Around 30% of dogs worldwide experience separation anxiety at some point in their lives. The extent to which they do varies by breed and by environmental exposure. If left untreated, separation anxiety can cause serious implications such as aggressive behavior or excessive urination.
The root cause of separation anxiety is humans leaving their dogs home alone. This is painful for all of us as dog parents, but also something inevitable.
Does your dog suffer from separation anxiety? Here are the 5 most common symptoms.
1. Barking or Howling
Barking is something very common in dogs. Some dogs bark at neighbors all day long, even if they are not stressed. Dogs just being dogs, basically. However, barking or howling is also a very common indicator of separation anxiety in dogs.
Just like you and I deal with sadness by crying, dogs sometimes deal with anxiety by barking, as a coping mechanism.
2. Chewing or destructive behavior
Dogs hate being left home alone. If your dog hasn’t proven this to you yet, you are amongst the lucky ones. A lot of dogs take out their frustration on your furniture or anything they could find in the house. Sometimes this leads to dogs injuring themselves on top of causing damage to your expensive furniture.
If you find your doggo digging the sheets or on the ground, chewing pillows and mattresses or other things at home, it is very likely that they are suffering from separation anxiety. They will never admit it though, obviously.
3. Pacing
Dogs have a specific walking style. There is a notable difference in a dog’s walking pattern when they feel secure and safe in contrast with feeling anxious or scared. Some signs to watch out for are unusual circular motions and walking in straight lines.
This is another symptom of separation anxiety, especially if your dog doesn’t pace when they are with you.
4. Excess urination or defecation
Do you find your dog urinating all over the house? You thought you had trained him not to, but they keep doing it. Chances are your dog might be suffering from separation anxiety.
The key thing to watch out for is that dogs who suffer from separation anxiety will mostly pee only when you are not around. Untrained dogs usually pee in the house even when the owner is around.
 
5. Escape attempts
This is one of the most dangerous ones. Millions of dogs manage to escape and get lost each year. A lot of them sadly get hit by cars too. If you find your dog trying to escape the house often, consult your vet immediately.
Vets suggest that anxious dogs are more prone to engage in escape attempts. Dogs that escape frequently feel lonely, bored, or frustrated. The most common case when a dog experiences these feelings is when left home alone.
Dealing with separation anxiety is not easy neither for your dog but neither for us as dog parents. The first step is recognizing if our dogs are experiencing separation anxiety. Once we know that they are, there are ways we can help our furry pals live a happier stress-free life.
Â