With the world starting to return to a more normal state, now is the time to start addressing separation anxiety with your dog! I know that my dogs have really gotten used to having me around and at their beck and call the majority of the day. And I take them everywhere with me.
At least with Grace, she had a few months where I was working in the office. Poor Benson, planned pre-pandemic, came home at the start of the first lockdown and has never known anything different!
People are starting to return to the office. And it seems that just about every person or family I know that didn’t have pets before does now! It is going to be a real shock to these puppies when their humans start leaving the house for longer and longer stretches of time. And by preparing your dog to deal with separation ahead of time it reduces the risk for anxiety that could lead to more pets being surrendered.
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Start Slow
Don’t just start leaving your dog home alone for long periods of time all at once if you aren’t already doing so! This can lead to accidents in the house and the potential for destructive behaviours emerge. It has been really hot outside here lately, so I have been leaving the dogs in the house while I go out and do yardwork. If I need to leave them alone for a longer period I make sure to give them a big walk and they usually just sleep it off while I am out!
Try starting with very short periods like a few seconds and see how they fare! Gradually build it up so that they are used to it by the time you have to leave them alone. You can even start with leaving them alone while you are in a different part of the house. When I am out in the yard I can listen and see if they are barking or howling and sneak peaks inside to see what is going on. And it’s usually not a whole lot!
Don’t Make A Fuss
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is making a big fuss when coming or going! This can lead to higher levels of anxiety. When I leave the house I toss a few kibbles on the floor and quietly leave the house while they are eating it. They know I’m going when I do that but are ok with it.
I made the mistake of doing this with treats at the beginning, which led to diarrhea…Too many treats is not the way to go with this! A frozen Kong toy is also a good option since it takes a good amount of time to get through! Check out some new Kong toy recipes here!
Watch your dog to see if they are showing signs of stress while you go through your morning routine. Try putting on your shoes and coat and picking up your keys without leaving. This may lead to them getting more comfortable knowing you are not always going to be leaving when you do certain things.
When I come back home the dogs are understandably excited (the cats don’t care unless it is time for food!). Instead of giving them attention right away I waiting until they have calmed down some. It helps Benson and Grace understand that they get rewarded for being calm!
Crating
If your dog has destructive tendencies when left alone you can look at confining them to one room or area of the house. Crating is also an option if you have crate trained them. However, don’t leave your dog in their crate for an extended amount of time. Also, don’t leave them in their crate if they get distressed in it! Finding the proper fit for a crate is also very important.
When I was leaving Grace to go to the office, I had a crate with a playpen built around it to give her some extra space. It worked great! She would sleep in her crate but also had room to play and move around more. I tried letting her out on occasion to see how she would do but she wasn’t ready for full freedom until she was many months old!
Dog Walker
Having a dog walker can be a great way for your dog to have a bathroom break during the day! They will get busy fast once offices start opening up so start doing your research now!! Grace had two 30 minute walks a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon so that she wouldn’t have to wait a full day to go outside.
There are many options available but I went with a company that had bonded and trained walkers. I have seen too many incidents happen at the dog park with off-leash dogs in groups. The last thing you want to do is have your dog get hurt while out on walks when you are at work!
Doggie Daycare
Doggie daycares are great places for your dog if they are good around other dogs! They get to spend a day playing and having fun and are exhausted by the end of the day! You will know if your dog is enjoying it or not by their behaviour when arriving at the daycare. Or when the taxi picks them up. If your dog is acting hesitant or showing any signs that they don’t want to go, make sure to pay attention to it. Speak with your daycare to see how they are acting during the day. Is your dog playing with other dogs and being social? Or is your dog hiding and hanging out alone?
Recently discovering some day camps out of the city has really excited me as well! I have learned that there are options where your dog is picked up in the morning and driven to a large camp out of the city. They have a day playing in nature! And are dropped back off at your home! I am excited to send my dogs out there because they love exploring the outdoors!
Calming Treats or CBD Oil
While your vet can prescribe medications to reduce anxiety in your dog, other holistic treatments are gaining traction. CBD oil has been gaining in popularity with pet parents over the past couple of years. Besides oil, companies are recognizing the demand for CBD products and are making treats that contain it as well! For more information on CBD oil, read our post on it here. It can take time to kick in, so make sure that you give your dog enough time for it to be effective when you leave.
Dog Door
Perhaps consider installing a dog door if you have a safe and fenced in back yard! Anticipating a return to work coming down the road, I had one installed a few months ago. Training my dogs on it has been somewhat of a challenge so I am glad that I gave myself an ample amount of time!
