# Separation anxiety in dogs: signs, prevention and when to ask for help

https://casatrufa.com/en/blog/separation-anxiety-in-dogs

By Casa Trufa · Published: 2026-10-09 · For information only: it does not replace a visit to your veterinarian

Separation anxiety is the distress a dog suffers when it is left alone or away from its family. It shows as barking or howling, destruction, escape attempts and urine or feces indoors, only when its owners are absent. It is prevented by teaching the dog little by little to be alone and, if it already exists, a veterinarian treats it.

## In short

- It is not disobedience or revenge: it is a distress response.
- The signs appear when the dog is left alone, often within the first few minutes.
- It is prevented from puppyhood with very short absences that get longer little by little.
- Punishing the dog when you return and leaving it to cry until it tires make the problem worse.
- Moderate or severe cases need a professional plan; medication, if needed, is the veterinarian’s decision.

## What is separation anxiety in dogs?

It is the distress a dog feels when it is separated from the people it is attached to. The [ASPCA](https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/common-dog-behavior-issues/separation-anxiety) stresses that the behaviors it causes are not disobedience or spite, but distress responses. The dog does not wreck the door to punish you: it wrecks it because it is frightened and wants to get out and find you.

That difference changes everything. A poorly trained dog needs to learn a rule; a dog with anxiety needs to stop being afraid, and scolding does not achieve that.

Not every dog that does something it should not while alone has this problem. The word “anxiety” gets used loosely, and the diagnosis belongs to a veterinarian. What follows is meant to help you recognize when to see one.

## What are the signs of separation anxiety in dogs?

They appear when the dog is left alone or separated from its family: persistent barking or howling, destruction, escape attempts, urine or feces indoors and nonstop pacing. According to the [Merck manual](https://www.merckvetmanual.com/dog-owners/behavior-of-dogs/behavior-problems-in-dogs), they tend to be most intense in the first 15 to 30 minutes.

| Sign | What it looks like |
| --- | --- |
| Vocalizing | Persistent barking or howling, with no outside noise to explain it |
| Destruction | Above all at doors, door frames and windows: the exit points |
| Escape attempts | With a risk of injuring teeth, nails and paws |
| Urine or feces indoors | In a dog that was already house-trained, and only when left alone |
| Restlessness | Walks in circles or back and forth along the same route |
| Before you leave | Becomes agitated or subdued on seeing you pick up your keys or put on your shoes |

The list is from the ASPCA, which adds that the dog usually starts barking and showing distress within a few minutes of being left alone.

## How do you tell it apart from boredom or a medical problem?

By when it happens, and by ruling out physical causes first. If the dog urinates both when you are home and when you are out, it is not separation anxiety. The ASPCA asks that the veterinarian first rule out a urinary infection, incontinence, bladder stones or the effect of a medication.

A dog that gets little activity can also break things, with no distress involved. A puppy that chews furniture or urinates when alone, for its part, may simply not have learned yet; that is what [basic puppy training](https://casatrufa.com/en/blog/basic-puppy-training) is for.

> [!CONSEJO] Leave your phone or a camera recording when you go out. Seeing what the dog does, how long it takes to start and how long it lasts is the most useful information you can take to the veterinarian.

The ASPCA mentions several changes that can trigger the problem in a dog that used to stay calm: a change of family, an abrupt change of schedule, a move or the sudden absence of someone in the household.

## How do you prevent separation anxiety in a puppy?

By teaching the puppy, from its first weeks at home, that being alone for a while is normal and ends well. The veterinary charity [PDSA](https://www.pdsa.org.uk/preventing-separation-anxiety) suggests doing it in very small steps, rewarding calm and lengthening the time only when the previous step no longer costs the puppy any effort.

1. **Move a few steps away** within the same room. If the puppy stays calm, come back and reward it.
2. **Leave the room for an instant** and return. If it stays calm, reward.
3. **Lengthen the time** little by little, repeating many times.
4. **Leave the house** for a moment and gradually increase how long you are gone.
5. **If the puppy becomes distressed**, go back to the previous step. The puppy sets the pace.

Three habits also help:

- **Calm departures and arrivals.** The PDSA recommends keeping things calm when you leave and when you return, with no long goodbyes or euphoric welcomes.
- **Time alone every day.** The veterinary society [AVSAB](https://avsab.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Puppy-Socialization-Position-Statement-FINAL.pdf) recommends scheduling time for the puppy to play on its own with a food-stuffed toy or to sleep in a safe place, such as its crate or a playpen; that way it learns to entertain itself and excessive attachment is prevented.
- **Something to do.** A food toy that the puppy has first learned to use with you there.

This is part of [puppy socialization](https://casatrufa.com/en/blog/puppy-socialization): AVSAB notes that offering a variety of experiences during the first year also helps prevent these problems. The [first week at home](https://casatrufa.com/en/blog/your-puppys-first-week-at-home) is for keeping the puppy company; from then on, independence is built a little at a time.

## How long can a dog be left alone?

As a reference point, no more than four hours at a stretch for an adult dog, and far less for a puppy. That is the limit given by the PDSA, which describes four hours as the most a dog should be left alone on a regular basis, and by the [RSPCA](https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/dogs/behaviour/separationrelatedbehaviour/treatment), with the same figure.

These are recommendations from British organizations, not a rule, and tolerance varies with each dog’s age and experience. But they are useful for doing the math before bringing a dog home: an office day plus the commute comfortably exceeds that limit.

