It’s a typical morning as you are getting ready to go to work. The alarm goes off for you to get up and get ready. As you get dressed, you notice your dog follows your every move. Each time you walk in and out of the bathroom, they are there – not missing one moment. You might start to question this behaviour, is it normal?
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