It is common for many dogs to experience separation anxiety, a profound fear/phobia of being left alone - separated from their human guardians.

Separation anxiety doesn’t come from a dog having spite, anger, or in an attempt to exact revenge on an owner. Dogs don’t have cognitive abilities for emotions of ill-intent towards people. Their behaviors, which may include destruction of exit points - like doors and windows - elimination (urination) inside the home, excessive barking/vocalization, or other behaviors are due to their anxiety and fear. They are truly panicking - whether or not it is rational to feel this way, the fear is real in their minds. They are suffering, and thus, the compassionate thing to do is to help treat their anxiety problem.

Using empathy to try to understand how these dogs must feel, imagine panicking to the point you felt it necessary to break through a wall or door in order to try to feel safer, to relive your anxiety.

Punishment for the dog’s unwanted behavior like barking, won’t help. This is similar to if you were afraid of something, such as snakes, and every time you saw a snake someone yelled at you, hit or shocked you. It wouldn’t alleviate your fear of snakes. It would make it worse, since punishments make the situation more negative - adding fear and pain to an already scary situation.

What does work to resolve separation anxiety? Systematic desensitization, a scientifically tested and applied technique for many years, both in human psychology and animal training fields, is the golden standard training method for separation anxiety behaviors. This technique consists of exposing a dog to the scary thing at a level below the dog’s panic point (or threshold), and gradually increasing the difficulty of exposures over time, but always at a level the dog is comfortable and showing no signs of fear or panic.

Following a correctly applied training plan from a qualified certified professional dog trainer, can lead to a dog becoming more and more comfortable over time to exposure to alone time. These plans should be individualized to each dog, specific to his or her needs and adjusted regularly to lead to significant progress.

While it does take some effort, dedication, and time, it is possible to solve separation anxiety in dogs following a proper training protocol.

Note:

I will be taking dog training separation anxiety cases starting in May 2023. Check back for updates and more information about separation anxiety soon.