Our experience as specialists in separation anxiety has allowed us to observe a great number of dogs, many who had previous methods or products fail to help them. In this post, we will break down the most common to help prevent you from losing time, money and energy. 

1- Using Food To Make It Positive And Keep Them Busy

The idea behind this is not bad, but unfortunately it is rarely fruitful. We often believe that if we give our dog super interesting treats, they won’t even notice that we left. This does work for dogs who are simply bored and need something to do. However, when our dog is experiencing a panic attack due to being alone, food is the last thing on their minds.  

The majority of my clients who have tried this method said it never worked and often the food was left untouched until their return. Even with high value treats such as bully sticks, cheese and even pieces of steak. 

When we do have a dog who will eat the treats left behind, often will do so quickly then proceed to panic.

One client’s dog even learned that the food toy predicted their departure and became afraid of it – refusing to eat out of it at unrelated moments.

2- The Quick Fix Products

There are a great number of products available on the market that are often suggested to help or even treat separation anxiety. With this number growing as the years go by. Special treats, clothing, supplements, even crates and stuffed animals. It can feel tempting to try them out and I see the appeal. The hope that one simple product can put an end to your dog’s alone time woes. I categorize these as “can’t hurt” and might help. But unfortunately, all I’ve seen as an outcome of these products is burnt out clients who have tried everything they could find and in the process wasted a lot of money.

Let’s put these “fixes” into perspective. If you have a phobia of spiders and I put you in a room with a tarantula – but, I spray a little lavender, give you a calming treat and a blanket, do you think this would cure you? The spider makes you fear for your life – just as your dog does when they are alone. No comfort items can fix that amount of fear.

3- Crates and Confinement

Does too much space make anxiety worse? We might see their pacing and running from window to window as too much space for them to survey and protect. What goes on in their heads is not always clear. 

However, In my experience, confinement often makes anxiety worse. Even if it’s being closed into a room or worse, the crate. While a crate can be a useful tool for puppy training and house training, it’s not a suitable tool for separation anxiety. If you have tried using the crate, you may have noticed that your dog’s symptoms got worse like increased barking, salivating and defecating. Some dogs even go to the extreme of hurting themselves trying to escape. At most, a crate or confinement would only prevent certain destructive behaviours but in this case, the crate would only serve as a solution to the destruction and not the separation anxiety itself – with the risk of harming themself.

4- They’ll grow out of it

If we ignore it, they’ll get over it, right? Actually, no. The more experience our dog has with their fear, the longer it will take for us to undo. Dogs don’t have the big brains that we do that allow us to think rationally. We know that we always come back, they should certainly notice too but they don’t. The risk of hoping they get over it far outweighs the probability of it happening.

5- Getting another dog will help

Separation anxiety is the fear of being alone, so we think that getting a second dog should help. Well, not really. In the majority of cases, a second dog (or any other type of animal companion) does not help. If you heard of it helping a neighbour’s dog, they are the exception, not the rule.

A second dog should only be added to your household if you really want a second dog – not as a fix for separation anxiety. 

True story: My first client, before we started working together, brought home a second dog for their first dog who was experiencing separation anxiety. Turns out they were sisters from the same litter! And both dogs had separation anxiety. While it does make the case a bit more complex by having to now monitor two dogs’ anxiety levels instead of one – both dogs made great progress!

So how do I help my dog with separation anxiety? 

The first thing to do is to get your dog checked by a veterinarian. A dog will make very little progress if they are also battling underlying medical issues. Sensitive tummies, itchy skin and irritated ears can all contribute to their general anxiety so it’s important to get this checked out and dealt with ASAP. 

Medication is also a possibility and worth opening up the dialogue to understand options with your veterinarian.

Managing absences to prevent further escalation and experience with their fear is the next important step. Hiring a dog sitter or an appropriate doggy daycare so your dog is not left alone. 

Then introduce alone time training. This is done based on what your dog is currently comfortable with and slowly increasing the amount of time you are away. There are often many factors to consider when training and a professional, certified separation anxiety team can help get you started and put you on the right track.

Remember that separation anxiety is not a lost cause and is treatable with the right interventions. If you feel overwhelmed, you are not alone and we are here to help! 

Book a consultation here.

Happy training!

Written by Katherine – January 20, 2026

L’article Separation anxiety myths est apparu en premier sur The Learned Dog.

When you finally get to the door and pick up your keys, your dog follows you to the door. Their eyes are fixated on you, they’re panting and start to tremble. As you exit, you hear your dog crying. You feel uneasy, does my dog have separation anxiety?

