We all love our dogs, am I right? They are our best friends and love us back unconditionally. Always pleased to see us, always there for us. The bond between owner and animal is strong. Look after your dog and they will repay you many times over with that unconditional love. Though have you stopped to consider what happens when you have to leave your dog - even for short periods - and how they handle it?
Some cope with being without their owners and being alone better than others. For those which do not cope so well the condition is known as dog separation anxiety. Somewhat self explanatory as the animal becomes anxious without the owner's presence and displays that in different ways some of which can be destructive such as chewing furniture or fouling in the house.
But just how do you spot the signs of separation anxiety in your dog and what can you do about it? The dog's personality is a good indicator. Their daily routine is usually tied in with your own day. Feeding time, walkies, bed time etc. You of course will get to know quickly how your dog usually behaves and how they cope when you nip to the shops and don't take them, when you perhaps go for a meal with friends and are out for a couple of hours and similar.
If they usually are OK with this and it's no big deal to the dog - perhaps he sleeps - then that's fine. If on the other hand that behaviour starts to change and he might start showing signs of distress as you leave, bark excessively, has taken pieces out of your nice suite or even perhaps even left an unpleasant present for you on the carpet when you come home then these (individually or collectively) could be signs of separation anxiety and need your attention.
If you have had your dog since puppyhood and trained them well then it is likely that you will have taken account of potential separation anxiety issues as part of the dog's training from being a puppy and therefore taken steps to (as far as you can) train out separation anxiety issues.
On the other hand, if you have acquired an older dog - for example from a rescue centre - or perhaps moved home and the dog has to get used to a totally new environment this could cause separation anxiety to manifest as the stress of the new home and settling in to it affects the dog in such a way that they cannot bear to be out of sight of their owner.
Be alert for this possibility and take action if any of the signs of separation anxiety mentioned above begin to appear now you know what to look out for.
Treating dog separation anxiety can involved trial, error and patience as what works for one dog might not work for another. The basic principle is one of making the dog feel "safe" when alone for short periods knowing that you will be back.
Some methods to use include not making a fuss of your dog when you do have to go out and no fuss after returning until they have calmed down. Also to leave some of their favourite toys with them for entertainment and help stave off boredom which could lead to chewing. An occupied dog is less likely to look for something fun to do out of sheer boredom.

I hope you found this helpful and now have an overview of how to spot the signs of separation anxiety in your dog. For more information and tips on the condition and other techniques you can use please click here. You may also like three free dog health related ebooks (one of them is all about dog separation anxiety). Please click here for your free ebooks.