- August 25, 2026
- Dogs, Pet Behavior & Training
Separation anxiety in dogs: signs and what helps
You come home to a chewed door frame, a puddle by the exit and a neighbor who mentions the howling. Your dog greets you as if you had been gone for a year, and is perfectly calm whenever you are home. That pattern points to separation anxiety, and it responds to patient, step-by-step training, sometimes with help from medication your veterinarian prescribes.
Key takeaways
- Separation anxiety is panic about being left alone. The barking, chewing, pacing or accidents happen when you are gone, not when you are home.
- See your veterinarian first. Incontinence, a urinary infection and some medications can look like an anxiety problem.
- Training works by building up time alone in tiny steps the dog can handle, starting with absences of a second or two.
- Never scold or punish an anxious dog. It makes the fear worse.
- For moderate or severe cases, medication prescribed by your veterinarian can make training possible. Most dogs need both together.
What separation anxiety in dogs looks like
The Merck Veterinary Manual describes separation anxiety as a syndrome in which a dog panics when left alone. It can lead a dog to bark, pace or eliminate in the house, and confined dogs often damage kennels, walls or doors trying to get back to their people. Merck notes that the signs are often most severe within the first 15 to 30 minutes after the dog is left.
The ASPCA’s guide to separation anxiety lists the behaviors owners most often see:
- Urinating or defecating indoors only when left alone
- Persistent barking or howling with no trigger other than being alone
- Chewing door frames or window sills, digging at doorways, or destroying household objects
- Escape attempts that can injure teeth, paws and nails
- Pacing a fixed path, in circles or back and forth
- Agitation, drooling or a worried look while you get ready to leave
The key detail is timing. According to the ASPCA, these behaviors usually start within minutes of your departure and do not happen while you are home. A dog that chews shoes while you watch TV, or barks at every passing truck whether you are home or not, has a different problem.
That is why the ASPCA asks owners to rule out look-alikes before deciding it is separation anxiety. A dog who urinates during greetings or when scolded, a dog who was never fully house trained, a dog who scent marks, a young dog who chews whether or not you are home, and a bored dog who simply needs more to do can all leave the same mess behind. For anxiety that is not tied to your leaving, such as fear of noises or visitors, see our post on what to do about a stressed-out dog.
Why some dogs develop it
The ASPCA says there is no conclusive evidence for exactly why dogs develop separation anxiety. Because far more dogs adopted from shelters have the problem than dogs kept by one family since puppyhood, losing an important person or group is believed to play a part. The ASPCA also lists situations that have been associated with it:
- Being surrendered to a shelter or placed with a new family
- An abrupt change in schedule, such as a guardian who worked from home starting a job that leaves the dog alone for six or more hours
- Moving to a new home
- The sudden absence of a family member who moved out or died
Back-to-school season can bring exactly that kind of change. A summer at home ends, and a dog who had company all day is suddenly alone. If you recently brought home a dog from a shelter, our guide to adopting a dog or cat in Cleveland covers the first month, when a predictable routine helps most.
A step-by-step plan for separation anxiety training
The goal is to teach your dog to tolerate, and ideally enjoy, time alone by never letting an absence get long enough to cause panic. Merck’s overview of behavior modification in dogs describes desensitization as teaching a dog to tolerate a situation by exposing it to that situation in small steps, and counterconditioning as reducing an unwanted behavior by teaching the dog to replace it with a more favorable one. The ASPCA applies counterconditioning to separation anxiety by building an association between being alone and good things, such as delicious food. The sequence below follows the ASPCA’s program.
- Book a vet exam first. The ASPCA lists a urinary tract infection, a weak bladder sphincter from old age, bladder stones, diabetes, kidney disease and Cushing’s disease among the medical causes of urinary incontinence, and notes that some medications cause frequent urination. Rule those out before you start training.
- Make departures predict something good. For mild cases, give your dog a puzzle toy stuffed with food that takes at least 20 to 30 minutes to finish each time you leave, and pick it up when you get home so it only appears when you are gone. The ASPCA cautions that this works only for mild cases, because a very anxious dog usually will not eat while alone.
- Take the sting out of your cues. If your dog panics when you pick up your keys or put on your coat, do those things many times a day without leaving. Put on your coat and sit down to watch TV. It takes weeks of repetition for the cues to stop predicting a long absence.
- Practice out-of-sight stays. Ask your dog to sit or lie down and stay while you step behind an inside door, such as the bathroom, then the bedroom, and later an exit door you do not normally use.
- Start absences at one or two seconds. Step outside and come right back. Lengthen the time slowly, and once you reach five to ten seconds, hand over the stuffed toy just before you go. Wait a few minutes between repetitions so your dog is fully relaxed before the next one.
- Watch for stress and back up when you see it. The ASPCA lists dilated pupils, panting, yawning, drooling, trembling, pacing and an over-the-top greeting as signs you went too far. Shorten the absence to a level your dog handles calmly and progress more slowly from there.
