Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!
Become a member today!
Members-only pricing and offers, personalized care notifications, Vital Care points back on every purchase and more!
Already a member? Sign in
Become a credit card member today!
Earn 2X Pals Rewards points at Petco
when you use Petco Pay!
APPLY NOW
Learn More About Petco Pay Benefits

My dog barks and scratches when I leave. Is it separation anxiety?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Shar Pei | Male | neutered | 5 years and 7 months old | 38.14 lbs

How can I stop my shar pei from barking constantly and scratching when I go out and leave him.

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on November 19th, 2016

This behavior in Buster could actually be due to separation anxiety. I would recommend crating him when you are gone. The crate will provide him a small space where he can feel safe in it when you are gone. You will have to slowly train him to get used to a crate. Start putting him in it when you are home and sitting nearby so he doesn't think you are abandoning him, and slowly increase the time he is in it. He can have toys in the crate, and puzzle toys with treats in it that he has to figure out how to get the treats out. You can also fill a Kong toy with peanut butter and freeze it in the freezer overnight, then give it to him in the crate. That will keep him occupied for a while. Finally, you can get a pheromone diffuser called DAP that helps dogs with anxiety.

2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS
Veterinarian
Published on November 12th, 2019
Rio may have separation anxiety when you leave the house. I recommend crating him when you are gone. The crate will provide him a small space where he can feel safe in it when you are gone. You will have to slowly train him to get used to a crate. Start putting him in it when you are home and sitting nearby so he doesn't think you are abandoning him, and slowly increase the time he is in it. He can have toys in the crate, and puzzle toys with treats in it that he has to figure out how to get the treats out. You can put a tablespoon of peanut butter in a Kong toy and freeze it in the freezer overnight, then give it to him in the crate. That will keep him occupied for a while. Finally, you can get a pheromone diffuser called DAP that helps dogs with anxiety and pair that with a DAP pheromone collar that releases pheromones when in contact with his skin. If these methods do not help him, then I recommend having him seen by a vet to discuss the use of anti-anxiety medications.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS
Veterinarian
Published on April 7th, 2018
First off, you are doing the right thing by crating Buddy when you leave, but it sounds like the crate alone isn't enough to help with his separation anxiety. I'm not sure if you've tried this, but he can have toys in the crate, and puzzle toys with treats in it that he has to figure out how to get the treats out. You can put a tablespoon of peanut butter in a Kong toy and freeze it in the freezer overnight, then give it to him in the crate. That will keep him occupied for a while. I'd also try getting a pheromone diffuser called DAP that helps dogs with anxiety and pair that will a DAP pheromone collar that releases pheromones when in contact with his skin. If these methods do not help him, then I recommend having him seen by a vet to discuss the use of anti-anxiety medications. Given that you have had neighbor complaints about his barking, I would see about getting him into a vet on Monday to discuss if anti-anxiety meds are appropriate for him. Best of luck, I hope this helps!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS
Veterinarian
Published on January 18th, 2017
It sounds like Astro is suffering from separation anxiety. You can get a pheromone diffuser called DAP that helps dogs with anxiety, and pair that with a Sentry calming collar or DAP collar. The collar will release pheromones when in contact with his skin, helping with his anxiety when you leave the room. I would recommend crating him when you are gone. The crate will provide him a small space where he can feel safe in it when you are gone. You will have to slowly train him to get used to a crate. Start putting him in it when you are home and sitting nearby so he doesn't think you are abandoning him, and slowly increase the time he is in it. He can have toys in the crate, and puzzle toys with treats in it that he has to figure out how to get the treats out. You can also fill a Kong toy with peanut butter and freeze it in the freezer overnight, then give it to him in the crate. That will keep him occupied for a while.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Related Questions

Training & Behavior

My dog won't stop barking in his crate when I leave. What to do?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Buster. Some dogs will experience anxiety when crated and do not ever seem to adjust. You can give him special toys or high value treats that he only receives when crated (food puzzles, Kong toy stuffed with treats). You can also try a dog pheromone collar or diffuser. However, he may just resent the crate. In this case, I would recommend leaving him out, but in a safe area. Make sure there is nothing that he could destroy or eat and no electrical cords he can chew. Start leaving him out when you can supervise him as opposed to leaving the house for hours. Some will do better in a small room (bathroom or laundry room), while others will do well with a baby gate so they can see out. You will need to see what works for him. Good luck!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My dog is clingy and destructive when alone. Is it separation anxiety?

This does sound like Rexxy has some separation anxiety. Some things that you can do to help him are to make sure he gets plenty of exercise, especially before you have to leave for an extended period of time; put him in a crate/kennel before you leave to prevent him from being destructive while you are away; and you may want to consider talking to your vet about medication for anxiety. This may help his transition and make him be more calm in your absence. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Training & Behavior

My dog has accidents, scratches, and cries. Is it separation anxiety?

