Separation anxiety in dogs
Anxiety is becoming an increasingly common problem in both humans and animals. In the case of separation anxiety, especially in dogs, it represents 15% of the behavioral problems that veterinarians address in Spain. That’s why we’ll tell you everything you need to know about it.
What is it?
Anxiety, in general, is the anticipation of danger. That is, when a dangerous situation is expected to occur before it has actually happened, which affects behavior. This is why separation anxiety is considered a serious behavioral disorder.
Why does it occur?
For socialized animals, the group serves a survival function, so being alone represents a dangerous situation and a cause of anxiety. In the case of dogs, the family group means protection, and this is due to the emotional bonds established among its members. For dogs, in particular, the moment of being left alone represents a moment of vulnerability, which in some cases leads to stress and anxiety.
What are the symptoms?
This disorder is mainly manifested through destructive behaviors when left alone, excessive vocalization (constant barking, whining, or howling), and urination or defecation in inappropriate places.
However, there are secondary symptoms of this disorder that are more difficult to detect, such as anorexia, hyperventilation, excessive salivation, gastrointestinal symptoms, excessive licking, among others.
What is the cause?
Today, within canine ethology, which is the veterinary discipline that deals with behavior problems in dogs, there is no consensus on the cause of this disorder.
How should one act?
In this situation, the first thing to do is to contact a clinical ethologist and a dog trainer to evaluate the case.
It is very common to hear that upon arriving home, one should ignore the dog so that our presence does not upset them. However, this attitude can unnaturalize the situation and increase the stress level. Therefore, what should be done is to greet the dog as calmly as possible so that they know we have seen them and that they do not need to seek our attention.
In addition, some ethologists recommend making the owner’s departure more predictable by maintaining the cues or signals that anticipate it, such as picking up the keys. This is because being able to predict a stimulus that leads to an undesirable situation, such as feeling unprotected, reduces stress levels.
You can also watch our video on the CyP Mascotas YouTube channel.
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