Are you concerned that your dog may have separation anxiety? You leave for work only to come home to your new dining room tablecloth on the floor in pieces. Your best friend has shredded it to pieces.

And to make things worse, Fido greets you with such enthusiasm, not understanding why you are mad.

Dog separation anxiety is a common problem that many dogs may develop. Simply put it is an anxiety disorder similar to the human panic disorder.

It has been noted that dog separation anxiety is a state of intense panic brought on by your leaving the dog isolated away from you for a specific period of time. And that could be only minutes to hours. Your dog is unique so he may not start to panic until hours after you’re gone or he may panic as soon as the door shuts behind you.

For example, when you head out for work or errands without your canine companion, he quickly plunges into a state of fear that you won’t be back. This nervous anxiety, which intensifies rapidly, creates extreme behavior issues.

By nature dogs are social (pack) animals, so when left alone they may not know how to handle the isolation. Your pup needs lots of companionship to thrive and social interaction with you, other humans and other dogs in order to be happy and content.

Canine disconnection from his social network can affect some dogs worse than others. The ones that are more prone to dog separation anxiety are those than cannot stand be left behind for long periods of time.

You may be wondering, “What actually causes dog separation anxiety?” Well, it is believed that some breeds are actually predisposed towards insecurity, which leads to anxiety.

Some of theses breeds include Springer Spaniels, Airedales, Weimaraners, and German Shepherds.


Additionally, many of the dogs that come from shelters have, or will develop, separation anxiety. This is not surprising since, at some point in their lives they have experienced some type of abuse or abandonment.

If you have a shelter dog you might consider their history and realize they have trust issues. They can’t be sure you won’t treat them the same as their previous humans.

Another possibility for the cause of dog separation anxiety might stem from the fact that your dog was from his mother and litter mates way too early. This is common practice for pet store purchased puppies.

These retail store dogs are snatched from their mother well before the recommended 6-8 weeks, thrown into isolation with glass walls and kept there until they, hopefully, get bought.

The trauma of be weaned early and the lack of exercise the confinement causes, as well as very little interaction with others, is foundation for dog separation anxiety.

Simply put, this is neglect and detrimental to a puppy’s well being.

For a detailed look at, and lessons on, how to help alleviate your favorite Fido’s anxiety, check out Secrets to Dog Training. It’s a great learning tool for anyone who wants to learn how to deal constructively with dog separation anxiety and other dog problem behaviors.

Visit the Secrets to Dog Training site by clicking on the link below: