Dogs like to be around their favorite humans and tend to get anxious when left home alone. An anxious dog may chew destructively to relieve anxiety and can display aggression.

Some other common symptoms of separation anxiety include uncontrollable trembling/shaking, dilated pupils, panting and drooling, and non-stop barking or howling while the dog’s human parents are gone. Some dogs with separation anxiety get so anxious when left alone at home that they try to run away.

Why Do Some Dogs Develop Separation Anxiety?

There are many reasons why dogs develop separation anxiety, some known, some unknown. Velcro dogs or overly clingy dogs who must be near their human parents all the time seem to be predisposed to anxiety when left alone at home. Rescue dogs can get too attached to their parents and feel unsafe and insecure when they leave home.

Here are some other situations that can cause separation anxiety in dogs.

• Change in Schedule: Dogs thrive on a routine. An abrupt change in a dog’s schedule can confuse it and cause separation anxiety. For example, if you work from home and your pooch is used to spending lots of quality time with you, and then you return to the office, your four-legged friend may get anxious.
• Sudden Absence of a Human Parent: The sudden absence of a human parent due to death, divorce, or any other reason can cause a dog to develop separation anxiety.

• Change in Physical Location or Environment: Moving or any other event that can cause a change in a dog’s environment can cause separation anxiety.
• Traumatic Event: A traumatic event, such as a robbery that occurred when the dog was home alone, can trigger separation anxiety.
• Maternal Stress: In some cases, puppies of a stressed mother are genetically predisposition to separation anxiety.

Helping an Anxious Dog

Sometimes, hormone problems or infections can trigger separation anxiety in a dog. If your pooch has separation anxiety, talk to your vet first to rule out any medical problems.

If your furry friend is medically fit, try these tips to ease its separation anxiety:

• Exercise your four-legged friend regularly.
• Desensitize your departures. When leaving home, use relaxing words to calm and assure your pooch that you’ll return soon.
• Give your canine a relaxing massage every now and then to relax its tensed muscles.
• When your pooch acts out, isolate it in a safe and calm place. Once your furry friend calms down, move it back to your room.
• Before leaving home for work or going on holiday, drop your buddy at a dog daycare in Novato. A dog daycare center will keep your pooch engaged and happy while you are gone.

Bridewell Hilltop Boarding Kennels & Cattery is a renowned dog daycare center in Novato. Our kennels are equipped with world-class amenities. To schedule a facility visit with your pooch, call (415) 897-5471.