Pet Health Library – Marin Pet Hospital, San Rafael, CA

Separation Anxiety

Since dogs are pack animals, it’s not surprising when a dog experiences anxiety at being left alone. With the right help, most dogs can learn to remain alone calmly for reasonable lengths of time. Conditioning a dog to be able to do this is a real kindness that makes the dog’s life more comfortable.

What is Separation Anxiety and What Isn’t?

A dog going through a normal stage of chewing to help the teeth properly develop is not experiencing separation anxiety. Leaving the dog alone with a houseful of temptations to ease the tooth discomfort is a recipe for disaster.

A dog having housetraining accidents when the dog was never fully housetrained or because the dog is being required to hold it for longer than the dog can do so is not separation anxiety.

When the first chewing stage is over and the pup seems housetrained, people tend to think it’s time to leave the pup alone loose in the house. Typically this might be around 5 to 7 months of age. A little time goes by, and suddenly the dog starts destructive chewing. This is due to normal tooth development, but you can turn it into separation anxiety if you handle it badly.