Separation anxiety: beyond the symptom
Hablando en Perro6 March 20248 min read
Barking, destruction or accidents at home are the tip of the iceberg. We look at what lies beneath and how to support a dog that suffers when left alone.
It is not disobedience, it is distress
Separation anxiety is an emotional disorder, not a whim. Recent research (de Assis et al., 2020) shows that behind the "destruction" there is genuine frustration, fear or panic.
Early signs
- Following you around the whole house.
- Restlessness when you pick up your keys.
- Overwhelming greetings when you return.
The gentle approach
It is not about "ignoring them when you leave and when you arrive". It is about:
- Building gradual tolerance to absences.
- Caring for the emotional context before you leave.
- Working on independence from safety, never from abandonment.
Punishing the associated behaviours (barking, destruction) makes the picture worse: it adds fear to a system that is already overwhelmed.
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