5 Ways To Tell If Your Dog Has Separation Anxiety

Dogs are similar to humans in many ways. Much like us primates, members of the Canidae family are also vulnerable to things like phobia, stress, and anxiety. At times it can be hard to distinguish between separation anxiety and bad manners seeing as some of the symptoms are the same. That said, some signs can tell you when your dog is having an episode of separation anxiety.

Persistent barking

Persistent barking is one of the common signs of separation anxiety. Some owners think that their dogs are just inherently noisy, but the truth is that pets will only make noise if they have reason to — at least most of the time. If you notice your dog being excessively noisy, especially after you’ve just returned home, it might be because they have separation anxiety.

Chewing on furniture

Chewed furniture is one thing that most pet owners hate. Anything from shoes, sofas, and sometimes even the TV remote can fall victim to your dog’s chewing habits. That said, while some dogs just have the habit of chewing your stuff until it’s an unrecognizable blob, other pets only resort to this type of behavior in an effort to ease their separation anxiety.

Urinating and defecating

Cleaning up after dogs is by far the least fun part of owning a pet. That said, sometimes dogs don’t soil their sheets on purpose. You’ll find that dogs often make a mess because they’re anxious, possibly due to separation anxiety.

Aggression

Some dogs are aggressive due to harsh upbringings. You’ll often find that of the dogs with aggressive behavior, most of them are rescues that have been through a lot during their time on the streets. Aggression can also be caused by separation anxiety. If your dog is normally calm but tends to show aggressive behavior whenever you return from a trip out, this could be an indicator that they’re suffering from separation anxiety.

Tremors

Many things can cause tremors and seizures in dogs — hyperglycemia, anemia, and brain cancer to name a few. Another thing that can cause tremors is separation anxiety. If you notice tremors, especially if it’s in conjunction with other symptoms in this list, your dog might be suffering from separation anxiety.

The solution?

Now you know how to diagnose separation anxiety, but there’s still the question of treatment. Recent studies have shown that hemp oil can help with dogs who have separation anxiety. If you want to see the results for yourself, go pick up a tincture over at the official Friendly Paws shop.