Post-Covid Separation Anxiety Tips

Separation anxiety seems to be at the front of everyone’s mind…

We have officially made it past a year of the “unprecedented times.” There is no doubt: our lives have been changed forever. In some good ways, and some where we wish we could go back to before this all happened.

Regardless, things can’t change and that past we long for is something we can’t bring back. But we undoubtedly can take action to prepare for our future. One thing is certain: eventually our lifestyle will have some return to normalcy. Offices and schools will fully reopen, daily commutes will return, and our dogs will be home alone for several hours a day.

If you have been home for the better part of this last year, your dog has likely become accustomed to your presence. When you head out the door to your first day back at the office, you might be a little worried how your dog will take this new-found alone time.

One of our mottos is “always be prepared.” We believe being proactive and taking preventative steps in any aspect of life can help avoid problems. Due to that, we want to provide some tips to help prepare you and your pup for being alone, as well as some understanding to what separation anxiety is, before you embark on those ever-so-long trips away from home and your beloved pup.

What Causes Separation Anxiety

Separation Anxiety happens when a dog is super attached to something (in this case their human) and gets really stressed when they are left alone. The Humane Society suggests it isn’t completely certain why some dogs suffer from separation anxiety, but there are some common triggers that can be deduced from most dogs:

Being left alone for the first time
Change in family’s routine
Being left alone when accustomed to human interaction
Suffering from a traumatic event i.e. animal shelter, or boarding kennel

Patricia O’Connell, author of “I’ll Be Home Soon,” says “although we can’t know for sure what’s in a dog’s mind, we can think of SA as the equivalent of a panic attack.” It’s more than a little whining, or some trash can excavations. Separation anxiety is a serious condition, and one of the main reasons why owners end up rehoming their dogs. Luckily there are plenty of ways to work with your dog, so they learn how to cope with being alone.

Symptoms of Separation Anxiety

Have you noticed your dog having destructive behaviors, following you like a shadow when you are home, seeming nervous as you prepare to leave, or going absolutely wild when you return? These might be some symptoms of separation anxiety. For a better analysis, The AKC lists symptoms of separation anxiety as:

Anxious behaviors like pacing, whining, or trembling while you’re gone or as you prepare to leave
Excessive barking or howling
Destructive acts, such as chewing or digging, particularly around doors or windows
Accidents in the house
Excessive salivation, drooling, or panting
Desperate and prolonged attempts to escape confinement, potentially ending in serious injury

Stress has different ways of displaying on dogs, so they may only display one or two of these symptoms. Something else to consider: general stress is not the same as separation anxiety. If your dog only chews a sock once, or isn’t fully potty trained, this is not separation anxiety; your dog probably just needs a bit more training.

Ways to Counteract Separation Anxiety

Schedule/Routine

Use the transitory time between now and your return to work to slowly ease your dog into earlier breakfast and later dinner times. While you are changing the schedule you can also adjust their walk times to before you would leave in the morning, and after you would get home.

Calm Entry

This one is truly a challenge for the owners, but it has outstanding results for your pup with coping their anxiety. When you walk through the door, don’t shower them with affection, kisses, and excitement. Rather: walk in, sit in your favorite spot, and ignore your dog. I know this sounds harsh, but bear with me.

The next step is to wait. Let your dog calm down on their own, and leave you alone. Once they are totally calm and relaxed, you can call them over to say hello, and give them all your pets and affection. There is a lot of doggy psychology at work when you ignore your dog at entry. Long story short, you will be signifying to your dog that you are healthy, and safe from your adventure. Not the other way around.

Home Alone

For less severe anxiety, give your dog some time to acclimate to being alone again. Take some time to go for a walk, or drive around the block, without your dog. As they slowly become more comfortable with this short amount of time, slowly increase it to longer periods of solitude.

If you can’t leave the house, or your dog is particularly stressed, this is where you’ll need to do some counter-conditioning. Do things that signify your leaving, but make them normal. Put your shoes on, then go sit down and read. Grab your car keys, then watch some TV. These actions normalize the things you would do before you leave, so your dog doesn’t get nervous.

Next you’ll need to practice isolation. Put your dog on their favorite bed, stand on the other side of the door, and close it for a few seconds. Then open it, enter the room like everything is normal. Slowly increase the amount of time your dog spends in isolation, until they are totally comfortable being alone. This is also a great time to work on some kennel training.

Busy Toys

Give your dog a fun toy that will keep them busy. However, only give them this toy when you are about to leave. This will signify something fun and rewarding for being calm, as well as distract them from the stress of being alone. Busy toys can range from a plushy with a fun squeaker, to food or plush puzzle toys. There are plenty of options, and it may take some experimenting to find the one your dog likes the best.

Cuddle Shirts

Try leaving your dog something that smells like you, like a worn shirt, that they can cuddle with while you are away.

Background Noise

Leave the TV or radio running while you are away. There is a study about how music can affect your dog’s behavior, and there are certain types of music that are more calming. In this study they deduced soft rock and reggae have the most calming effects, but classical music can also be quite calming for your dog. This shouldn’t come as much surprise considering the human brain reacts similarly to certain types of music.

But dogs do have their preferences. While you may notice your dog is really soothed by Water Music, your neighbor’s dog may feel more calm with human voices.

Professional Care

If you know you will be gone for 8 hours or more, consider hiring a dog walker, or booking at doggy day care to help break up the day. This allows for more options for potty breaks, as well as some happy human interaction. (Hint hint - if you live in Alamo, Danville, or San Ramon CA, give us a call!)

Calming Products

If they truly seem to be struggling with their anxiety, but you really have to go, you can try over the counter calming products like a Thunder Shirt, Pheromone sprays, or Calming/CBD treats.

As a last resort, discussing options with your vet to help your dog cope with their separation anxiety is always a safe bet too.

Heading Out

This blog has a lot of tactical tips for ways to ease separation anxiety. Depending on your dog’s anxiety levels, you can implement some of the lower level tips or some of the more training style tips. My ultimate recommendation overall is to check with your vet to verify whether these symptoms of anxiety are a result of any underlying conditions. After that, remember to remain calm and confident. Your dog reacts to your energy, so give them an example you would like them to emulate!