It's no fun to leave for work in the morning and hear your dog barking and howling as you drive away. It's even less fun to come home and find that he has torn up papers, dug a hole in your couch, or chewed at the door.
Some dogs are so terrified of being left alone that they will essentially go off the deep end, howling with misery or, worse, destroying whatever comes within reach. This condition, called separation anxiety, sometimes occurs when dogs have recently moved to a new home or when there has been another upsetting change in their lifestyle, says Steven Diller, adjunct professor of applied animal behavior at Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry, New York, and director of the Center for Animal Behavior and Canine Training in Elmsford.
Cats, especially Siamese and Abyssinians, can also get nervous about staying alone, but generally they fare better on their own than dogs do.
"Dogs are naturally very social creatures," Diller explains. Even though most dogs eventually get used to being alone, for others, enforced isolation always remains a traumatic experience. It's as though they are convinced that you are never coming back. This is especially true in young dogs or those that have been abandoned or those that have changed owners frequently, Diller says.
See Your Vet If...
- Your pet is only destructive when you are gone.
- There has recently been a change in your lifestyle.
- Your pet has begun growling at or biting people.
- He gets panicky in certain situations, such as during thunderstorms.
- He has started pressing his head against walls.
- Your pet is having accidents in the house.
- He is overly possessive of food or toys.
- You can't stop him from barking or meowing.
- Your pet's voice has changed.
- He gets obsessed with odd behaviors, like chasing his tail or biting his feet.
- He urinates when people approach.
- Your pet seems depressed or lethargic.
- He is constantly biting, scratching, or licking himself.
- He often stands with his legs wide apart or at an awkward angle.
- His back arches even when he is not frightened.
- He appears to be having seizures.
- Your pet hesitates to take orders.
- He growls during play.
- He hisses for no reason.
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