It’s a sweet notion that your pup can genuinely miss you, but if your dog misses you so much that they endlessly bark, cry, or destroy your home, it can be stressful for both you and your pup. This excessive distress caused by your departure is called separation anxiety, and it’s a common behavioral problem in dogs. Separation anxiety can be a challenging problem to deal with, but there are a number of things that you can do as a pet parent to help.
Symptoms of Separation Anxiety
The symptoms of separation anxiety can vary from dog to dog, but some common signs include:
- Excessive barking, whining, or howling when left alone
- Destructive behavior, such as chewing or scratching
- Eliminating in the house
- Pacing or restlessness
- Trembling or shaking
- Self-mutilation
- Excessive salivation
- Panting
- Rapid heart rate
Causes of Separation Anxiety
The exact cause of separation anxiety is unknown, but it is thought to be a combination of factors, including:
- Genetic predisposition
- Early experiences, such as being left alone for long periods of time or being abused
- Changes in the dog's environment, such as a new home or a new baby
- Medical conditions, such as hyperthyroidism or cognitive dysfunction syndrome
Treatments for Separation Anxiety
There are several approaches that can help your pup with separation anxiety, including:
- Counterconditioning: This involves gradually exposing your dog to being left alone in a controlled environment and rewarding them for staying calm.
- Desensitization: This involves gradually exposing your pup to the sounds and smells associated with being left alone in a safe and controlled environment.
- Medication: In some cases, your veterinarian may prescribe a medication to help reduce anxiety in your furry friend.
- Behavior modification: This may involve training your dog to relax on their own or to stay in a specific area while you are gone.
Dogtopia and Separation Anxiety
As an award-winning doggie daycare and boarding facility in the Denver metro area, one of our Dogtopia locations can help your pup with separation anxiety. Our facilities are all over the Front Range and are staffed with professionally trained Canine Coaches who provide dogs with plenty of exercise, socialization, and enrichment, which can help your furry friend learn to relax and enjoy being left alone. By regularly attending daycare, your pup will become BFFFs (Best Furry Friends Forever) with other dogs of similar size and play style, get plenty of exercise, and learn basic obedience commands and social manners while their parents are away. And they’ll have fun while doing it!
Want to see how Dogtopia can help you and your pup? We’d love to invite you to visit one of our Denver-area locations. Find a Dogtopia location near you and schedule your dog’s Meet & Greet at one of our seven convenient locations in the Denver metro.