What is it?

• When puppies or dogs are overly attached to their owners, they have separation anxiety.

• They can become extremely anxious because they think you are abandoning them, or are scared that you will abandon them.

• Sometimes dogs have it prior to coming into your home because they were abandoned by their previous owners.

• When their separation anxiety is extreme, it can cause them to be a danger to themselves and your home

Why does your dog have it?

• Changes in schedule - if you worked from home mostly and then have a 9-5 job

• Changes in dog ownership - if dog was previously abandoned, then it may have it simply because it happened before

• Changes in your home - new family member, death of family member

• Change in home - you moved to a new and bigger place that they are unfamiliar with

Does your dog have it?

If you answer yes to any of these, then your dog has some degree of separation anxiety,.

• Does your dog cry, howl, bark, or dig for a long time when you leave?

• Is your dog pacing and trying to escape?

• Does your dog destroy everything in sight when you leave? Shoes, wires, furniture?

• Does your dog pee or poo in your home when it is potty trained?

If you’re not sure, get a webcam to see how your dog is doing at home. Check out our indoor camera recommendations.

How do we treat it?

• Crate training is the easiest way to treat this, and start very slow if they show extreme signs of separation anxiety. Play some classical or jazz music for him while you are away - it could help.

• Associate leaving with treats such as a frozen Kong toy stuffed with treats inside that may take a while to get out. The busier their mind is, the less likely they are to protest you leaving.

• Remove triggers - because dogs are intelligent and pick up on social cues. When you jingle your keys or put on your coat, they will know you are going to leave. So, jingle your keys randomly, wear slippers around the house, or put your coat on without actually leaving.

Brioche’s Separation Anxiety

Since COVID, Brioche has faced a higher level of separation anxiety since his parents are now home 24/7.

This “change in schedule” really triggered this for him. We used to leave him for a few hours during the day where he would cry in his crate for 15 seconds, then stop. Now, he is used to us being home all the time with all the attention. So, when we get groceries or go for a walk, he will cry - sometimes howl.

We are currently fixing this by doing a few things:

• Going for a 1 hour walk or grocery run every day. Sometimes we can only squeeze in 30 minutes, but it is better than nothing.

• Playing brain games with him keep him busy.

• Putting him in his crate for some time throughout the day so he knows we are not leaving just because he is in his crate.