Most dogs develop a deep, loving bond with their owners, so it makes sense that they’ll miss you when you’re gone; however, there is a difference between this natural, healthy emotion and a much deeper problem. If your dog tries to leave the house when you’re not around or shows serious problems because you’re not around her, she may be suffering from separation anxiety.
In the same way that a child can become very stressed when their parents are not around, a dog can also exhibit extreme behavior during separation, usually due to a life change or past traumatic incident. We are going to give some examples of situations that can lead a dog to develop an unhealthy “need” to be with its owner at all times.
A year ago, Roscoe was an abandoned pup, scared and alone, when his owner found him. He now he lives a happy life with a very caring and loving owner. You’d think Roscoe’s story would have a simple and happy ending… until Roscoe’s owner leaves the house. Suddenly, the neighbors complain that Roscoe barks too much, and his owner often comes home to chewed up furniture, overturned trash cans, and scratch marks on the door.
This is a very common case of animals with a past that includes abandonment. Although a rescue dog can live a happy life and be a great pet, he may still have the problem of feeling that he will be abandoned again every time his owner leaves the house.
Max is usually a very good dog and rarely makes a fuss. He became a member of the family when his “mom” was pregnant. He was used to “dad” going to work most of the day, but he was happy to take care of the fort until dad came home to play. This had been the routine for about a year. Then suddenly mom disappears for the day too, and Max is scared and stressed out from being left alone and starts all day.
Life changes can have a big effect on a pet. This can be a number of things, such as the death of another pet or family member, changes in your work schedule (or the amount of time you spend with your pet decreases), or frequent moving.
There are ways to deal with this, but nothing will work instantly. These are psychological problems that take time to overcome. For tips on managing separation anxiety in dogs, read the DogFoodforLife eBook. You can also read his free Confidential Dog Food Report, which explains the harmful ingredients found in many brand-name dog foods, as well as the brands of food to avoid or look for.