Separation anxiety in dogs: how to help before you travel

The Merck Veterinary Manual calls it separation distress disorder: a physical, physiological or behavioural sign of fear or anxiety when those a dog is attached to are absent, or the dog thinks they are. Signs usually begin within the first 15 to 30 minutes after the owner leaves, and some dogs start as the owner gets ready to go. Merck notes that it often goes with noise phobia, which matters in India, where Diwali crackers and wedding bands are part of the year.

It is common and often missed. The RSPCA cites research suggesting 8 out of 10 dogs find it hard to cope when left alone, and that around half of them show no obvious signs. Studies give very different figures depending on how they define it: a 2024 study in the journal Animal Welfare notes that reported rates range from 6 to 55%, and in that study's own group of 145 puppies, 46.9% showed separation-related behaviour at six months of age.

None of this is spite or disobedience. ASPCA puts it plainly: anxious behaviours are not the result of disobedience or spite. A dog that destroys the door frame while you are out is frightened, not getting back at you.

Nobody knows for certain. ASPCA says there is no conclusive evidence for why dogs develop it, but lists common triggers: a change of guardian or family, a change in schedule, a move to a new home, and a change in who lives in the house, such as a death or a family member moving out. PDSA adds a frightening experience while alone, not learning as a puppy to be alone gradually, over-attachment to one person, insecurity after shelter stays or many moves, too little to do when alone, and noise phobias.

The 2024 Generation Pup study, which followed puppies from early life, found that puppies whose owners used two or more aversive training methods had much higher odds of separation-related behaviour at six months, and so did those trained with time-outs while relaxing at home. Puppies that slept 9 hours or more a night when young, and those kept in an enclosed space overnight, had lower odds. The authors stress these are links, not proof of cause.

Illness can look like separation anxiety. ASPCA advises seeing your vet to rule out medical problems, because incontinence and some medicines cause accidents indoors, and the RSPCA notes that health problems can cause or worsen separation-related behaviour.

It can be a big change. In a study of 29 pet dogs measured at home and then in a boarding kennel, stress-related hormone ratios were higher in the kennel and the dogs were more active, with big differences between dogs. The authors read this as arousal and found no definitive evidence of distress, but they were looking at typical dogs, not dogs with separation anxiety.

A veterinary college in Texas notes that it is common for animals not to eat for the first 12 to 24 hours after arriving somewhere new, and that mild loose stools, pacing, panting or hiding can appear at first. For a dog that already panics when alone, a calm home with a person there is usually the gentler choice. Whatever you choose, tell the carer about the anxiety in advance.

See your vet if you think your dog has separation anxiety, if the behaviour starts suddenly, or if your dog injures itself. PDSA and the RSPCA both advise starting with the vet, who can rule out illness and refer you to a qualified behaviourist. Merck describes a treatment plan that combines behaviour modification with, for some dogs, medicine prescribed by a vet, and notes that the approved medicines work best alongside a behaviour plan.

Choose help carefully. AVSAB says evidence supports reward-based methods for all dog training and that aversive methods should not be used to treat behaviour disorders. Ask anyone you consider how they would treat separation anxiety. If the answer involves punishment, shock or prong collars, or 'showing the dog who is boss', look elsewhere. ASPCA recommends a certified applied animal behaviourist or a veterinary behaviourist, or a trainer experienced in desensitisation and counterconditioning.

A free meet and greet before the first booking lets your dog meet the sitter while you are there. A Petym sitter follows your dog's plan as you write it, including walks, feeding, calming routines and any medicine your vet has prescribed, logs it as it happens, and sends a daily photo update so you can see how your dog is settling.