Separation Anxiety in Dogs: Signs, Causes and What Helps

You close the door, and from the other side comes howling that doesn’t stop. Or you come home to a chewed door frame, a puddle by the exit and a dog that’s trembling with relief. It’s easy to read this as spite or bad manners, but a dog with separation anxiety isn’t misbehaving. It’s panicking.

The good news is that separation anxiety is treatable for many dogs, usually with patient, gradual training and sometimes veterinary help. The hard part is that it takes time and can’t be fixed by punishment, a bigger crate or simply “getting used to it.” This guide covers how to recognise it, what causes it, what to do and avoid, and when to get professional help.

The short answer

Separation anxiety is a distress response to being left alone or separated from a particular person. The core of treatment is teaching your dog, in tiny steps, that being alone is safe, while never pushing them past the point where they panic. Rule out medical causes with your vet first, avoid punishment, manage the situation so your dog isn’t left in distress while you train, and ask a qualified, reward-based trainer or a veterinary behaviourist for help if the problem is more than mild. Sometimes your vet may discuss medication as part of a wider plan, but that’s their decision, not something to try on your own.

What is separation anxiety?

It’s an emotional reaction. A dog with separation anxiety feels genuine fear or panic when left alone, or when separated from the person they’re attached to. It’s different from a dog that simply misses you, or one that’s bored. The dog isn’t deliberately causing trouble, and can’t control the response.

Signs of separation anxiety

The signs usually happen when you’re gone, or when you’re getting ready to go, and may include:

• Howling, barking or whining that continues after you leave, often within minutes
• Destructive behaviour, particularly around doors, windows and exits, such as scratching, digging or chewing frames
• Toileting indoors in a dog that’s otherwise reliably house-trained
• Pacing, panting, drooling or trembling
• Escape attempts, which can cause injuries (broken teeth, damaged nails, cuts) as the dog tries to get through doors, windows or crates
• Not eating or ignoring treats or toys when left alone
• Following you from room to room at home, and distress when you go out of sight
• Anxious behaviour as you prepare to leave: picking up keys, putting on shoes or a coat
• Over-the-top greetings when you return

Many of these can have other causes, so one sign on its own doesn’t mean separation anxiety.

How is it different from boredom?

	Separation anxiety	Boredom or lack of training
Timing	Often starts within minutes of you leaving	Often happens later, or gradually
Behaviour	Panic: frantic, distressed, repeated	Play, chewing, mischief
Focus	Exits, doors, windows	Anything interesting
Eating	Often won’t touch food or treats	Will usually eat or play
Body language	Stressed: panting, trembling, drooling	Relaxed or playful
When you’re home	Often clingy and anxious	Usually fine

Filming your dog while you’re out (more below) is the best way to tell the difference.

Possible causes

Nobody knows exactly why one dog gets it and another doesn’t, and often there’s more than one factor. Commonly mentioned triggers include:

• A change in routine, such as a return to the office after you worked from home, shift changes or a new schedule
• A move to a new home
• The loss of a family member or another pet
• A past experience of abandonment or being rehomed, which is common in rescue dogs
• Little experience of being alone as a puppy
• A traumatic event while alone, such as a loud noise
• Genetics and temperament. Some dogs are more prone to anxiety
• Age. Older dogs can develop anxiety, sometimes alongside cognitive decline. See our guide to food and care for senior dogs and cats

First, see your vet

Several medical problems can look like, or contribute to, separation-related behaviour:

• Incontinence or urinary problems that cause accidents
• Pain, including arthritis and dental disease
• Cognitive dysfunction in older dogs
• Hearing or vision loss, which can make a dog feel insecure when alone
• Digestive problems, thyroid conditions and other illnesses
• Noise phobia, which can be mistaken for separation anxiety (for example, a dog that panics at thunder or fireworks, not at being left)

Our guide to how to choose a vet can help you find one. Ask your vet to rule out medical causes, and to discuss whether a referral to a veterinary behaviourist makes sense.

What not to do

• Don’t punish your dog, either when you come home or at any other time. Dogs don’t link punishment to something that happened hours earlier, and punishing an anxious dog increases fear and makes things worse.
• Don’t ignore it and hope it passes. Anxiety often gets worse with repeated distress, and leaving a panicking dog to “get used to it” can intensify the problem.
• Don’t make departures and arrivals a big drama. Excited goodbyes and hellos can make the contrast sharper.
• Don’t force your dog into a crate if they panic in it. Some dogs with separation anxiety injure themselves trying to escape, so a crate isn’t always the answer. Ask a professional.
• Don’t assume another dog will fix it. Some dogs find company comforting, but many with separation anxiety are anxious about a specific person, not simply being alone, so a second dog often doesn’t help, and adds another animal to care for.
• Don’t leave your dog alone for long periods while you’re working on the problem, if you can avoid it.
• Don’t use anti-bark collars, shock collars or other aversive tools. They add fear to an already fearful dog.
• Don’t change medication or supplements on your own. Talk to your vet.

