Photo courtesy Jenni Hart Sylvie, a female mixed-breed of indeterminant heritage, was adopted from a shelter in 2019 by Tim and Jenni Hart of Raleigh, N.C. She posed few problems during her early years with the family but grew increasingly attached to Tim as their children spent less time at home due to school and work. The dog would follow him around the house, grow increasingly vigilant, and become agitated when Tim was away for more than a few hours. “If she saw Tim packing up his fishing rods or getting the boat or canoe ready for a day on the water, Sylvie would start breathing rapidly, whining, and pawing at the garage door as he loaded the car,” Jenni says. Physical manifestations In September 2025, Sylvie experienced severe separation panic when Tim left for a six-day road trip. “The first couple of days, Sylvie seemed only mildly out of sorts–a little less energy, occasionally searching around the yard and house for any sign of ‘Daddy,’” Jenni says. “On the third day, she didn’t eat her morning bowl of kibble, which was very unusual for her.” Later that day, Jenni returned home from running errands to find Sylvie in distress, and the downstairs area splattered with pools of bloody feces. Jenni immediately raced Sylvie to the veterinarian, who prescribed medication to calm the dog and settle her stomach. However, the gastrointestinal distress returned the next morning, necessitating a trip to an emergency veterinarian. Sylvie was kept overnight, given fluids to prevent dehydration, and medication to reduce her anxiety. Following tests to rule out other potential causes of gastroenteritis, Jenni was told by clinic staff that Sylvie’s reaction to Tim’s absence was likely caused by separation anxiety, a condition found in approximately 15-20 percent of dogs, says Jill E. Sackman, DVM, PhD, founder of Animal Behavior Consultants of Michigan, which has offices in Detroit and Grand Rapids. “Separation anxiety is one of the hardest problems for pet owners to manage,” she says. “They often have a very conflicted relationship with their pets in that they love and empathize with them, but are also frustrated and angry because they can’t leave the house.” Separation-related disorders Separation anxiety was one of the first behavior problems described in the veterinary literature, according to Dr. Sackman. It was long thought anxiety in dogs resulted primarily from being separated from the family. However, thinking now is behaviors commonly associated with family separation occur with other concurrent anxiety and fearful behaviors. “Separation anxiety is now known among behaviorists as separation-related disorders, or SRD, because of the frequent, multiple comorbid anxiety-based problems dogs have,” Sackman says. “There is really no relationship to a dog’s breed or sex. There is clearly a genetic basis across all breeds, and it is linked to other anxiety issues that dogs have. So, when a dog is brought to me for separation anxiety, it almost always has multiple other anxiety-based issues. It’s obviously multifactorial, but it has a lot to do with genetics.” Many dogs experience generalized anxiety. Fear-based behaviors can also include sound-based phobias, fear-based aggression toward humans or other dogs, hypersensitivity, barrier frustration, and resource-guarding aggression. “Many dogs have multiple other behavior-related issues tied back to anxiety,” Sackman says. “About a year ago, I pulled a year’s worth of cases looking at comorbidities associated with separation anxiety, and they ran the gamut; I believe less than 10 percent had only separation-related anxiety. I recently spoke at the Midwest Veterinary Conference in Columbus, Ohio, and my message to veterinarians was: don’t think of this as just anxiety about departure. A thorough history is vital because one thing impacts the other. If a dog with sound phobia reacts strongly to firecrackers, for example, its separation anxiety is likely to worsen, as well.” A 2020 study of separation anxiety led by scientists from the University of Lincoln in Lincoln, England, concluded separation anxiety in dogs may be viewed as a sign of underlying frustrations rather than a diagnosis, and understanding the root causes could be key to better treatment. More than 2,700 dogs across 100 breeds were involved in the study, which identified four main forms of distress when dogs are separated from their owners: getting away from something in the house; wanting to get to something outside; reacting to external noises or events; and a form of boredom.1 A predisposition Separation anxiety is rarely the owner’s fault, though they sometimes blame themselves. Often, dogs are simply predisposed to such behaviors. “Any kind of life disrupter can cause a recidivism in the behavior,” Sackman explains. “I’ve seen owners who were managing their dog’s anxiety pretty well, and then they moved across country. They downsized their home and their work hours changed, all of which are triggers for recidivism because dogs, like people, want structure and predictability in their lives.” Shelter rescues are especially prone to separation anxiety, says Katherine A. Houpt, VMD, PhD, professor emeritus in Behavioral Medicine at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in Ithaca, N.Y. “Rehomed dogs are more likely because they may think, well, I’ve been abandoned once, and maybe again,” Dr. Houpt says. “They may not have that intellectual capability, but