Separation anxiety is one of the most prevalent and distressing behavioural conditions affecting dogs, causing acute suffering when alone and placing enormous strain on the human-animal bond.
Separation anxiety welfare impacts are underappreciated because the suffering occurs when owners are absent — they often see only the evidence (destruction, soiling) rather than the distress itself. Remote camera footage of anxious dogs pacing, panting, and vocalising for hours conveys the severity that owner accounts alone cannot. For dogs with established separation anxiety, this suffering occurs every day, often for hours at a time, across years. Treatment is effective but requires sustained commitment and professional guidance that many owners cannot access or afford. The pandemic cohort of dogs with inadequate alone-time experience represents a preventable welfare crisis now manifesting in behavioural services worldwide.