Dog whining topped the charts as the no1 separation anxiety behaviour according to a report aided by the Danish Animal Welfare Society.
Hence if you've been pondering what a dog with separation anxiety does when they're left home on their own, this study aimed to look in detail at the kinds of dog behavior shown by dogs and have a look at what else happened to them during a 4 hour time period.
Dog whining was used by a whopping 95% of dog to show their anxiety, which is not good news if you have a dog with separation anxiety and also have neighbors! To make things worse, the study indicated that dog whining was closely linked with a dog howling too , which is not only much louder than whining, the noise also carries over greater distances.
Vocalisation and Destructive Behaviour in Dogs
Video recordings were used to examine the activity of dogs with separation anxiety problems when left at home alone and divided the dogs behaviour into the following separate categories:
- Vocalisation; including barking, howling and whining
- Destruction; including scratching, digging, chewing and tearing objects apart
- Appetite related activities; including sniffing at different objects and nosing under doors
- Displacement activities; including yawning and licking
- Predator behavior;
Of all of the sections analysed, the clearest relationship was between dogs that showed vocalisation and destructive behaviour. This cross over was seen in 80 percent of the dogs in the study.
Affect of Time on Separation Anxiety Behavior
The dogs activities were plotted against a time chart and the results confirmed that separation anxiety behaviour reached peak intensity shortly after the owner left home and then typically decreased exponentially over 20-30 minute cycle.
Nevertheless, if the dogs fears were reignited by external stimuli (such as noise) the time pattern was sometimes reset to the start, so that the dog took an equal period of time to begin to relax once more. The more anxious the dog, the more blurred the time patterns became, which explains why some dogs can continue to bark constantly during the day.
Study Dispels 2 Myths about Separation Anxiety in Dogs
Interestingly, the study finished by claiming that there wasn't any proof that separation anxiety behaviours were caused by disobedience or boredom. Hopefully this could go some way toward exposing some of the worst misconceptions around separation anxiety in dogs.
For example, it is quite typically assumed that boredom is the cause of a dog's bad behaviour when left home alone. This interpretation leaves many dog lovers feeling guilty and thinking they have to heap their dog with interesting toys before they are going out.
One more reason that you often hear from dog keepers who return home to destruction and mess, is that their dog does it deliberately, almost to spite them for being left home alone. But if disobedience is not a component in dog separation anxiety behaviour then this reason also starts to look like another of those misconceptions.
Understanding isn't the same as Action
As fascinating as studies like this are, and as handy as they are to help us increase our understanding of separation anxiety in dogs, action is what's required to reduce the anxiety. So if your dog shows any of the symptoms discussed, find a good dog separation anxiety training routine and get into action now!
Hence if you've been pondering what a dog with separation anxiety does when they're left home on their own, this study aimed to look in detail at the kinds of dog behavior shown by dogs and have a look at what else happened to them during a 4 hour time period.
Dog whining was used by a whopping 95% of dog to show their anxiety, which is not good news if you have a dog with separation anxiety and also have neighbors! To make things worse, the study indicated that dog whining was closely linked with a dog howling too , which is not only much louder than whining, the noise also carries over greater distances.
Vocalisation and Destructive Behaviour in Dogs
Video recordings were used to examine the activity of dogs with separation anxiety problems when left at home alone and divided the dogs behaviour into the following separate categories:
- Vocalisation; including barking, howling and whining
- Destruction; including scratching, digging, chewing and tearing objects apart
- Appetite related activities; including sniffing at different objects and nosing under doors
- Displacement activities; including yawning and licking
- Predator behavior;
Of all of the sections analysed, the clearest relationship was between dogs that showed vocalisation and destructive behaviour. This cross over was seen in 80 percent of the dogs in the study.
Affect of Time on Separation Anxiety Behavior
The dogs activities were plotted against a time chart and the results confirmed that separation anxiety behaviour reached peak intensity shortly after the owner left home and then typically decreased exponentially over 20-30 minute cycle.
Nevertheless, if the dogs fears were reignited by external stimuli (such as noise) the time pattern was sometimes reset to the start, so that the dog took an equal period of time to begin to relax once more. The more anxious the dog, the more blurred the time patterns became, which explains why some dogs can continue to bark constantly during the day.
Study Dispels 2 Myths about Separation Anxiety in Dogs
Interestingly, the study finished by claiming that there wasn't any proof that separation anxiety behaviours were caused by disobedience or boredom. Hopefully this could go some way toward exposing some of the worst misconceptions around separation anxiety in dogs.
For example, it is quite typically assumed that boredom is the cause of a dog's bad behaviour when left home alone. This interpretation leaves many dog lovers feeling guilty and thinking they have to heap their dog with interesting toys before they are going out.
One more reason that you often hear from dog keepers who return home to destruction and mess, is that their dog does it deliberately, almost to spite them for being left home alone. But if disobedience is not a component in dog separation anxiety behaviour then this reason also starts to look like another of those misconceptions.
Understanding isn't the same as Action
As fascinating as studies like this are, and as handy as they are to help us increase our understanding of separation anxiety in dogs, action is what's required to reduce the anxiety. So if your dog shows any of the symptoms discussed, find a good dog separation anxiety training routine and get into action now!
About the Author:
The Author, Venice Marriott learnt about dog anxiety directly with her own rescue dog Sherlock and has been learning about the effects of anxiety and the most effective paths to reduce anxiety for the last 2 years. Find out more about dog whining and separation anxiety by visiting her blog.
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