it does seem to be true dogs who have experienced multiple homes are the ones most likely to show separation anxiety. Dogs that have been with a family since they were puppies are usually immune to that. A puppy kept in an exercise pen when it is being housebroken may not become as upset when confined as an adult.” Jenni and Tim Hart's dog, Sylvie, experienced gastrointestinal distress after being apart from one of her owners for a few days—a reaction their veterinarian says was likely linked to separation anxiety. Treating separation anxiety often requires both the use of anxiolytics and behavioral modification. Photo courtesy Jenni Hart What it looks like Separation anxiety can manifest in a variety of ways. One of the most common is destruction at the exit point, where the owner has left the house, says Houpt. “Sometimes dogs will take something of the owner that smells like them and tear it up, or they will rearrange everything,” she adds. “My favorite is the dog that scratched a couch pillow until it was open and the feathers could come out, then went into the bathroom and got the toilet brush and stirred the feathers until they filled the air. That was probably play, but it was presented to me as separation anxiety.” Urination and defecation are also common behaviors associated with separation anxiety, says Sackman. So, too, is collecting throw rugs, removing pillows, chewing on items not normally chewed on, and “counter surfing.” One of the worst examples of anxiety-related destruction Sackman has witnessed occurred after a dog owner moved across country with his pet. He was unable to stay home with the dog because of work, and the dog's anxiety caused $30,000 in damage to the owner’s rental home. “He kept putting tighter and tighter barriers around the dog because of the destruction, and for the dog it was just pure panic,” Sackman says. Frequent separation anxiety can have a detrimental effect on a dog’s mental and physical health, behaviorists note. Panic digging can result in physical injuries, such as damaged nails and lacerated paws, and the ingestion of foam rubber or wood from a chewed-up couch can potentially cause intestinal blockage, Houpt says. Similarly, anxiety-related defecation may lead to dehydration. “I’ve had clients who couldn’t take it anymore and, for the benefit of the pet, elected euthanasia,” says Sackman. “They didn’t know euthanasia is the wrong choice because the dog is suffering. The owners are suffering, too, because they feel they can’t give their pets what they need.” Treatments The treatment of separation anxiety often requires a two-pronged approach: the use of anxiolytics, such as fluoxetine, clomipramine, trazodone, and dexmedetomidine, in conjunction with behavioral modification. “By the time I see a pet, it more than likely is going to need to be put on a daily anxiolytic due to anxiety associated with departures and other things going on,” Sackman says. “They may also need departure medications on top of that, given a few hours before the owner leaves them.” Sackman also recommends installing cameras around the house so the owner can monitor their pet’s behavior while they are away. Equally important is behavior modification to train the dog not to panic when its owner leaves the house. Sackman uses a behavior modification protocol that utilizes counter-conditioning and desensitization. It involves short periods when the owner is out of the pet’s view, followed by a food treat. The period of absences is slowly extended until the dog’s anxiety is sufficiently under control. Houpt encourages dog owners to teach their pets to stay on command. Once they learn to stay with the owner in the room, they can be trained to stay while the owner steps around a corner out of sight. “If they can do that, the dog will stay for minutes without seeing the owner,” Houpt says. “This allows a dog to get used to that minimal type of separation, and the length of the stay apart is gradually extended.” Tim and Jenni Hart work hard to reduce Sylvie’s anxiety. “We try to prepare ahead of time to fend off the anxiety and stress before it becomes an issue,” Jenni says. “If Tim is going to be gone overnight, our plan is to give Sylvie an anti-anxiety medication prophylactically instead of waiting to see if she becomes agitated or stressed. We’ve become more aware of triggers and take steps to reduce Sylvie’s anxiety by preparing for short outings behind closed doors. As long as she doesn’t see the suitcases or fishing tackle, she doesn’t experience the anticipatory stress of a long separation from ‘her person.’” The Harts have learned a lot about anxiety in dogs from their experience with Sylvie. Their advice to veterinarians and owners: “A pet’s anxiety and stress can manifest in dramatic ways, so it’s important to be aware of potential health implications,” Jenni says. “Extreme gastrointestinal upset like Sylvie’s can quickly lead to dehydration, so it’s important to get medical attention.” Don Vaughan is an award-winning writer who frequently writes about veterinary topics. His work has appeared in Writer’s Digest, The Saturday Evening Post, Cure Magazine, and Encyclopedia Britannica. Reference Developing Diagnostic Frameworks in Veterinary Behavior Medicine: Disambiguating Separation Related Problems in Dogs. Front. Vet. Sci., 16 January 2020 Sec. Animal Behavior and Welfare Volume 6 - 2019 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2019.00499
