How bad is your dog’s separation anxiety?

Something we hear often is ‘my dog has terrible separation anxiety’ or ‘my dog has mild separation anxiety’ Are you sure? Really really sure? Separation anxiety in dogs is full of pitfalls and hurdles.

 

What you’re describing here are  the effects of separation anxiety on  your dog’s behaviour. The symptoms. It’s clear to most people that a dog who destroys the sofa and eats the curtains, has much worse anxiety than one who sits quietly, shivering. That must be mild separation anxiety surely?

 

Picture a hospital emergency waiting room on a Friday night. Amongst the crowd is a loud aggressive bare topped man shouting the odds and being  irrational. Also there is an elderly lady, sitting silently, looking down at the floor. Is the loud guy in a worse psychological condition or is he drunk and high? Is the old lady sitting quietly and patiently or is she suffering a mental crisis so sever that the has all but shut  down?

 

It’s easy to think that the loud destructive dog has a more severe condition than the quiet dog. However we have seen very destructive dogs race through training and achieve great alone times and we have seen quiet wall flowers struggle badly.

 

If your dog trembles and cowers when you leave home, please don’t ignore it just because the sofa doesn’t get damaged. She may well be in blind earth-shattering panic. Contact a qualified SA practitioner and get an assessment.

 

If you want to learn more about separation anxiety in dogs, then go to our separation anxiety page.