A gradual training plan

Treatment is based on desensitisation: slowly increasing the time your dog spends alone, in steps small enough that they stay calm. The key idea is the threshold, the point at which your dog starts to become anxious. You train below that point. If your dog panics, you went too fast, and need to go back a step.

This is a general outline. For anything beyond mild anxiety, work with a qualified professional, who can build a plan for your dog.

Step 1: Find your dog’s starting point.
Use a camera or phone to watch your dog when you leave, and find out how long they stay calm. Some dogs begin to panic when you pick up your keys, and some manage a few seconds. That’s where you begin.

Step 2: Build comfort around departure cues.
If keys, shoes or a coat trigger anxiety, practise them without leaving. Pick up your keys and sit down. Put on your coat and make a cup of tea. Do it many times, until the cue becomes boring.

Step 3: Practise very short absences.
Start with seconds. Step out, come back before your dog becomes anxious, and stay calm. Build up slowly: a few seconds, then ten, then thirty, then a minute. Progress should be so gradual that your dog barely notices.

Step 4: Mix up the lengths.
Don’t increase steadily every time. Vary short and slightly longer absences, so that your dog doesn’t predict a pattern.

Step 5: Build up to minutes, then longer.
Many owners find that the early steps take weeks and later ones go faster. Some dogs improve in weeks, others take months.

Step 6: Keep it going.
Leave your dog alone for a short time every day if possible, so that progress holds.

Rules of thumb:

• Go back a step if your dog shows stress (panting, drooling, pacing, whining), and don’t rush on.
• Keep sessions short and calm.
• Don’t leave your dog for longer than they can cope between training sessions. If you must be away for work, arrange for someone to be with your dog, such as a dog sitter, a friend, daycare or a walker, until training progresses.
• Keep a record of your dog’s progress, ideally with video.

Managing the time you’re away

While you’re training, avoid putting your dog through repeated panic:

• Arrange company. A sitter, family member, daycare or a walker can help bridge the gap. Ask your vet or trainer what suits your dog.
• Work from home or take your dog with you where possible.
• Plan around your dog’s limits. If your dog can cope for ten minutes, don’t leave them for an hour.
• Think about neighbours and rented homes. Persistent barking can lead to complaints, so tell neighbours what you’re doing, and ask a professional for advice if it’s a problem. Don’t ignore a lease or neighbour issue, since it can add pressure.

Daily habits that help

These don’t cure separation anxiety by themselves, but they support training:

• Exercise before you leave, such as a walk or play session, so your dog is tired and relaxed. Don’t expect it to solve the problem.
• Mental stimulation. Sniffing walks, puzzle feeders, lick mats and training games tire a dog out.
• A calm routine. Predictable meals, walks and rest make dogs feel safer.
• Food puzzles when you leave. A stuffed puzzle toy can help some dogs relax, but many dogs with severe separation anxiety won’t eat when anxious, so don’t assume it’s working. Use the video to see. Count extra food towards daily calories. See our guide on how much to feed your dog.
• A safe, comfortable space. Some dogs feel safer in a particular room, with a bed and familiar smells. Don’t force it, and watch how your dog responds.
• Calm greetings and goodbyes. Keep them low-key.
• Practise being apart while you’re home. Use a baby gate or a closed door for short periods, so that your dog learns that you can be nearby without being in contact.
• Don’t change food suddenly, and avoid big changes in routine while training.

Our guides on potty training a puppy and leash walking cover related training basics.

Calming products and supplements

You’ll see pheromone diffusers, calming collars, supplements, snug wraps and music marketed for anxiety. Evidence varies. Some products may help some dogs, usually as part of a plan, and not on their own. Check with your vet before giving any supplement or product, because some can interact with medication or cause side effects, and don’t use essential oils, which can be toxic to pets. See our guides to foods toxic to dogs and flea and tick prevention for other situations where “natural” doesn’t mean safe.

Medication

In some cases, particularly more severe anxiety, a vet may discuss prescription medication alongside behaviour training. These are decisions for your vet, based on your dog’s health and history, and they’re not a replacement for training. Never give your dog medication meant for people or other animals, or change a prescribed dose, without your vet’s advice. Ask your vet or a veterinary behaviourist if you think this could help.