As a pet parent, you are understandably concerned for your dog and the thought of your sweet companion experiencing anxiety makes you just as anxious. If this sounds familiar, keep reading! 

What is Separation Anxiety?

The name separation anxiety gets thrown around a lot and many normal dog behaviours get lumped into it. Our goal is to help you learn what true separation anxiety is versus the imposters. 

Separation anxiety is a panic disorder specifically when a dog is separated from their person. The dog experiences panic when they are not with them, regardless if they are alone or not. This is true separation anxiety. When they are not with you, your dog becomes stressed, unable to settle and calm down. This will happen even if another member of the family is with them. 

Isolation distress (which we often throw into the same diagnosis of separation anxiety) is very similar. The dog experiences the same symptoms of panic but only when they are completely alone. If a human is present, they are fine.

Confinement anxiety is when our dog experiences similar signs of separation anxiety but it’s from being locked in an enclosed space such as a crate or a room. Dogs who only have confinement anxiety are completely fine once we give them a larger space. 

Common signs of separation anxiety:

It’s crucial to understand that signs of stress vary between dogs. They each express themselves differently and it’s important to recognize the signs to better understand your dog’s behaviour. Learning to read body language is a skill that takes a lot of practice. Observing your dog in their day to day, as well when they are alone will help you understand how they communicate.

Vocalizations: barking, whining and howling are very common. If a dog vocalizes when they are panicked, they may do it non-stop regardless if the absence is a few minutes or many hours, they will not stop barking. There are some dogs who will bark intermittently throughout the absence, taking breaks. However, some dogs don’t bark at all and when we look at the other signs of stress, we recognize that even in the absence of noise like barking, our dog is not okay.

Not eating: the majority of dogs will leave even the most delicious treats untouched. However, some of the bigger foodies will devour it within seconds. I have even witnessed dogs eating their stuffed kongs while whining then proceed to explode in panic once they are finished. 

Pacing: running back and forth from room to room, or from the door to the window. They can also be doing this in circles if their space is confined or if they stay in front of the door.

Housetraining: urinating and defecating during your absence is a sign of separation anxiety, especially in a dog who is normally perfect in the house. 

Destruction: separation anxiety related destruction is typically around exits such as doors and windows. It can be minor by simply jumping up at the door, lightly scratching all the way to making holes in the wall. Some dogs have also been known to break through glass or even learn to open doors to escape. Even harming themselves in the process trying to get out.

It’s important to note that destruction does not always mean your dog is suffering from separation anxiety. Our dogs’ most favourite activities are often digging, dissecting, and especially foraging for food, like the food puzzles we give them, or going through the garbage. Looking at their body language is another way to determine if our dog is doing this out of fun or panic.

Body language is an important skill to learn to better identify signs of stress such as drooling, panting, lots of eye blinking, cowering, trembling, yawning, ears pulled back, tail tucked or stretching/shaking off (as a way to release stress). The first signs mentioned in addition to the stress seen through their body language will help us identify that our dog is truly experiencing separation anxiety.

How does a dog develop separation anxiety?

As you read through, you might be wondering how this happened and if you are to blame. The internet is filled with misinformation and separation anxiety is notoriously misunderstood. Dogs who seem to experience it more than others are often generally anxious. They often experience anxiety in different parts of their lives such as being sensitive to loud sounds, strangers or going outside. 

Genetics, stress during gestation and poor early life experiences are often to blame. Where your dog comes from is crucial to their behaviour and development, throwing away the phrase “it’s all in how they are raised”. If your dog’s mom was anxious, it’s likely her pups will be too. 

Separation anxiety can pop up at different times in a dog’s life. Often, we see this right away in puppies but it can develop later on in life. This comes from a situation that is called a trigger. A trigger is an event that was highly stressful to your dog. 

Common triggers are leaving their mom and litter as a puppy, moving homes, being abandoned at a shelter, change in routine/schedule, pain, illness or a traumatizing event such as being attacked at the dog park. 

A dog who experiences some sort of trauma in their life can suddenly become sensitive to being left alone, even if the event had little to do with it. This is a trigger and not necessarily a cause. The thing is that unfortunate events happen even when we try our best to avoid it. It’s not your fault. 

When I am talking with new clients, it’s important for me that you know that love does not make separation anxiety worse. In fact, I have noticed an increase in anxiety when dogs are forced to be away from their people. If your dog is most relaxed when they are snuggled up to you – it’s perfectly fine to continue. 

