Separation Anxiety Myths Part 1

1. The owner/guardian caused the dog’s separation anxiety.

Giving your dog plenty of attention, allowing sleeping in people’s beds or on the couch, or similar behaviors do not lead to separation anxiety. Neither does giving dogs rewards/treats while they are anxious.

2. Separation anxiety is not treatable.

Similar to other behaviors related to anxiety and fear, separation anxiety is treatable using the appropriate training methods. There may not be a quick fix, but a properly executed positive reinforcement program (centered around desensitization) has worked for countless dogs.

3. The dog can be left alone sometimes while working on separation anxiety.

If a dog is left alone when not specifically training, it will cause sensitization and make his separation anxiety worse. It undoes the training work the guardians are completing. Therefore, the dog must be supervised with a person in the home to prevent stressful absences. We cover more on this topic later.

4. Dogs ‘grow out’ of separation anxiety.

Separation anxiety is similar to a panic attack. It can furthermore be classified as a clinical disorder. If a dog continues to be left alone, it sensitizes him, making the behavior worse. This is what makes training so important - to modify the behavior, to desensitize the dog to the triggers of being left alone.

5. Dogs with separation anxiety must be crated.

Most separation anxiety dogs do much better without a crate. Confinement can lead to additional distress, especially if the dog is not already comfortable with his crate.

6. Getting more exercise will cure separation anxiety.

While exercise can help with and provide a solution for behavior issues like boredom, it is not a cure for separation anxiety. Exercise is a mostly daily need (some breaks can be beneficial), but leaving a dog with separation anxiety alone even after a long walk, will not provide the necessary treatment to solve fear and anxiety.

7. Getting another dog will fix separation anxiety.

Acquiring an additional pet will not help most dogs with separation anxiety (Lund, Jorgensen 1999, Parthasarathy and Crowell-Davis 2006, Ballantyne 2018). A very small amount of dogs may be more comfortable with an additional pet friend, but anxious when that friend is also not present - therefore, this is not a cure for separation anxiety, and the dog still needs training.

8. Training new foundation behaviors will build up a dog’s confidence, so will fix separation anxiety.

While training other behaviors with positive reinforcement - obedience, tricks, agility, etc. - are all excellent and can be forms of enrichment, they do not resolve separation anxiety behaviors. Most people have limited time, so will need to focus on their training on separation anxiety first.