Separation anxiety is a critical behavioral problem, which can cause tremendous emotional distress for both dogs and their owners. It can occur in dogs of any age or breed. It is one of the most common reasons for pet owners to euthanize or give up their dogs.

Most dogs with normal behavior are more likely to sleep, bark randomly or chew their toys when left alone in the house without access to its owner. In general, they pretty much do what they normally do when you are with them. For dogs with separation anxiety, they can make leaving the house or even the room an emotional trigger and a difficult task for its owner.

Symptoms of separation anxiety

• Urinating and Defecating
• Barking and Howling
• Chewing, Digging and Destruction
• Escaping
• Pacing
• Coprophagia

Dogs with severe separation anxiety can destroy thousands of dollars in internal furnishings, injure themselves and defecate and urinate (eliminate) everywhere. Their howling, barking, and whining can also lead to problems with neighbors and landlords.

Do not scold or punish your dog. Anxious behaviors are not the result of disobedience or spite. They are distress responses! Your dog displays anxious behaviors when left alone because he’s upset and trying to cope with a great deal of stress. If you punish him, he may become even more upset and the problem could get much worse.

Training for Mild Separation Anxiety

If your dog has a mild case of separation anxiety, counter conditioning might reduce or resolve the problem. Counter conditioning is a treatment process that changes an animal’s fearful, anxious or aggressive reaction to a pleasant, relaxed one instead. It’s done by associating the sight or presence of a feared or disliked person, animal, place, object or situation with something really good, something the dog loves. Over time, the dog learns that whatever he fears actually predicts good things for him.

For dogs with separation anxiety, counter conditioning focuses on developing an association between being alone and good things, like delicious food. To develop this kind of association, every time you leave the house, you can offer your dog a Frozen Kong that will take him at least 20 to 30 minutes to finish.

Bye Bye Bone for separation anxiety

Medical Treatment for Separation Anxiety

Depending on the severity of your dogs anxiety, you may need to use some type of medication. No matter which medication you choose, you will also need to put behavior-modification protocols in place to help your dog work through their anxiety.

A quick note: Fluoxetine and Sileo are FDA-approved for use in dogs. The other medications are all human medications, used off-label in dogs. The term off-label or extra-label use means that a medication can be used in a way or in a particular species that are not specified on the medication label. Off- or extra-label use of a medication can only be done by a veterinarian who has direct and personal knowledge of your dog and when there are no other appropriate medications for a particular dog’s circumstances.

Some dog studies have found CBD to improve clinical signs associated with osteoarthritis, pruritus, and epilepsy. However, further studies are needed to conclude a therapeutic action of CBD for each of these conditions, as well as for decreasing anxiety and aggression in dogs and cats.

Corsato Alvarenga I, Panickar KS, Hess H, McGrath S. Scientific Validation of Cannabidiol for Management of Dog and Cat Diseases. Annu Rev Anim Biosci. 2023 Feb 15;11:227-246. doi: 10.1146/annurev-animal-081122-070236. PMID: 36790884.

All Natural Calming Aids for Dogs

Calming aids may be helpful in situations where dogs might become stressed or anxious. That can include:

• Travel—Some dogs might get stressed when traveling by car or plane.
• Separation anxiety—Dogs may experience anxiety when left alone.
• Loud noises—Dogs may become frightened or stressed during thunderstorms or fireworks.
• Vet visits—Dogs may be anxious when going to the vet, particularly if they’ve had unpleasant experiences in the past.
• New places—Dogs may be stressed when they are someplace new, like a different home.

Image provided by Amazon

There are different natural substances that have been studied for their calming properties. It is important to note that their effectiveness may vary depending on the individual dog and the specific situation in which they are used.

Some common active ingredients include:

• L-theanine—Amino acid found in green tea and some mushrooms that has been shown to reduce anxiety in some dogs
• Valerian root—Herb with sedating properties that has been used to treat sleep issues and anxiety in people and dogs
• Chamomile—Popular herb used for calming properties and to reduce anxiety
• Passionflower—Herb traditionally used for anxiety and to help with sleep
• Pheromones—These can mimic the calming feelings of a nursing mother to her puppies
• Melatonin—Hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycle and may ease anxiety in dogs
• L-tryptophan—Is an amino acid that’s essential not only to us but our dogs, it’s probably best known for helping to produce serotonin

Recommended products for dog separation anxiety

Quiet Moments Calming Aid Dog Supplement

Thundershirt Dog Anxiety Treatment

Snuggle Puppy Heartbeat Stuffed Toy

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