Back to School: Separation Anxiety In Your Dog
It’s that time again! We’re headed back to school this season, and this year a lot of places opened back up, including many schools. After a whole year of sharing the house with their favorite humans, our dogs might be a bit distressed when the adults go to work and the kids go to school. Everyone’s suddenly leaving, with no warning. This might stir something up in your dog, something called Separation Anxiety!
Before we begin, please take a moment to pin this to your Dogs Board.
Back to School: Separation Anxiety In Your Dog
What is Separation Anxiety?
A lot of people come home from work or school to find their house torn apart. Some people think it’s kinda funny that their dog opened the cookies and ate them, or are irritated that their pup pulled the toilet paper through the house. Sometimes, they just have a dog that needs to get some more house-training. But sometimes, it’s a little more serious. It could be separation anxiety!
Separation Anxiety is when a dog becomes anxious when their owner is not home. Sometimes, oftentimes, it’s serious, where it results in self-harm and destruction especially by your doors and windows, when they want to escape.
Symptoms of Separation Anxiety:
Peeing and Pooping
When their parents leave and they’re anxious, some dogs will pee and poop around the house. If they do it when you’re home, they probably just have bad manners.
Howling and Barking
Dogs with separation anxiety often bark and howl after their beloved humans leave. Usually this barking doesn’t seem to be caused by anything in particular other than you leaving.
Digging, Chewing, Destruction!
Some dogs with Separation Anxiety with dig around doors, chew on objects and doorframes/windowsills, or destroy your stuff after you leave. This usually doesn’t occur when humans are home but can lead to broken teeth, damaged nails and cut or scraped paws.
Escaping
Dogs that suffer from Separation Anxiety often attempt to escape, by digging around doors and trying to chew through doors and windows. This too, can lead to broken teeth, damaged nails and cut or scraped paws.
If your dog suffers from Separation Anxiety, this won’t occur when the dog’s guardian is around.
Pacing
Dogs that have Separation Anxiety might pace back and forth or in circular motions in a specific path when you aren’t home. Some dogs pace if they have Autism and other conditions though, so it may not be Separation Anxiety.
Something Weird–Coprophagia!
WHAT???? It means that your dog might poop and then eat all or most of their poop. (ew.) They don’t do that around you if it is separation anxiety causing that.
Treating Separation Anxiety
It’s time to treat Separation anxiety!!!
I really recommend checking out humanesociety.org‘s separation anxiety post.
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