Most dogs are treated with lots of love from their people, such as spending a lot of time together and being given access to the bed or couch. And most dogs do not experience separation anxiety. If it were true that love (“spoiling” your dog) causes separation anxiety, nearly every dog would have it. The reality is that most dogs don’t.

How do I know if it’s separation anxiety or something else?

Earlier I mentioned “imposters”. These are behaviours that look like separation anxiety, but are not at all. Knowing what to look for will help you figure this out. 

Dogs who are panicking will often get worse – not better when we continue to leave them alone. Their stress will persist and often escalate (more whining and barking, jumping on the door…etc.). Dogs who experience FOMO (fear of missing out) typically whine and bark for a few minutes before settling down. 

A dog who destroys the house as soon as the door closes could be experiencing panic, but it could possibly be boredom.

If your dog pees as soon as you leave, but they are not fully housetrained, they may be peeing when you leave because they feel it’s safe to do so (especially if they have been punished for it in the past).

The key to truly know what’s going on is to film your dog. Without eyes on them during your absence, we can only speculate on what’s happening. You can use a baby monitor, your webcam or the camera on your cellphone to record when you leave your dog. 

Note down what you see, do you see any of the common signs of stress? Are they persistent or do they stop after a few moments? Do you notice an element of play? (Like a dog jumping on the counter or going through the garbage and having a party with the loot they found!).

Is separation anxiety treatable?

There is no 100% in training. With the right plan and lots of patience, we can help our dog make big improvements to being left alone. Every dog has their own timeline and progress is gradual. 

There is also no quick fix for separation anxiety. Special products, collars, calming treats or even an animal companion is not the answer and will often increase your frustrations when they ultimately don’t work. This is because your dog is experiencing a full blown panic attack that lavender or CBD oil cannot fix. 

If you are struggling, don’t lose hope. Progress comes in small steps and every little victory is worth celebrating. Think of yourself as a team with your dog, where you promise to be there for each other, keep them safe and help them feel better. 

If you would like to have personalized guidance, with a structured plan and someone to be with you every step of the way, book a consultation with one of our specialists today.

Together we will discuss your dog’s history, do an evaluation and create a step by step plan to get you on track.

Written by Katherine – January 29, 2026

L’article What is separation anxiety in dogs? Understanding, recognizing and helping your dog. est apparu en premier sur The Learned Dog.

What if there was a way to prevent your dog from developing separation anxiety and the unfortunate symptoms that go with it?

Routine and predictability: the secrets to a less anxious dog

Our dogs are creatures of habit, and changes in their lives can trigger separation anxiety.

As far as we know, anxiety is rooted in certain genes, which may or may not be expressed depending on the dog and the circumstances.

What triggers separation anxiety in dogs?

• Moving
• Multiple home changes
• Noise changes in the environment (e.g. construction work near the house)
• Death of an attachment human
• Death of another pet
• Traumatic event (e.g. car accident)
• Family member leaves home
• Separation in a couple
• Change in routine (e.g. from day to night shift, long absences or sudden attendance)

What are the other reasons why my dog follows me everywhere or won’t tolerate being left alone?

• Stage of life (old age)
• Physical health (illness, injury, malnutrition)
• Mental health
• Genetics
• The mother’s environment during gestation
• Early withdrawal from siblings, etc.

When training your dog to stay on his own without panicking, it’s important to distinguish between what we have power over and what is beyond our reach. We can’t control past events, genetics or aging.

With this information in hand, can separation anxiety or isolation distress really be prevented? The truth is, not really.

On the other hand, we can improve our dogs’ quality of life to reduce their daily stress levels and put them in the best conditions to succeed – and feel good about themselves!

What are the symptoms of a dog afraid to be left alone?

The severity of symptoms and the way they are expressed vary from one individual to another. It is not an indicator of the intensity of the anxiety the dog is experiencing.

A dog that cowers silently in a corner, trembling, can be just as emotional as one that howls for hours when you leave.

Dogs suffering from separation anxiety may show various signs of distress:

• Crying, yelping, screaming, moaning
• Gasping, salivating, drooling
• Hypervigilance
• Don’t eat (even your favorite treats!)
• Pacing
• Reacting to the signs of your departure
• Trying to block your path when you go out
• Excessive excitement on return and difficulty in calming down
• Excessive water consumption on return
• Excessive hair loss

There are other signals that are true red flags. While any sign of separation anxiety should be treated as an emergency, if your dog displays these behaviors or symptoms, it’s vital to contact a professional as soon as possible.

