Separation Anxiety is a severe emotional problem where the dog becomes panicked when his owner leaves. Owners with dogs who are destructive when left alone commonly mistake this for separation anxiety when it is usually just a bored pup.  Dogs usually display true separation anxiety by the following behaviors:

• Follows you around demanding your attention and shows signs of stress when you get ready to leave
• Vocal when left unattended - barking, whining and often howling
• Destroys recently worn personal items (socks, clothing, etc.) or areas around exits where dog might see you leave (doors or windows).  This typically occurs 20 minutes after you leave the home.
• Pants, salivates, chews on itself
• Urinates or defecates although it is normally potty trained
• When you arrive home, dog is overly excited and still stressed when greeting you

Destructive behaviors that stem from separation anxiety are often not seen while you are home because the nervous feelings only happen when you are leaving.

Kheli works with Service Dog "JJ" on tugging off the jacket

Solve Problems Before They Happen
Prevent separation anxiety from occurring in the first place. Use these tips to build up your dog’s comfort and confidence when you’re gone.

A tired dog is a good dog!
A dog needs to exercise its body and mind.  A healthy dog that gets anywhere from 20 to 120 minutes of full on running per day will sleep while it's alone. 

Mental exercise also occupies and tires out your dog. Use positive and fun training games, food dispensing toys and puzzle toys to help your dog stay happy and busy.

Teach your dog to like its crate
A crate can be a safe and cozy place for your dog to stay while you are away.   If you introduce the crate in a fun way, your dog should easily want to use its crate to chew on its bone, take an afternoon nap, play with its toy or just relax in.  This is an easy way to teach independence and give your dog its own special place in the home. If your dog might be destructive when left alone, be sure the close him in the crate when you leave.

Fun begins when my parent leaves!
It’s nice for your pup to learn that when you leave, it gets something really special.  Give your dog a yummy filled Kong or a special toy as you grab your keys and       head out the door.  Your dog will begin to get excited to see you go.

Keep comings and goings calm and boring
If you make a big deal and give lots of hugs and kisses when you leave or arrive home, you could be teaching your pup that these are really emotion-filled times for you and it will easily pick up on that and become intensely emotional as well.

If your dog has been diagnosed with separation anxiety,
here are a variety of things you can do to treat it.

Put your dog away!
If using a crate, put your dog in the crate and ignore it for 20 minutes before you leave.  Then, don't let it out until 20 minutes after you arrive home. Open the crate door only when your dog is calm.  This not only teaches your dog that arrivals and departures are no big deal, but also teaches it that self-control, patience and calm behavior are what get results.

No attention
If your dog is loose in the house when you leave, give it no attention within 20 minutes of leaving or arriving home to prevent it from being overly anxious or excited.

Being alone can be fun!       
Play a crate game.   Throw treats into the crate and have him go in and out 2 to 5 times throughout the day.  When beginning, keep the crate door open. 

Once your pup is easily doing this, begin to shut the door and give treats through the kennel, then immediately let him out.  Throw some treats in the back of the kennel and let him spend some time finding them.  Once he is comfortable, give him a yummy Kong, close the crate door and when he is busily licking at it, walk to the other room for a minute then come back and let him out.  Gradually increase the time you are in the other room so he learns that it is no big deal for you to not be with him. 

Be unpredictable
Try putting your dog in its crate and leaving for different amounts of time.  Your dog will notice that you don't always leave it all day long. 

Desensitize your dog
Practice your coming and going behaviors like putting on perfume or grabbing your keys throughout the day when you won’t be leaving the house for at least an hour.  This teaches your dog that those behaviors don't necessarily mean they will be alone soon.

Note:  Don't forget to also include all the exercises to prevent separation anxiety from above with the treatment plan for a really successful mission.           

 After reading these ideas, if you are still worried that your dog has separation anxiety get an evaluation by a professional.  There is a great book by Patricia B. McConnell titled I'll Be Home Soon which is also be a wonderful tool.