Dogs are social pack animals – they prefer being with others. Usually dogs learn to be alone for periods of time without a problem, but for some, being alone is unacceptable. Separation anxiety in dogs is much like a panic attack in a person. Symptoms usually start within 20-40 minutes after the owner leaves the home.

Signs of separation anxiety include urinating or defecating in the house, scratching, biting, and digging at doors (sometimes until they break nails or teeth), barking and other vocalizations whenever the dog is left alone. Owners sometimes come home to find pillows, furniture or other household items destroyed.

Separation anxiety is often triggered by a major change in a dog's normal routing or by a traumatic event (from the dog's point of view). A few examples are: a new job that takes the pet owner away from home all day; an extended stay at a boarding facility when the pet has never been away from home; the death of a family member, especially one the pet was very close to; a family household relocation; or a child leaving for college.