If that is your situation, it needs to be solved beforehand: someone who drops by at midday, a dog walker you trust, a relative, or working from home some days. The guide to [apartment dogs](https://casatrufa.com/en/guides/apartment-dogs-in-colombia) and the [quiz](https://casatrufa.com/en/quiz) help you think it through honestly.

## What should you not do?

Punish the dog, leave it to cry until it tires, or shut it in so it cannot break anything. All three go after the symptom and increase the fear. The RSPCA and the PDSA expressly ask owners not to punish destruction, and the ASPCA gives the reason: these are distress responses, not disobedience.

- **Do not scold the dog when you return.** According to the RSPCA, the dog does not connect your anger with what it did hours earlier; what it learns is to fear your return, and that makes the next absences worse.
- **Do not leave it to “cry it out”.** The RSPCA rejects that method: it teaches the dog that being alone is terrifying and subjects it to prolonged stress.
- **Do not use the crate as a remedy.** The [PDSA](https://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/looking-after-your-pet/puppies-dogs/crate-training) warns that it should not be used to manage separation anxiety without professional guidance, and the ASPCA describes escape attempts that end in injury.
- **Do not use anti-bark collars or other aversive methods.** [AVSAB](https://avsab.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/AVSAB-Humane-Dog-Training-Position-Statement-2021.pdf) states that they should not be used in the treatment of behavior disorders.
- **Do not medicate the dog on your own**, whether with anything meant for people or with what worked for an acquaintance’s dog.

What does bring relief while help arrives, according to the RSPCA: a walk before you leave, a small meal or a food toy half an hour beforehand, closed curtains, a quiet room and the radio on to muffle outside noises.

## When should you see a veterinary behaviorist?

When the signs keep recurring, when the dog hurts itself or destroys things trying to get out, when the neighbors complain or when what you do at home is not enough. The first step is your veterinarian, who rules out medical causes and decides whether to refer you to a clinical behaviorist, the veterinarian who specializes in behavior.

> [!AVISO] See your veterinarian without delay if your dog injures itself trying to escape (broken nails, fractured teeth, blood on doors or windows), stops eating, or the problem appeared suddenly in a dog that used to stay calm.

The treatment follows a well-known logic. The ASPCA separates mild cases, which may improve by associating being alone with something very good, such as a food-stuffed toy, from moderate or severe ones, which need a program of gradual habituation to longer and longer absences, guided by a professional. It is slow, and the RSPCA gives the rule that governs it: do not leave the dog alone for longer than it can tolerate without becoming distressed.

On medication, AVSAB notes that it may be necessary in serious problems such as separation anxiety, that it should not be seen as a last resort and that the dog should always be assessed by a veterinarian to obtain a diagnosis and a plan. Which medication, how much and for how long is decided by the veterinarian who examines the dog: talk to your veterinarian before giving anything.

When choosing whom to see, AVSAB’s criterion applies: professionals who work with reward-based methods. Anxiety is not corrected with punishment, because it is not an offense.

## Frequently asked questions

**How do I know if my dog has separation anxiety or is just bored?** The clue is when it happens: with separation anxiety, the destruction, barking or urination appears only when the dog is left alone and usually starts within a few minutes of your leaving. Filming the dog helps you see it; the diagnosis is made by the veterinarian.

**How many hours can a dog be left alone?** The PDSA and the RSPCA give four hours as the usual limit for an adult dog, and far less for a puppy. It depends on each dog’s age and experience.

**Does getting a second dog for company help?** There is no guarantee. The distress is usually tied to the absence of the dog’s people, not to the lack of another dog. Before making that decision, it is worth discussing it with the veterinarian.

**Should I shut my dog in a crate while I am out?** Not as a solution to anxiety. The PDSA warns that a crate should not be used to manage a separation anxiety problem without professional guidance, and the ASPCA describes escape attempts with a risk of injury.

**Can separation anxiety be cured?** Many dogs improve with a well-run gradual habituation plan, but it takes weeks of steady work and there are no shortcuts. The outlook for your dog is something the veterinarian treating it will give you.

**Are there medications for separation anxiety?** Yes, and in some cases they are part of the treatment, but they are prescribed only by a veterinarian after examining the dog, and always alongside a behavior modification plan. Never give your dog human medications.

## Sources

1. [ASPCA: Separation anxiety](https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/common-dog-behavior-issues/separation-anxiety). Signs, triggers, medical causes to rule out and treatment
2. [RSPCA: Treating separation anxiety](https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/dogs/behaviour/separationrelatedbehaviour/treatment). What to do, what not to do and maximum time alone
3. [PDSA: Preventing separation anxiety](https://www.pdsa.org.uk/preventing-separation-anxiety). Habituation steps for puppies
4. [Merck Veterinary Manual (dog owner version): behavior problems in dogs](https://www.merckvetmanual.com/dog-owners/behavior-of-dogs/behavior-problems-in-dogs). Signs are most intense in the first 15 to 30 minutes
5. [AVSAB: position statement on puppy socialization](https://avsab.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Puppy-Socialization-Position-Statement-FINAL.pdf). 2008. Time alone and a variety of experiences as prevention
6. [AVSAB: position statement on humane dog training](https://avsab.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/AVSAB-Humane-Dog-Training-Position-Statement-2021.pdf). 2021. Veterinary assessment, the role of medication and rejection of aversive methods
7. [PDSA: Crate training](https://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/looking-after-your-pet/puppies-dogs/crate-training). A crate is not a tool for managing separation anxiety without professional guidance