S igns of separation anxiety distress requiring intervention as soon as possible (red flags)

• Messy only when left alone (diarrhea is an additional sign of stress)
• Destruction at exit points (windows, doors)
• If the dog is kept in a crate during absences: destruction of the crate OR visible signs that the dog is trying to get out.
• Mutilation (self-mutilation or injuring oneself trying to get out)
• Howling (vs. barking)
• Sweaty pads (hard to feel)
• Aggression towards owners when attempting to leave (very rare)

[TO DO] 3 tips to prevent your dog from destroying, howling or barking when alone

1. Gradually teach your dog to tolerate solitude

Whether it’s a puppy or an adult dog, the new addition to your family has a lot of new learning to do. As dogs are social animals, it’s normal for them to feel uncomfortable being left alone all day long as soon as they arrive in your home.

Exercises to get a dog used to being alone in less than 2 weeks

To begin with, the aim is to test the puppy’s or dog’s ability to stay on its own. It’s quite normal for him to follow you everywhere at first. The aim of the exercises is to teach him that our absence is not something to worry about.

Note: it’s very important to be able to keep an eye on what’s going on in the house in our absence, especially during those first few days of assessing our dog’s tolerance to being left alone. It’s the only way to get an accurate picture of the situation.

The first step before leaving your dog alone is to encourage relaxation by putting him in a comfortable place with a calming activity to keep him occupied, such as..:

• rummaging game
• licking mat
• bones to gnaw
• toy filled with frozen food
• any other chewing activity

The rules of the game:

• Repeat each exercise 2-5 x / day

During the first week The aim is to be able to move around in space without your dog constantly following you.

• Do an activity or task in another room:
  • Showering
  • Start a load of washing
  • Preparing a meal
  • Washing dishes
  • Sweeping up
• Leave the house or apartment for short outings (5-15 minutes) and make sure your dog can’t see you.

During the second week The aim is to get your dog used to longer and longer absences.

• Gradually increase the duration of outings

If your dog is comfortable when you’re away, by the second week you’ll be able to adopt a more normal routine.

In short, the key is to monitor your dog and be able to come back in case of emergency or if you notice your dog is uncomfortable or panicking. Above all, don’t be afraid: if you come back when he’s barking continuously (discomfort), you won’t be teaching him that barking gives him what he wants. Instead, you’ll be teaching him that he can trust you, and that you won’t leave him in a situation that makes him uncomfortable.

If you are unable to exceed a certain length of absence without your dog panicking, contact us today to have a specialized coach accompany you through the process of desensitizing your dog to absences.

2. Make your departures a pleasant experience

Before you leave, prepare some mental and nutritional activities to keep your dog busy while you’re away.

Keeping your dog busy doesn’t have to cost you money. There are many ways tokeep your dog busy at low cost.

And don’t forget that a dog whose needs are not adequately met (physical and mental activity) is much more likely to do bad things in your absence, without this being linked to distress!

3. Supervise your dog when he’s alone to make sure he doesn’t panic

The sooner you recognize the telltale signs of separation anxiety, the sooner you can take preventive action and prevent your departures from becoming a stressful time for everyone.

It’s a good idea to continue monitoring over time(spot check), especially if your dog experiences an event such as those mentioned above.

Separation anxiety can manifest itself in many ways, some much more subtle than screaming or destruction.

At first, your dog won’t necessarily panic, but he may show signs of stress that are more difficult to detect without video surveillance:

• Trembling
• Hypervigilance (erect ears, tense body)
• Pacing
• Haleter
• Bailler
• Baver
• Pooping in the house (suddenly unclean in your absence) etc.

If your dog shows one or more of these symptoms, contact our team of specialists as soon as possible so we can help you quickly

[DON’T] 3 classic mistakes that lead to hyperattachment

1. Never leave your dog alone

While you shouldn’t leave for several hours at first, you shouldn’t go to the other extreme, i.e. stay with your puppy or dog 24/7 for a few days or weeks and then suddenly go back to work full-time without any transition.

Here are some simple exercises to get your puppy or dog used to being left alone in less than 2 weeks.

2. Suddenly changing our dog’s schedule or habits

We know that there are imponderables and that we can’t foresee everything. However, if you know that a major event is coming up, remember to prepare your dog immediately.