A dog door gives the dogs the freedom to go in and out during the day if I am not around. They can go to the bathroom whenever they want which is great!
Make sure that your yard is secure if you go with this option! The other day I was sitting out on my front deck and heard footsteps coming up beside the house. Imagine my surprise when Benson’s big head poked out into the front yard! I have now started locking the gate to make sure that it can’t be opened and there is no chance of escape!
Don’t Get Angry
Unlike people, dogs live in the moment. Getting angry with them for destroying something or going to the bathroom while you were gone isn’t going to do any good. This can actually make your dog’s anxiety worse! Remaining calm is still the best way to deal with the behaviour until it is corrected. But it takes time, as with many other aspects of training a dog you need to have patience!
So when you find out when you have to return to the office, don’t wait until the last minute to start working on dealing with separation anxiety! Starting well ahead of time will ensure the smoothest transition for both you and your dog! Maybe someone should do something about the separation anxiety I will have leaving them!
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48 comments
[…] dog is exhibiting signs of separation anxiety. You can read more on dealing with separation anxiety here. It will also alert you if your dog starts barking so you can see what is going […]
We have a 75 lb German Shepherd that we had to place in a kennel for an international trip. She was a puppy then and she was a changed dog when we got back. She was SO SO SO well behaved. Almost seems like she thought we would never come back. We made the mistake of not going away slowly beforehand. Lesson learned! Poor girl!
Aww! Yeah, I have tried to be pretty good about getting my pups used to being alone for periods of time so it won’t be as much of a shock to them if I decide to return to an office job down the road!
Our dog has severe separation anxiety when we travel with him and leave him in a rental for a couple of hours. We are considering an RV that he can get used to so we can go to dinner alone! lol I am not sure what the solution is for this since they are not his home.
Oh wow that is a tricky one! I’m guessing you’ve already tried taking a crate with you. The CBD oil or calming treats might also be worth a try!
Separation anxiety is a real issue with service dogs because they usually get to go places. It is also something I work on daily with my dogs. A crate has been our friend, not because of destructive tendencies, but because it is where my service dog feels most comfortable when not with me. I use a Furbo to monitor him when I leave him.
That makes a lot of sense for service dogs! My Grace loved her crate but unfortunately it was just to big to keep set up once she was out of her worst puppy habits and potty trained…I confine them to the main level of the house if I need to go out for a longer period of time. And I love the Furbo!!!
You’re such a good pet owner! I didn’t even have that much patience with my kids! 😂
Thanks! It definitely requires a LOT of patience haha!
I hadn’t thought about people adopting pets during Covid, but that makes sense. Great advice for making the transition.
Thanks! Yes, I think it is going to be tough for all the “Covid puppies” when everyone returns to work, which is why it’s really important to start working towards it well in advance.
You are so right on so many levels! I’m in love with your fur babies! I’ve wanted a Bernese all my life! We just list our golden retriever Gracie to cancer about two weeks ago. It was so fast, we are still healing. I love this post, you make great points and tips
Thank you!! I definitely am in love with the breed. And I’m sorry, it really is difficult when we lose one of our pets. I know I am in for it down the road with five pets now and considering adding another pup to the mix in a year or two!
Our dogs have definitely gotten used to us being home. We have started leaving the house to just to leave the house to get them prepared for our dog free vacations since our pet sitters have day jobs
Yes, it really is a good idea to start leaving them alone on occasion!
Great list. When we first got our dog he had intense separation anxiety. But it’s nearly non-existent now. We usually play relaxing music and leave him with a toy and/or treats. Once he realized we’d be coming back he seemed to settle in to understanding we had to leave sometimes.
I’m glad you worked it out! And yes, the music helps too! I usually leave the radio on for my pups if I’m gone for a longer period of time during the day.
Our poor furries babies. It might be a challenging year for them. Ella got used to having at least one family member in the house at all times. I need to get her use to being alone little by little.
I think so too and am hoping that people work on it so that we don’t see a lot of pets going back to the shelter!
Terra, thank you for this great information. We’re actually dealing with this very thing this week. Our precious shorkie will be boarding at a new location. He usually stays with one of two family friends, but they are both out of town. And we definitely don’t leave him alone enough, as someone is ALWAYS home!!
I really hope it all goes well for you! I am leaving my dogs for a longer period of time for the first time ever at the end of the month…For two and a half weeks! I have someone coming into the house to stay with them, but I know it’s still going to be a big adjustment. She has been coming and spending a lot of time with the dogs beforehand so that hopefully they are ok when my daughter and I are travelling.
