Dogs acquired during COVID-19 lockdowns developed over-attachment to owners that left many struggling with separation anxiety as normal routines resumed.
Dogs with separation anxiety experience genuine panic when left alone - elevated heart rate, cortisol, and stress behaviors indicate a real fear response, not attention-seeking. The welfare harm is significant: affected dogs spend hours in distress while owners are away. The pandemic cohort represents a generation of dogs whose developmental period failed to include the normal experience of being alone. Medication combined with behavioral modification achieves faster, more durable outcomes than behavioral intervention alone for severe cases.