Getting professional help

Ask for help if your dog:

• Panics when left, even for a short time
• Injures themselves, or damages doors, windows or crates trying to escape
• Has not improved after several weeks of careful training
• Is getting worse
• Disturbs your neighbours, or you’re worried about your housing

Who to ask:

• Your vet first, to check for medical causes.
• A veterinary behaviourist, a vet with advanced training in behaviour, who can diagnose and treat behaviour problems, including with medication.
• A certified, reward-based trainer or behaviour consultant who has experience with separation anxiety. Credentials differ by country, so ask about their training and methods. Avoid anyone who recommends punishment, shock, “alpha” theories or leaving the dog to “cry it out.”

Our guide on the cost of owning a dog or cat can help you plan for the cost of professional help, and some insurance policies treat behaviour cover differently, so check yours.

Puppies and new dogs

• Teach puppies to be alone early, in small steps. Short, positive absences from the start help prevent problems. See our new puppy checklist.
• Don’t be with your puppy 24 hours a day for the first weeks. Practise short separations while you’re home.
• Rescue dogs may be prone to anxiety in a new home. Give them time, keep routines calm, and start slow with short absences. Ask the rescue what they know.
• Returning to work. If you’ve been home a lot, begin gradually adjusting your dog before your schedule changes.

Older dogs

A dog that suddenly starts showing distress when alone may have a medical problem, such as pain, vision or hearing loss or cognitive decline. See your vet first. See also our guide to senior pet food and care.

How long does it take?

It varies. Mild cases may improve in weeks, while more serious ones can take months of consistent work, and some dogs need long-term management. Progress is rarely smooth, and setbacks happen after changes in routine, illness or stress. Celebrate small steps, and don’t judge success by one bad day.

Mistakes to avoid

• Punishing the dog
• Rushing the training or skipping steps
• Leaving the dog alone for long periods while training
• Assuming it’s boredom and just adding toys
• Relying on a crate when the dog panics in it
• Skipping the vet check
• Using shock, bark or aversive collars
• Making arrivals and departures dramatic
• Giving up too early
• Giving medication or supplements without advice

When to call your vet

Contact your vet if your dog:

• Shows distress when alone, and you haven’t had a vet check
• Has injured themselves, or is damaging doors, windows or crates
• Soils the house in a previously reliable dog, or shows other changes
• Isn’t eating or drinking for long periods
• Seems to be getting worse, or is aggressive when you try to leave
• Is older and shows sudden behaviour changes

If your dog has injured themselves, go to a vet straight away.

Final thoughts

Separation anxiety is hard on dogs and owners alike, but it responds to patient, kind, gradual work. Check with your vet, avoid punishment, train in steps your dog can handle, and ask a qualified professional for help if the problem is more than mild. With time and consistency, many dogs learn that being alone is safe. For more on keeping your dog healthy and happy, see how our reviews work.

Frequently asked questions

What are the signs of separation anxiety in dogs?
Howling or barking, destructive behaviour around exits, toileting indoors, pacing, drooling and escape attempts, mostly when you’re gone or about to leave. A camera can help confirm.

How do I know if it’s separation anxiety or boredom?
Separation anxiety often starts within minutes of you leaving, with panic and a focus on exits, and the dog may not eat. Boredom usually looks more like play or chewing, later on. Filming your dog helps.

Can separation anxiety be cured?
Many dogs improve a lot with gradual training and, where needed, veterinary support. Some need ongoing management. Progress varies, and a professional can help.

Should I crate my dog with separation anxiety?
Not necessarily. Some dogs feel secure in a crate, while others panic and hurt themselves. Watch your dog on camera and ask a professional.

Will getting a second dog help?
Often not, since many dogs are anxious about a particular person, not simply being alone. It also adds another animal to care for.

Should I punish my dog for destroying things?
No. Punishment makes anxiety worse, and dogs don’t connect it to what happened while you were out.

Do dogs grow out of separation anxiety?
Not usually without help. It often continues or worsens if it isn’t addressed. Ask your vet.

Can medication help?
In some cases a vet may recommend it alongside training. It’s a decision for your vet, and you should never give medication without their advice.

How long should I leave my dog alone?
It depends on your dog. During training, only as long as they stay calm. Many adult dogs without anxiety can manage several hours, but no dog should be left for too long. Ask your vet.

Related reading: How to Stop Your Dog Lunging at Other Dogs on Leash