Poor Molly! Scratching the door to the point of causing damage while you're away is a very common sign of separation anxiety - this may also be why she cries at night and even has potty accidents, since anxiety is a common cause of these issues as well. Since it sounds like her problem is fairly severe, I would recommend talking with your vet about the issue - many dogs with anxiety like this benefit from daily medication such as Prozac to help reduce their stress. You can also try a DAP pheromone collar along with a natural calming supplement like Zylkene or Composure to see if this helps. I would also recommend leaving Molly with some type of long-lasting treat every time you leave the house and also at bedtime - something like a Kong toy stuffed with peanut butter works well for many dogs. This will give her something to keep her busy and encourage her to settle and relax.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Training & Behavior

My dog cries when I'm gone. Is it separation anxiety? What can I do?

From your description, if Miel is showing this crying behavior when you aren't around, it can be sign of separation anxiety. She is anxious when you leave and is afraid you may not be coming back. This can be a common problem in dogs. I recommend crating her when you are gone. The crate will provide her a small space where she can feel safe in it when you are gone. You will have to slowly train her to get used to a crate. Start putting her in it when you are home and sitting nearby so she doesn't think you are abandoning her, and slowly increase the time she is in it. She can have toys in the crate, and puzzle toys with treats in it that she has to figure out how to get the treats out. You can put a tablespoon of peanut butter in a Kong toy and freeze it in the freezer overnight, then give it to her in the crate. That will keep her occupied for a while. Finally, you can get a pheromone diffuser called DAP that helps dogs with anxiety and pair that will a DAP pheromone collar that releases pheromones when in contact with his skin. If these methods do not help her, then I recommend having her seen by a vet to discuss the use of anti-anxiety medications. Good luck, I hope this helps!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Training & Behavior

My dog pants, digs, and destroys walls at night. Is it anxiety?

I'm wondering if Bootsee could have some separation anxiety when you go to sleep. I recommend crating her at night. The crate will provide her a small space where she can feel safe in it when you are gone. You will have to slowly train her to get used to a crate. Start putting her in it when you are home and sitting nearby so she doesn't think you are abandoning her, and slowly increase the time she is in it. She can have toys in the crate, and puzzle toys with treats in it that she has to figure out how to get the treats out. You can put a tablespoon of peanut butter in a Kong toy and freeze it in the freezer overnight, then give it to her in the crate. That will keep her occupied for a while. Finally, you can get a pheromone diffuser called DAP that helps dogs with anxiety and pair that with a DAP pheromone collar that releases pheromones when in contact with her skin. I hope this helps!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My dog shows signs of separation anxiety. What can I do to help?

Great question! When a dog has separation anxiety, typically you will see destructive behaviors from them when you leave the house, such as tearing up objects. They can also excessively salivate, whine, howl, bark, chew on things, defecate and/or urinate in the home, dig, or try to escape the house. If you are concerned that Fox may have separation anxiety, there are a few things you can do for it. I recommend crating him when you are gone. The crate will provide him a small space where he can feel safe in it when you are gone. You will have to slowly train him to get used to a crate. Start putting him in it when you are home and sitting nearby so he doesn't think you are abandoning him, and slowly increase the time he is in it. He can have toys in the crate, and puzzle toys with treats in it that he has to figure out how to get the treats out. You can put a tablespoon of peanut butter in a Kong toy and freeze it in the freezer overnight, then give it to him in the crate. That will keep him occupied for a while. Finally, you can get a pheromone diffuser called DAP that helps dogs with anxiety and pair that will a DAP pheromone collar that releases pheromones when in contact with his skin. If these methods do not help him, then I recommend having him seen by a vet to discuss the use of anti-anxiety medications. Good luck, I hope this helps!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

New husky barks alone. How to control barking from separation anxiety?

It could be that Oakley is suffering from separation anxiety, causing him to bark when he's alone. I recommend crating him when you are gone. The crate will provide him a small space where he can feel safe in it when you are gone. You will have to slowly train him to get used to a crate. Start putting him in it when you are home and sitting nearby so he doesn't think you are abandoning him, and slowly increase the time he is in it. He can have toys in the crate, and puzzle toys with treats in it that he has to figure out how to get the treats out. You can put a tablespoon of peanut butter in a Kong toy and freeze it in the freezer overnight, then give it to him in the crate. That will keep him occupied for a while. Finally, you can get a pheromone diffuser called DAP that helps dogs with anxiety and pair that will a DAP pheromone collar that releases pheromones when in contact with his skin. If these methods do not help him, then I recommend having him seen by a vet to discuss the use of anti-anxiety medications. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Share