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

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!

Hi there. Yes, it certainly sounds like she may have separation anxiety. Many dogs with this problem are much more distressed if they're confined to a small area, so I would consider leaving her loose in the house since it sounds like she does better that way. You could also try leaving her with a special long-lasting treat that she only gets when you're gone, such as a Kong stuffed with peanut butter. A natural calming supplement like Zylkene or Composure might also be helpful.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I agree with you. This is possibly separation anxiety which is actually way more common than people think. While there are behavioral medications that may help, I still prefer more behavioral modifications such as increasing the frequency of those times that you are separated to get her more used to it but more importantly, start rewarding her for when she behaves well when left alone. You can do this with praise and of course treats. If this does not work, there are medications that can be used for this purpose which your veterinarian may be able to prescribe if deemed useful at that time. Good luck and have a good night!

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.

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!

Poor Diesel! This sounds like fairly severe separation anxiety, especially if he's too distressed to eat food or treats while you're gone. I would strongly recommend talking with your veterinarian about the problem, as most dogs with this degree of anxiety will need prescription medication (at least for a while) in order to make any headway. If your veterinarian isn't comfortable dealing with behavior cases, you can ask for referral to a veterinary behaviorist who can discuss a training plan to work on this issue as well as medication options to help your puppy. In the meantime, you can try a DAP pheromone diffuser as well as a natural calming supplement like Zylkene or Composure to help a bit with his anxiety. It's not likely that these measures will be enough to resolve the problem on their own, but they may help to make him a little more comfortable until you are able to see your vet for a more comprehensive plan.

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!