- Build to 40 minutes, then longer. The ASPCA says most anxious responses happen in the first 40 minutes alone, so progress there is often measured in seconds per session. After 40 calm minutes, increase in larger chunks. Once your dog stays relaxed for 90 minutes, the ASPCA suggests trying four hours, then working up to longer days.
Two rules hold the plan together. Keep hellos and goodbyes calm and brief, and do not leave your dog alone longer than it can handle while you train, or the panic undoes the progress. The ASPCA suggests a friend, family member or sitter for the in-between days. Many dogs with separation anxiety do fine as long as someone is with them.
Call us before you go further on your own if your dog has broken a tooth, cut its paws or damaged its nails trying to escape, or panics even at very short absences. The ASPCA says this kind of training is tricky: fear must be avoided or the dog gets more frightened, and a dog’s reactions can be hard to read. For moderate or severe cases it recommends help from a board-certified veterinary behaviorist (Dip ACVB) or a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist.
Crates, exercise and other things that help
Use a crate only if your dog likes it. The ASPCA says a crate helps some dogs who learn it is their safe place, and adds stress for others. Watch your dog in the crate while you are home. Heavy panting, heavy drooling, frantic escape attempts or nonstop howling mean the crate is not the right tool, and a room behind a baby gate is a better choice. For puppies, Ohio State’s Indoor Pet Initiative says using a crate to teach independence helps a puppy stay calm when left alone, which is important in preventing separation anxiety.
Tire out body and brain. The ASPCA recommends at least 30 minutes of aerobic activity every day, ideally right before you leave, plus walks on new routes, games of fetch or tug, food puzzles and chew items. It notes that chewing and licking have been shown to have a calming effect on dogs.
Choose reward-based training. Merck reports that dogs trained with rewards have fewer behavior problems and are less fearful, and that training built on punishment or confrontation is more likely to lead to fear, avoidance and aggression. The ASPCA suggests a reward-based training class to keep your dog’s mind busy and strengthen your bond.
Never punish the mess. The ASPCA is direct about this: anxious behaviors are distress responses, not disobedience or spite, and punishment can make the problem much worse. For more on reading a dog’s behavior, see our older post on pet behavior and the rest of our behavior and training posts.
When to ask your vet about dog anxiety medication
Medication is not a shortcut, and it is not a failure. The ASPCA says it can be very helpful, especially in severe cases where a dog is too distraught for training to even begin, and that most dogs need a combination of medication and behavior modification. Merck agrees that drug treatment for behavior problems is most useful when it is combined with behavior modification.
Merck’s table of common drugs used to treat behavior problems in dogs lists fluoxetine and clomipramine as FDA approved for canine separation anxiety. Your veterinarian will choose a drug and dose based on your dog’s exam and history, so we do not list doses here. Merck’s owner guide also sets expectations: medication usually takes some time to work, it is often used for several months, the behavior can return once it stops, and stomach upset such as reduced appetite, vomiting or diarrhea is the most common side effect.
Always talk to your veterinarian before giving your dog any medication for a behavior problem, as the ASPCA advises. If your dog already takes a prescribed medication and needs a refill, request it through our fill a prescription page and please allow 12-24 hours for your prescription to be filled.
Common questions about dog separation anxiety
Can my dog go to daycare or a sitter while we train?
Yes, and the ASPCA recommends it. During training, your dog should not be left alone longer than it can handle, so the ASPCA suggests taking your dog to work, having a friend, family member or sitter stay with your dog, or using a sitter’s house or a doggy daycare. It notes that most dogs with separation anxiety are fine as long as someone is with them, and that someone does not have to be you.
How long does separation anxiety training take?
It depends on the dog and on how often you practice. The ASPCA says the step-by-step program can be done within a few weeks if you run several sessions a day on weekends and two a day during the work week, usually before work and in the evening. Each dog sets its own pace, and the ASPCA warns that absences that are too long provoke anxiety and make the problem worse, so slow and steady is faster in the end.
Do calming treats work for dog separation anxiety?
The ASPCA and Merck guidance in this article centers on training and on medication prescribed by a veterinarian, not on calming treats. If you want to try a supplement or treat, ask your veterinarian first, especially if your dog takes other medications, and keep the training plan going alongside it. A food puzzle or chew item is worth offering, since the ASPCA notes chewing and licking can help a dog relax.
Can a dog grow out of separation anxiety on its own?
Do not count on it. The ASPCA and Merck both describe training, sometimes with prescribed medication, as the way to change how a dog feels about being alone, and the ASPCA warns that absences longer than a dog can handle make the problem worse. If you notice the signs in a new or young dog, begin short practice absences now and talk to your veterinarian about a plan.
Help for an anxious dog in Parma
If your dog falls apart when you leave, start with an exam so we can rule out a medical cause and talk through a training plan, a referral to a behavior specialist, or medication if your dog needs it. Call us at 440.845.7141 or book a visit with one of our veterinarians.
Our hospital at 6270 State Road in Parma is open Monday through Friday from 7:30am to 5:30pm and is closed Saturday and Sunday.
