Leaving Your Dog Home Alone…Again? Separation Anxiety in Dogs

golden retriever dog playing with two little girls in the yard

Separation Anxiety in Dogs? YES, and It’s a Real Problem!

Don’t you agree that our pups are probably living their very best lives right about now? 

Could anyone have ever thought or imagined that a tragedy such as COVID-19 would be the reason why so many of us now get to spend so much more time loving and bonding with our best friends and fur babies. And for this unexpected gift, we couldn’t be happier.

These days things are looking a little differently. Some companies are revisiting their work policies. Those of us who were previously commuting into work on a regular basis may now be able to continue doing our jobs happily, full- or part-time from home with our faithful fluffballs (or baldies) by our sides. And those will be fortunate and happy dogs!

But there are bound to be very different opinions about our return to work situations when the coronavirus quarantining period comes to an end. 

Although some of us will be thrilled that we can continue to work from home, there will definitely be some dog owners out there that can’t wait to get back to normal. 

And for them, normal means getting out of the house and back to however and wherever they were performing their duties prior to the pandemic. Because of this, there will be many hours to be away from home once again. 

These will be the many (probably in the millions) dogs that may suffer some severe separation anxiety. Dogs are very social animals, and during the shelter-in-place phase, they have gotten used to having the constant company, love, and attention of their humans.  

Our kids will go back to school, and adults will go back to work, and these pups will lose all that great together time they had every day with their families. 

black and white australian shepherd puppy looking out window

 

That sudden change to their now predictable day-to-day lives could very well cause them a ton of stress and anxiety, which they will have a tough time dealing with. This abrupt change is sure to mess with their minds and emotions! 

Now might be a really great time to learn about some beneficial teas that humans can share and enjoy with their pups. A little stress-relieving tea time might do everyone some good! 

In this article from the American Veterinary Medical Association, it has stated that a large percentage (20-40%) of dogs in North America are already known to suffer from separation anxiety even without having had all this extended togetherness time with us. So imagine now!   

It’s not going to be the best news for our beloved pups, that’s for sure! Owners and families need to be aware that many dogs will flip-out when left alone again for a long time.   

They might start destroying furniture, pooping in the house again, eating it (coprophagia), peeing in the house, and even trying desperately to somehow escape the home. 

You won’t have a clue this is happening unless you have a camera set up at home and zooming in on them, but they’ll probably cry (howl) for long periods and nervously pace, pace, and pace some more. 

These dogs will need a lot of help, and hopefully, their owners will already have or currently be putting some plans into effect for when the time of re-separation comes. 

For those “paw-rents” and anyone concerned about identifying and managing separation anxiety at any point in time, but especially now, do not miss reading this informative article that features insights from a University of Miami philosopher who has studied the special bonds between animals and humans.

https://news.miami.edu/stories/2020/05/learn-to-identify-and-manage-your-dogs-separation-anxiety.html

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