Separation anxiety is a disorder that not only occurs in human beings, but also in dogs. You may find that your dog exhibits certain behaviors when he or she is left alone. This goes beyond simply whining or looking a bit sad when you leave. Instead, it is a dramatic response that occurs almost every time you leave the house. Owners may find that their dog cries, howls, chews, digs, pees or defecates inside the house even if when they are trained not to do so. They may also scratch, claw and bark.
While professionals don't totally understand why this occurs, it is important that owners realize that the dog is really feeling panicked because the owner is leaving, and they dog or puppy is not out to be mean or to punish their owner for leaving. Some things which heighten the likelihood of separation anxiety include your dog or puppy not having spent a lot of time alone or if you or your family are gone for long period of time. For example, if you go on vacation and then come back your dog may panic when you leave the house again, because they aren’t sure when you might come back.
If your dog has had a real bad experience, for example getting hit by a car or prior abuse, then they may not want you to leave their side. If there has been some big changes in the family, such as you taking a new job and you now have a different schedule, if you have recently changed cities or if your son or daughter goes off to college, this may cause mental anxiety for your dong.