Separation Anxiety in Dogs

Separation anxiety manifests itself in varying degrees.  The symptoms can be very subtle and escalate quickly if not addressed.  I do believe that some dogs suffer from post-traumatic stress as well.  Combine the two, and you may come home to something like this.  These photos show the pure panic of a dog who was lost after the passing of the other dog in the family.

Emotional instability in dogs is as real as it is in humans.  They don’t have words for what they are feeling – nor do we.  It’s important to understand their behavior from a dog’s perspective and to treat them accordingly.   There is a trigger, a memory, a perceived fear,  that can be extremely challenging to pinpoint (if we ever can).

Here’s a great article from the Humane Society regarding Separation Anxiety.  If you have any questions or are concerned your dog is demonstrating symptoms of either separation anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder, please contact me for assistance.