by Kelly Morris

Created on: August 30, 2008

When Cheryl and David Weber adopted Marky, a black Labrador, from the animal shelter, they were unprepared for his behavior when they left him home alone while they went to work. Marky chewed they furniture and urinated all over the house, even though he was house-broken. Frustrated, the Webers took Marky to the vet, who diagnosed separation anxiety.

Dogs can develop separation anxiety for a variety of reasons, but it is commonly seen in animals adopted from shelters. It is also common in dogs who have had multiple homes, dogs who have been abused in previous homes, and in dogs who have lived with elderly, homebound owners.

There are different degrees of separation anxiety. Some dogs become anxious if their owner is in a separate room. Others become extremely anxious if their owner leaves the house even for a short time. Other dogs are okay if their owners leave for a limited amount of time, but become anxious after a while and begin to display signs of separation anxiety at that point. For instance, if a dog is used to his owner coming home from work every day at 5:00 and his owner is an hour late, the dog may panic when 5:00 comes and his owner does not arrive.

Dogs with separation anxiety may display a variety of symptoms when left alone. They may chew furniture or otherwise damage the home. They may urinate and/or defecate in the house, even when house-broken. They may bark incessantly, disturbing the neighbors.

It should be understood that these dogs have an anxiety disorder. They are not misbehaving on purpose. Their behavior is a symptom of their disorder. Punishing them for their behavior only serves to increase their anxiety and does nothing to eliminate or decrease the problem. Instead, it is the anxiety that must be treated.

If you think your pet is suffering from separation anxiety, it's a good idea to visit your vet to rule out any physical problems that might be contributing to the behavior. If your dog is in good health physically, your vet can help you come up with a treatment plan to deal with the anxiety disorder. The treatment plan may include medication for anxiety, if other techniques don't work.

Before resorting to medication, though, try behavioral methods of coping with your pet's anxiety. Make sure to give your dog lots of attention when you are home. Maintain a regular schedule of playtime, walks, and feeding. Experts recommend plenty of exercise, about 45-60 minutes a day. In addition, mental stimulation is important to dogs. This includes things like learning commands, playing fetch, etc. Many dogs were originally bred to be working dogs, and without "work" to do they get bored.

Try gradually increasing the amount of time you spend away from your dog and see what happens. If your dog continues to experience separation anxiety, it's time to consider medication. You might also want to consider "doggy day care" so your dog is not left home alone all day.

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