Separation anxiety is one of the most common and serious behaviour problems in dogs, causing genuine distress when left alone. Evidence-based treatments significantly improve welfare outcomes.
Separation anxiety causes genuine panic — not naughtiness — in affected dogs. Each departure triggers a fear response comparable to acute stress, with physiological indicators including elevated cortisol, increased heart rate, and intense distress behaviours. Dogs in the throes of separation anxiety are suffering acutely, not choosing to be destructive. The welfare failure is often on the human side: misidentifying the problem as "dominance" or deliberate misbehaviour, applying punishment that worsens anxiety, or failing to seek appropriate treatment. Effective separation anxiety treatment requires significant owner commitment to graduated departure training. When successful, it transforms the welfare of both dog and owner.