An excellent example of a sudden change of schedule is obviously the pandemic, during which we experienced periods of confinement, or a change of organization in our workplace (partial or complete migration to telecommuting). To ease the transition in such cases, it’s best to maintain routine periods of absence so as not to destabilize our dog, and so that he retains the good habit of remaining calm in your absence.

By thinking ahead (as far as possible), you’ll greatly reduce the chances of your dog developing separation anxiety if he’s more sensitive to it.

If you’re not sure how to go about it, one of our consultants will be happy to meet with you for a 30-minute or 1-hour session to discuss the issue and offer suggestions for solutions.

3. Thinking that our dog will get used to solitude even if he shows signs of discomfort or panic.

If we don’t keep an eye on what’s going on from time to time, especially if our dog is going through a big change, we may miss the warning signs of isolation or confinement distress.

Nor should we fall into the trap of magical thinking, believing that it will pass. More often than not, not only does it not go away, it gets worse.

If you take charge of the situation as soon as you notice signs of discomfort or panic, you’re more likely to resolve the situation more quickly.

One of the golden rules of dog training is that the less often an undesirable behavior is repeated, the more likely our training will be successful.

4 persistent myths about separation anxiety in dogs

1. Letting your dog sleep in your bed or climb on the couch with you will make him more emotionally dependent.

We adopt dogs to be our daily companions, to love them and to enjoy their presence by our side. The time we share with them is precious, and you can absolutely cuddle them and keep them comfortable without exacerbating or triggering anxiety.

Especially since, if you live with an anxious dog, these may be the only times of the day when he’s really calm.

2. Buying another dog will help him calm down (no, and it might even do the opposite).

According to our professional experience and the scientific literature, few dogs suffering from separation anxiety will stop panicking in your absence thanks to the arrival of a new canine companion. It happens, but it’s the exception.

If by some miracle you’re one of the lucky ones for whom the arrival of another dog “solves” your anxious dog’s separation anxiety, the other dog becomes a crutch because he must ALWAYS be with your anxious dog in your absence. Besides, that doesn’t mean that if it works with one dog, it will work with another. In short, there are too many variables at play for us to recommend this avenue.

And that’s not counting the challenges that already exist when you decide to adopt a second dog!

Finally, several behaviors linked to fear of solitude, such as howling or destroying, are socially facilitated in dogs. In other words, these are behaviors they will tend to imitate very easily and quickly when produced by another dog in their environment.

Two howling dogs instead of one? No, thank you.

3. He’ll stop panicking if he has something to eat or gnaw on.

If your dog is at the panic stage when you leave, his emotional state will not allow him to soothe himself with interactive toys or chew toys alone.

At best, you’ll succeed in delaying the onset of the sequence of panic behaviors (screaming, crying, scratching at the door, etc.).

Nevertheless, if you film what’s going on, you’ll probably notice that your dog isn’t eating calmly. Generally speaking, this is what you’ll see:

• Eat quickly
• Body tense, perhaps oriented towards exit point
• Alert ears and eyes
• Jerky movements

In short, we’ve simply created a very strong motivational conflict between the attraction of food and the fear of being left alone. That’s why it’s not a lasting solution to separation anxiety.

4. ”Put it in its cage, that’s its den” or ”Put it in its cage to prevent it from destroying”.

Although this statement needs to be qualified, the use of cages is a controversial subject. In France, it’s virtually unheard of, but in Quebec it’s quite the opposite.

As Quebec-based separation anxiety pros (our services are available internationally in French and English, though!), dog owners’ use of the crate poses an additional challenge when using behavioral therapy to treat fear of being alone.

Separation anxiety or isolation distress often goes hand in hand with the fear of being confined to a small space (confinement distress). So a cage or closed room will tend to exacerbate fear and panic.

Let’s face it: leaving your dog free or semi-free in the house won’t solve your fear of loneliness on its own. On the other hand, it is an important way of considerably reducing your anxious dog’s stress level.

Shoo, persistent myths!

Does your dog panic when left alone?

Does it destroy everything when you’re away?

During your initial consultation, you will receive:

Complete analysis of you and your dog’s situation with a canine behavior pro certified in separation anxiety

Evaluate your companion’s training starting point and tolerance threshold through live assessment of a short absence

How desensitization behavior therapy works for separation anxiety

Initial management options to immediately reduce your dog’s stress – and yours!

Basic exercises to start training now

Leaving your dog home alone shouldn’t cause you any anxiety.

We can help.

Book your initial consultation now

Written by Claudine – March 11, 2024

L’article Debunking Separation Anxiety! est apparu en premier sur The Learned Dog.