The dog breeds that are more likely to have this problem are the German Shepherd, Australian Shepherd, Border Collie, Jack Russell Terrier, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Bichon Frise, Toy Poodle, Labrador Retriever, Cocker Spaniel, and German Shorthaired Pointer.
The most common reasons for anxiety in a dog is abandonment, fear of being home alone, loud noises, traveling, and/or being around strange people, children, or other pets. We've also seen the anxiety in dogs that have been abused or neglected.
If you're looking for dog breeds with low separation anxiety, consider the traditional Greyhound, Basset hound, French bulldog or Maltese. While there are no dogs without separation anxiety, these breeds are less likely to suffer from distress when you have to leave them alone.
In the recent study, first author Milla Salonen and her colleagues analyzed the behaviors that 13,715 pet dogs from Finland — belonging to 264 different breeds — exhibited. Their findings appear in Scientific Reports .
Do puppies grow out of separation anxiety? Unfortunately, puppies don't just grow out of separation anxiety. If you leave it untreated, it will likely just get worse, and it certainly won't get any better! However, thankfully, it's not too difficult to treat and just takes a little TLC and training.
Usually, dogs do not outgrow separation anxiety. Very mild separation anxiety may improve over time, but that isn't the case in most instances of moderate to severe separation anxiety. The condition has nothing to do with age, so it's not likely to improve on its own without some sort of intervention and treatment.
Stress signs to look for include whale eye (when dogs reveal the whites of their eyes), tucked ears, tucked tail, raised hackles, lip-licking, yawning, and panting. Your dog might also avoid eye contact or look away.
When alone, the animal exhibits anxiety or excessive distress behaviors. Most fears, phobias, and anxieties develop at the onset of social maturity, from 12 to 36 months of age. A profound form of fear and withdrawal of unknown cause occurs at 8 to 10 months of age.
When dogs are feeling anxious, they will show signs of their fearfulness in their physical reactions. A dog that has encountered a "stress" may appear to be cowering. You may see the dog tuck his tail or show a low tail carriage. The dog may actually shake or tremble from the fear.
The minimum treatment for anxiety in dogs usually averages 4-6 months but can take years in some cases. Medication therapy may help alleviate your dog's response to triggers and can assist in learning new behaviors.
Keep them calm, controlled and short. In fact, it would help your dog if you ignore her for 15 minutes before you leave and for 15 minutes after you get home. It is also advisable that you learn the signs of your dog's anxiety (whining, trembling, not eating, panting, pacing, ears back etc.).
Puppies don't have long attention spans, so distractions can keep them on their toes and out of trouble. The more distracted they are, the less likely they are to take their boredom out on your belongings. So, to be clear – YES, leave the TV on for your dog.
A recent study conducted by animal science researcher Nancy Dreschel found that dogs with anxiety made to interact with strangers were likely to have a shorter lifespan (averaging about 6 months) than dogs without anxiety.
