thus be more inclined to calm down and maybe doze off in our absence, rather than having the energy to worry unnecessarily.

If these tricks are not enough, you can think, for a limited period of time (a couple of weeks at the most) to ask someone else to take care of the furry dog on our behalf.. Even better if several different people will take care of it. So the dog will become more “independent” and a healthy detachment will be created between you, in order to mitigate an excessive attachment.

In any case, first of all, we always recommend a visit to your trusted veterinarian, who will surely know how to address and if necessary, he will put us in contact with a behavioral veterinarian to resolve the situation in the best and fastest way.