Aww..poor little doggies. I really hadn’t thought about how difficult it is on them when their owners go.bqck into the work place. But you have some pretty fantastic ideas to helpmget them acclimated@
I know, it is going to be a real shock for our pets and best to start early to avoid behavioral issues when the time comes!
Such great tips! I have seen that my dog has more separation anxiety lately since we work from home and were home a lot over the past year. Not making a fuss when we come and go definitely has helped!
Yeah. Having a doggie is a lot of work and care. Glad there are options for a peaceful separation and not destroyed house:)
These are great tips. My dog is only 4 months old, and as a puppy, she has a hard time being away from us. We are hoping to be able to leave her alone for longer than an hour or two, but since she is still potty training and in the chewing stage, it’s been rough.
Great advice. I’m glad I don’t really have to worry about separation anxiety with my cats. They pretty much take our absences in stride. They do get a little clingy when we come back from vacations, but that’s it. It’s going to be a big adjustment when everyone starts going back to work this year!
Haha yes, my cats are the same! But it is so much easier to leave them for longer periods of time.
Great advice! My friend is dog-sitting for me as we speak, and she (the dog) is showing signs of separation anxiety.
It can be really tough on them! I’m going travelling for over two weeks soon and leaving the pups with a sitter, fingers are crossed for the best! But even though I have been home I have been sending them both to other people’s houses for overnight visits. At least the sitter will be staying in my house with them.
My son and daughter in law got their puppy at the beginning of COVID lockdowns. He was so used to people being home with him all day. He’s over a year old now and starting to do better with separation. He was very destructive at first. I am, in fact, sitting with him and the rest of the pets at my son’s house this weekend, while the family is away.
I had been leaving Grace at home during the day with a dog walker coming in so she was used to it. I know I have never left Benson for a full day before though, so I’m hoping that I’m doing enough that he will be ok when the day comes!
Great post! I’m really dismayed to read about so many animals ending up in shelters as humans return to the office. A pet is a lifetime commitment! Hopefully the great info in this article will help some people successfully make the transition.
I really hope so as well! It does take time though so it’s really important to start working on it well ahead of time.
I had no idea dogs had separation anxiety, dogs really are intelligent huh. These are some great tips.
I make sure to leave mine alone in the house! I really don’t want it to become an issue for us down the road
Creative ideas for pet behavior!
Thanks!
I don’t have a dog, I have a cat. He is much more comfortable with me and will spend time with me while I get ready. When I’m getting my shoes on, the last thing I do, I say to my cat come say goodbye. He comes over by my shoes to be pet a little or bite my shoes as if to say “if I bite your shoes mommy, you can’t leave “. Unlike a dog he rarely gets excited about my coming and going. When I get home he runs on my legs to the point I can’t even walk because he is either right in front of me or between my legs.
Yes my cats don’t care much either! Unless it’s close to supper time then I can’t get Bubbles away from me!
Thanks!
We have a mini aussie with the worst separation anxiety ever. It’s just heartbreaking. I’ll need to try some of these tips, thank you!
It really can be heartbreaking when our pets are in distress. I hope that you figure it out!
[…] I wrote about separation anxiety in dogs (you can read that HERE), it was ME who was having separation anxiety thinking about leaving them for three whole weeks! […]
[…] My dogs are relatively used to their little human coming and going due to a joint custody arrangement, but that doesn’t stop them from being a bit depressed the first day after she leaves. Much like other separation anxiety issues, it is a good idea to start easing them into getting used to their kids being gone during the day. You can read more on separation anxiety HERE. […]
[…] There may also be underlying health or behavior issues with a shelter dog. If these are known, consider carefully whether you have the time and resources to dedicate to your dog’s well being. Separation anxiety can be a common problem in dogs that come from a shelter or rescue so be sure to check out our tips to deal with that behavior HERE. […]
[…] With Grace, she is always challenging me. So it ends up being a never ending battle for who’s the most dominant in the house. With a potential return to the office imminent, I have also been leaving the dogs home alone for longer periods of time to get them ready for it so we don’t have to deal with any separation anxiety issues when the day comes. For more tips on separation anxiety you can read the full post HERE. […]
[…] But shelter dogs deserve a second chance! They are often wonderful dogs who are grateful to be in a home again instead of in a shelter. And many people who had lots of time during the pandemic adopted dogs which could sadly lead to more surrenders once they get back to the office and are away from the home more leading to increasing rates of separation anxiety and other behavioral issues. You can read more on separation anxiety HERE. […]