Patient: Bailey, a three-year-old neutered male Beagle.
History: Bailey’s owner adopted him from a local shelter three
months prior. He had been in two homes before that. Bailey is
a friendly happy dog. However, he gets very upset and destroys
the house whenever his owner leaves him home alone.
Bailey begins to pace when his owner puts on her jacket or
picks up her keys. When she leaves she can hear him barking.
Neighbors report that the barking goes on for hours. Bailey has
broken out of multiple crates. He has torn up the couch and
several pairs of shoes, so he is now confined to the kitchen with
a tall baby gate. However, he still barks incessantly whenever his owner goes out.
The Doctor Visit: Bailey had a thorough physical exam and blood tests. His tests were
normal. After an in-depth discussion with the veterinarian about Bailey’s behavior
problem, Bailey was diagnosed with separation anxiety. This condition causes some
dogs to become very distressed when their owners leave them home alone, because
they have an excessive emotional attachment to the person. Any dog can have separation
anxiety, but dogs that are nervous or high strung, or those that have gone from home to
home seem to suffer from this condition more than other dogs.
Treatment: A behavior modification plan was started and Bailey was also begun on anti-
anxiety medication. Bailey’s home plan for behavior modification was focused on
desensitizing him from the cues of his owner’s departure, increasing exercise,
increasing relaxation, and reducing excitement when his owner comes home.
Bailey’s owner was instructed to reward desirable behavior and to have him sit prior to
any interaction with her. This was not an obedience exercise but a method to teach Bailey
an appropriate way to ask for everything, including attention. If Bailey became anxious
and started pacing as his owner put on her jacket or picked up her keys, he was
instructed to sit and rewarded with a treat. Bailey also had to sit and be calm when his
owner first returned home, before she would greet him and give him attention or treats.
Bailey’s owner also hired a dog walker to take him for a one-hour walk in the middle of
the day and she began to jog with him in the evening. Exercise releases energy for dogs
and this can be helpful to allow them to rest and relax when they are alone. Medication
was prescribed to relieve anxiety which helps during a behavior modification program.
Outcome: One month later, Bailey’s owner reported improvement. He only barked for 5-
10 minutes when she left the home and was less “glued to her” when she was home.
Over the next six months, Bailey continued to improve in that his barking was limited to
less than 10 minutes each time she left and he was not upset or anxious when she was
about to leave. Bailey was weaned off his anti-anxiety medication three months after
treatment started. His behavior (only a few minutes of barking after his owner’s
departure) was acceptable and he seemed happy. He remained confined to the kitchen
when home alone as he seemed to know the routine and his owner thought he felt safe
there.
Ask the Vet is not intended to be a substitute for the regular veterinary care a licensed veterinarian
provides through routine physical exams, and should only be used for personal, educational and
informational purposes only. Responses do not establish a veterinarian-client-patient relationship,
and are not intended as veterinary medical advice.
History: Bailey’s owner adopted him from a local shelter three
months prior. He had been in two homes before that. Bailey is
a friendly happy dog. However, he gets very upset and destroys
the house whenever his owner leaves him home alone.
Bailey begins to pace when his owner puts on her jacket or
picks up her keys. When she leaves she can hear him barking.
Neighbors report that the barking goes on for hours. Bailey has
broken out of multiple crates. He has torn up the couch and
several pairs of shoes, so he is now confined to the kitchen with
a tall baby gate. However, he still barks incessantly whenever his owner goes out.
The Doctor Visit: Bailey had a thorough physical exam and blood tests. His tests were
normal. After an in-depth discussion with the veterinarian about Bailey’s behavior
problem, Bailey was diagnosed with separation anxiety. This condition causes some
dogs to become very distressed when their owners leave them home alone, because
they have an excessive emotional attachment to the person. Any dog can have separation
anxiety, but dogs that are nervous or high strung, or those that have gone from home to
home seem to suffer from this condition more than other dogs.
Treatment: A behavior modification plan was started and Bailey was also begun on anti-
anxiety medication. Bailey’s home plan for behavior modification was focused on
desensitizing him from the cues of his owner’s departure, increasing exercise,
increasing relaxation, and reducing excitement when his owner comes home.
Bailey’s owner was instructed to reward desirable behavior and to have him sit prior to
any interaction with her. This was not an obedience exercise but a method to teach Bailey
an appropriate way to ask for everything, including attention. If Bailey became anxious
and started pacing as his owner put on her jacket or picked up her keys, he was
instructed to sit and rewarded with a treat. Bailey also had to sit and be calm when his
owner first returned home, before she would greet him and give him attention or treats.
Bailey’s owner also hired a dog walker to take him for a one-hour walk in the middle of
the day and she began to jog with him in the evening. Exercise releases energy for dogs
and this can be helpful to allow them to rest and relax when they are alone. Medication
was prescribed to relieve anxiety which helps during a behavior modification program.
Outcome: One month later, Bailey’s owner reported improvement. He only barked for 5-
10 minutes when she left the home and was less “glued to her” when she was home.
Over the next six months, Bailey continued to improve in that his barking was limited to
less than 10 minutes each time she left and he was not upset or anxious when she was
about to leave. Bailey was weaned off his anti-anxiety medication three months after
treatment started. His behavior (only a few minutes of barking after his owner’s
departure) was acceptable and he seemed happy. He remained confined to the kitchen
when home alone as he seemed to know the routine and his owner thought he felt safe
there.
Ask the Vet is not intended to be a substitute for the regular veterinary care a licensed veterinarian
provides through routine physical exams, and should only be used for personal, educational and
informational purposes only. Responses do not establish a veterinarian-client-patient relationship,
and are not intended as veterinary medical advice.
| Case Study - My Dog Has SEPARATION ANXIETY |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| Dr. Karen Zelinski works at Animal General Veterinary Hospital at 725 River Road, Edgewater, N.J. She graduated from Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine in 1993; she has two Dalmatians and three cats. |