Science stories
Your dog may be at risk of separation anxiety
After a year of living full-time with their owners, many dogs will face a tough time returning to the “new normal”
I have been a pet sitter and dog-walker for a few years now. When COVID-19 arrived, I found myself without a job. First, because of work-from-home orders. Then, because quite a few dog owners lost their jobs.
Throughout this year of the pandemic, I have seen a surge in puppies in my city. The currently available data agrees: a lot more people have been adopting dogs in the last year.
It wasn’t until a couple of weeks ago, though, that I took care of my first “covid puppy”. This dog was obtained as a pup at the beginning of the pandemic. She is about a year old, yet she’s only ever been at her owner’s house, the vet’s, and the owner’s brother’s house. She had never been alone for a significant amount of time until her owner started working away from home.
The owner got noise complaints from the neighbours as soon as she started working away from home. She thought they might be over-exaggerating, so she put a camera in the house. She soon discovered they were not. Her otherwise well-behaved pup was barking, howling, whining, pacing the house… She was in evident distress.
The owner told me she couldn’t concentrate at work, knowing her dog was feeling so bad while she was away. On top of that, the police could take the dog away from her if the noise complaints continued. She was really relieved when I agreed to take care of her dog.
The first day that the dog and I spent together was… rocky, but eventually, successful. For hours, she sat by the door, shaking. She ignored her toys and her blanket. After three hours, I decided to take her for a walk in case she needed to relieve herself due to stress. As soon as I opened the door, she bolted, pulling on the leash, frantically searching the street for her owner.
It took her five hours to feel comfortable enough to sit on her blanket. After that, she gradually started improving pretty fast. By the eight-hour mark, and after a successful walk, she was happy in the house, she was playing (with me and by herself), and she was sleeping comfortably.
The second day, she was a bit startled at first. Perhaps a bit surprised that this was becoming a thing, where her owner dropped her off at this other lady’s house. But the rest of the week passed without an issue. However, this owner now has to spend quite a bit of money to ensure her dog’s welfare. Below, I will talk briefly about separation anxiety in dogs and provide a few strategies that you can use to ensure your dog is ok once you go back to your pre-covid routine.
Does your dog have separation anxiety or something else?
There are some pretty characteristic behaviours that dogs with separation anxiety may present. These behaviours, however, are not unique to separation anxiety.
Common behaviours of dogs with separation anxiety are:
- Barking, howling, and whining
- Destroying household items (quite commonly, biting or scratching at doors or windows)
- Peeing or pooping inside the house
- Pacing
Less common and potentially more worrying symptoms include:
- Vomiting
- Self-injury (often dogs damage themselves while trying to “escape” or “reunite” with their owner)
Importantly, these behaviours only occur when the dog is separated from the owner but do not happen when the owner is there. So, for example, if a dog has not mastered potty training, peeing or pooping in the house while alone is not necessarily a sign of separation anxiety.
You may also spot separation anxiety behaviours once you start preparing to leave the house. Your dog may begin pacing or trembling, or they may have lowered ears and tail, and look mopey. Pay attention to these signs, as quieter dogs (or people without neighbours close by) may never get diagnosed and may suffer in silence.
I want to highlight the importance of not punishing your dog if they exhibit some of these behaviours. Imagine spending your whole life with your family to be then left alone, without an explanation. For 10 hours… This is what covid-puppies are going through right now, as their owners go back to work.
When should you start?
The best time to start training your dog to avoid future separation anxiety is before you go back to work. The goal is to improve your dog’s well-being by preventing or reducing the stress associated with your departure. If you suspect your days working from home may be coming to an end, there are several things that you can do to ease your dog into the “new normal”:
A change in routine
- Slowly change your dog’s routine to reflect the times you’ll be available to do things like feeding, walking, petting, and playing. If you’ve changed the number of times you are walking your dog, gradually start going back to the number of walks you’ll be able to maintain if you start working away from home.
Chewing their worries away
- Get some long-lasting chew toys, and get them to start using them now while you are still at home. These toys can be a great “redirection” tool while they are seeking your attention, or for when they are spending some quiet “me time”.
Dog’s “me time”
- Encourage your dog when they are at their bed (or another location) by themselves. Try spending time in separate rooms and reward them when they are calm about it. If closing doors is not an option, consider using baby/child gates to maintain some separation. As with the other strategies on this list, do this gradually: do not suddenly stop giving your dog attention all at once, but ease into it.
Always come back
- Start leaving your home for short intervals. You can monitor your dog’s behaviour via a camera or tape recorder (if your dog is vocal about your absences) or by staying out of sight but within hearing distance. If your dog is relaxed, you can gradually increase the time you spend outside.
Something to listen to
- Use the radio or a white-noise machine. The voice of other humans may calm your dog down while also “drowning” other noises coming from outside.
This anxiety is easier to prevent than treat. Giving your dog the experience and tools to be alone in a calm manner can go a long way to making both your lives better. Bear in mind that covid puppies will be hit the hardest: They have grown up without experiencing being alone in the house. But, dogs of any age may experience separation anxiety after getting used to their owner being at home for an extended time. Practising some or all of the things in this list is a wise decision that can ensure your dog does not suffer once the “new normal” begins.
What to do if things are very severe or you need to act quickly?
If your dog is exhibiting intense separation anxiety, or if you are at risk of losing your dog, visit your veterinarian. They can give you tailored advice, redirect you to a trainer, and potentially prescribe medication so that the behavioural problems are dealt with in a speedy manner.
Pet-sitters as an option
If you can afford a pet sitter, they can be an excellent way to get your dog used to different environments, sounds, and people. The stay at the pet sitter’s will also teach your dog that you always come back while having someone there to keep them calm and happy.
Combine this with behavioural training, not as a substitute. You can even ask your pet sitter if they would be willing to do a few things, like leaving your dog by themselves for short intervals.
I recommend visiting the house of the pet sitter together with your dog so that they get to know this environment together with you. Doing a “test run” may also be recommended, particularly if your dog has never stayed somewhere else. Rather than leaving your dog at the pet sitters for 8+ hours, do 2 or 4 hours. Ease them into it.
Here is a helpful video that showcases some of the techniques I’ve talked about:
References
- Diagnostic criteria for separation anxiety in the dog
- Separation Anxiety in Dogs
- Separation, Confinement, or Noises: What Is Scaring That Dog?
- Separation anxiety in dogs: What progress has been made in our understanding of the most common behavioral problems in dogs?
- Evaluation of treatments for separation anxiety in dogs
- Impact of the first COVID-19 lockdown on management of pet dogs in the UK
- Human–dog relationships during the COVID-19 pandemic: booming dog adoption during social isolation
