It can be absolutely devastating to have a pup that has to deal with separation anxiety. Not only are you likely dealing with damage to your house and belongings, but it can be heartbreaking to watch your furry family member be so distraught from your absence.
The American Kennel Club estimates that around 14% of dogs suffer from anxiety.4 Dogs suffering from separation anxiety may exhibit a variety of behaviors such as barking, excessive whining, accidents in the house, chewing or digging things, trying to escape, drooling, panting, or pacing in a constant path.2
Separation anxiety can be caused by a variety of factors, such as a family member suddenly being absent, a move to a new house, a change in routine, a traumatic separation from a previous owner, or never having been left alone before. Personality may also play a role in the tendency for separation anxiety.3
Because of the variety of potential signs and causes of separation anxiety, it is important to check with your veterinarian to rule out any other possible health issues before determining that your dog has separation anxiety.
If it is determined that your dog has separation anxiety, there’s still hope. There are courses of action that can be taken to help treat separation anxiety. But before we dive into that, let’s talk about ways to prevent separation anxiety before it starts.
How to prevent separation anxiety
As you can imagine, it’s easiest to mitigate the potential risk of separation anxiety before it starts, if possible. It’s crucial to teach your puppy to be alone by acclimating them to small doses of alone time and slowly building from there.
You may be thinking that you don’t trust your puppy to be alone in the house for their own safety. And you’d be exactly right. That’s why crate training is another key component to preventing separation anxiety.3 Crate training not only helps your puppy adjust to being alone, but it ensures that they are safe and comfortable as well. For more information on crate training your puppy, check out the Noble K9 blog on crate training.
Socialization is another great way to help mitigate the risk of your puppy developing separation anxiety.3 Socialization is way more than just ensuring that your puppy can safely interact with other dogs. For more information on the importance of socializing your dog and how to do this, check out our last blog.
There are also several ways to help prevent separation anxiety by helping your dog practice being alone by separating them from you temporarily with a baby gate or door and scheduling alone time for them during the day. Even not giving them constant attention throughout the day if you’re home all day will be helpful. (6)
Enrichment is another great way to help prevent separation anxiety. Enrichment through physical and mental stimulation before you leave the house is a great way to make your dog tired during your absence. You may also give your dog an enrichment toy when you leave the house, giving them a reward and something fun to do. It’s important to note though that giving a toy before leaving the house could be problematic in multiple pet households as the pets may fight over the toy. (6)
Treating mild separation anxiety in dogs
Just as giving a treat toy right before you leave can help prevent separation anxiety, it can also help to treat mild separation anxiety. Providing a tasty treat that will last 20-30 minutes after you leave helps countercondition the dog.1
The stuffed treat creates a fun distraction and develops a more positive association with your absence. However, this will not work if your dog suffers from severe separation anxiety as dogs suffering from severe cases will be too distressed to eat.1
Similar to preventing separation anxiety, giving your dog mental and physical stimulation before you leave is a great way to help treat mild separation anxiety. This will help your dog to be tired and hopefully relax when you are away from the house.1
Treating more severe separation anxiety in dogs
Desensitization and counterconditioning are the key components to treating moderate to severe separation anxiety. This process will not take place overnight and will span over several weeks. The treatment ranges from cues you give before leaving the house all the way through your absence.1
If your dog gets anxious before you even leave the house and they notice you have a routine before leaving the house, such as picking up your keys or putting on your coat, you’ll want to start here with your dog. One way to help treat the anxiety that your dog gets before you even leave is doing parts of your predeparture routine without actually leaving the house. This teaches your dog not to get anxiety any time that you perform any of these actions. For example, you can pick up your keys and then go sit at the kitchen table.1,2
You can then progress to short instances of separation within the house. For example, ask your dog to stay and then close the bathroom door between you and your dog for a few seconds. Slowly build up this amount of time. When you feel your dog is ready, you can start to do this with an exterior door, but not the door that you typically leave from.1,2
When you feel your dog is relaxed for these short practice periods, you can start to leave the house for a few minutes at a time and build up from there.1,2 It’s important to make sure that your dog is relaxed before each absence (whether just a few seconds or several minutes).2
It is extremely important that you do this process gradually and practice it on a consistent basis so that you do not amplify the problem.1,2 And here’s the hard part for most dog owners, you should not leave the dog alone during the treatment process, so you may need someone to come to the house while you are gone or to send your dog to daycare.1
Crate training is another potential way to help ease your dog’s separation anxiety. The key is gradual introduction and positive associations, similar to the other counterconditioning and desensitizing tactics that we’ve already discussed. You can do this by providing chew toys or treat toys within the crate.3
The crate is not meant to be used for your dog all day long. Instead, it is meant to be a place that is safe and comfortable for your dog during your absence. Dogs will react differently to the crate though so it is important to monitor whether your dog feels comforted by the crate or whether the crate induces more anxiety, in which case alternative methods may need to be explored during the treatment process.3
While it may seem like punishment will help teach your dog not to exhibit the problematic behavior in the house again, it’s important not to get angry with your dog for harm done while you were away. This will actually increase the anxiety that your dog feels when you leave the house.1
For more severe cases of separation anxiety, it is a good idea to seek professional help for the benefit of both you and your dog. If your dog is suffering from separation anxiety, give me a call so I can help you through the process.
And if your dog only has mild separation anxiety or you’re looking to prevent separation anxiety all together, ask me about the enrichment toys and treats that I have links for

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1 “Separation Anxiety”, ASPCA, https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/common-dog-behavior-issues/separation-anxiety
2 “How to Ease Your Dog’s Separation Anxiety”, WebMD, https://www.webmd.com/pets/dogs-separation-anxiety
3 “Separation Anxiety in Dogs: Causes, Prevention, and How to Solve It”, by Stephanie Gibeault MSc, CPDT on American Kennel Club, https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/dog-separation-anxiety/
4 “Anxiety in Dogs: Signs, Symptoms, Treatment”, by Randa Kriss on American Kennel Club, https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/treating-dog-anxiety/#:~:text=Although%20some%20dogs%20may%20only,separated%20from%20their%20family%20members
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