Dog Separation Anxiety: Signs, Causes & How to Fix It
Is your dog destructive when left alone? Learn the signs of separation anxiety and proven techniques to help your dog cope when you leave.
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Category: Training
Reading time: 9 min read
Separation anxiety is one of the most common behavioural problems in dogs — and one of the most distressing for both dog and owner. A dog with separation anxiety does not just miss you when you leave. They experience genuine panic.
This guide covers how to recognise it, what causes it, and step-by-step techniques to help your dog learn to be alone.
What Is Separation Anxiety?
Separation anxiety is a stress response triggered when a dog is separated from their owner or left alone. It is not the same as boredom, bad behaviour or a dog that has not been trained. It is a genuine anxiety disorder that requires patience and systematic desensitisation to resolve.
Dogs with separation anxiety often exhibit symptoms within minutes of their owner leaving — not hours later.
Signs of Separation Anxiety
The key signs that distinguish separation anxiety from normal behaviour:
Destructive behaviour focused on exit points: Scratching at doors, chewing door frames, damaging windowsills. This is panic-driven escape behaviour, not recreational chewing.
Vocalisation: Persistent barking, howling or whining that starts shortly after you leave and continues for extended periods. Neighbours often report this before owners realise.
House soiling: A previously house-trained dog urinating or defecating indoors only when left alone.
Pacing and restlessness: Repetitive walking patterns, often captured on home cameras.
Excessive drooling or panting: Physical stress responses visible on return.
Pre-departure anxiety: Becoming visibly distressed when you pick up keys, put on shoes or reach for your coat. The dog has learned your leaving routine and panics before you even open the door.
Self-harm: In severe cases, dogs injure themselves trying to escape crates, break through windows or chew through barriers.
What Does NOT Indicate Separation Anxiety
Chewing random objects (boredom, not anxiety)
A single accident after being left for too long
Excitement when you return (normal greeting behaviour)
Stealing food or getting into bins (opportunistic, not anxious)
What Causes Separation Anxiety?
There is rarely a single cause. Common contributing factors:
Change in routine: A new job, returning to the office after working from home, or a change in household schedule
Rehoming: Dogs from shelters are significantly more likely to develop separation anxiety
Loss of a family member: Human or animal — the disruption to the social group triggers anxiety
Traumatic experience while alone: A thunderstorm, fireworks, or break-in
Over-attachment: Dogs that are never left alone during puppyhood may not develop coping skills
Breed predisposition: Velcro breeds like Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Labradors and Vizslas are more prone
How to Treat Separation Anxiety
Treatment is based on gradual desensitisation — slowly increasing the time your dog can tolerate being alone. There are no shortcuts. Flooding (leaving an anxious dog alone for hours and hoping they "get used to it") makes the problem dramatically worse.
Step 1: Desensitise Departure Cues
Your dog has learned that certain actions predict your departure: picking up keys, putting on shoes, grabbing a bag. Practice these actions without actually leaving:
Pick up your keys, sit back down. Repeat 20 times until your dog stops reacting.
Put on your coat, take it off. Repeat.
Touch the door handle, walk away. Repeat.
Do this over several days until your departure routine no longer triggers anxiety.
Step 2: Practice Short Absences
Start with absences so short they do not trigger anxiety:
Step outside the door for 2 seconds. Return calmly. No fuss.
Build to 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 30 seconds.
Gradually extend to 1 minute, 2 minutes, 5 minutes.
Only increase duration if your dog remains calm at the current level.
This process takes days to weeks. Rushing it undoes all progress.
Step 3: Extend Duration
Once your dog can handle 10–15 minutes alone without distress:
Add time in variable increments (not always longer — sometimes shorter to prevent pattern recognition)
Practice at different times of day
Leave through different exits
Build to 30 minutes, then 1 hour, then 2 hours
Most dogs that can handle 1 hour alone can handle 4+ hours. The critical threshold is the first 30 minutes.
Step 4: Create a Positive Alone-Time Association
Give a special treat (stuffed Kong, long-lasting chew) only when you leave
Use calming music or audiobooks (studies show classical music reduces canine stress)
Leave recently worn clothing with your scent near their bed
Ensure the environment is comfortable — appropriate temperature, access to water, comfortable bedding
What NOT to Do
Do not punish anxiety-driven behaviour: Your dog is not being naughty. Punishment increases fear.
Do not make departures or arrivals dramatic: Ignore your dog for 10 minutes before leaving and for a few minutes after returning.
Do not get a second dog as a fix: If the anxiety is about you leaving, a second dog will not help. You may end up with two anxious dogs.
Do not use a crate if your dog panics in it: Crating a dog with severe separation anxiety can cause injury and worsen the condition.
When to Seek Professional Help
Consult a certified behaviourist (ABTC-registered in the UK) if:
Your dog is injuring themselves
Desensitisation alone is not producing progress after 4–6 weeks
The anxiety is severe (full panic within seconds of departure)
You cannot avoid leaving your dog alone during the training period
Your vet may also discuss medication (fluoxetine or clomipramine) as a temporary aid alongside behaviour modification. Medication alone without training rarely resolves the issue, but it can lower baseline anxiety enough for desensitisation to work.
Prevention: Raising a Puppy That Can Be Alone
The best cure is prevention. From day one:
Leave your puppy alone for short periods every day, even if you are home
Do not carry them everywhere or allow constant physical contact
Practice crate training with the door closed while you are in another room
Avoid making a fuss when leaving or returning
Gradually build up alone time from minutes to hours during the first 6 months
The Bottom Line
Separation anxiety is treatable, but it requires patience, consistency and a structured desensitisation plan. Most dogs improve significantly within 6–12 weeks of proper training. The key is to go at your dog's pace, never push past their threshold, and celebrate small victories. A dog that could not be left for 30 seconds learning to cope with 30 minutes alone is enormous progress.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my dog has separation anxiety?
Key signs include destructive behaviour (chewing doors, scratching floors), excessive barking or howling when alone, toileting indoors despite being house-trained, drooling, pacing, and attempting to escape. These behaviours occur specifically when the dog is left alone.
Can separation anxiety in dogs be cured?
Most dogs improve significantly with structured desensitisation training over 6–12 weeks. Severe cases may also benefit from medication prescribed by a vet. Complete resolution depends on the severity and the consistency of the training plan.
What breeds are most prone to separation anxiety?
Breeds bred for close human companionship tend to be more prone, including Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherds, Border Collies, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Vizslas and Cocker Spaniels. However, any dog can develop it.
Should I get another dog to help with separation anxiety?
Usually not. Separation anxiety is about the bond with the owner, not loneliness. A second dog may help in mild cases, but in severe cases you may simply end up with two anxious dogs.
Is crate training good for dogs with separation anxiety?
For mild cases, a crate can provide a safe den-like space. However, dogs with severe separation anxiety may panic and injure themselves trying to escape a crate. Assess your dog's reaction carefully before relying on crating.