Going Back to Work? Your Dog May Not Like It!

Let’s face it, dogs are pack animals and, as such, they aren’t designed to spend long periods of time alone. They may have had mild anxiety, but were accustomed to you being gone for the day or at least a few hours. Pandemic living changed all of that with many of us working from home or just being home for other reasons, taking lots of walks, and generally being more involved. Our dogs have been in heaven! Now that people are transitioning back to working outside the home, understandably, our dogs are confused and this can lead to heightened anxiety, specifically separation anxiety in many.

You may come home to find pillows shredded or a neighbor may complain that your dog barked all day while you were gone. These are a couple of signs that your dog is not happy. Dr. Leslie Sinn, a veterinary behaviorist who practices in Virginia, said research prior to the pandemic estimated that 14-20% of the dog population suffered from separation anxiety pre-pandemic, but it likely wasn’t severe. “In many situations, people have been with their pets 24/7, basically for a year, a year and a half,” Dr. Sinn said. “It appears that as people start to go back to work, we’re seeing an increase in problems.”

Calling your vet to discuss options for helping your dog make the transition with the least amount of stress to both of you is the first step. According to doctor Sinn, if a pet is hurting itself because of its separation anxiety, you may need to seek a referral to a specialist and consider medications to get them through the acute period.

Dr. Meghan Herron, senior director of behavioral medicine, research education, and outreach at Gigis, an organization dedicated to helping shelter dogs, suggests that you might not know your pet is suffering from separation anxiety. A webcam will allow you to monitor their activity and make sure they are okay.

There are proactive strategies to start acclimating your pets to being home alone again:

• Start by leaving for short periods.
• Create a safe space.
• If crate training, do it slowly and with many treats.
• Play classical or soft music when you are away. Pandora and Spotify may have playlists designed to provide soothing music for dogs.
• Use long-lasting treats like frozen, stuffed Kongs and food puzzles so your departure is associated with good things.
• Consider trying pheromones to calm them.
• Practice teaching animals to go to their comfy place and reward them. It will act as a physical cue for them to relax.

Pikes Peak Vet is always a great place to start when you have questions about your pets’ behavior. Reach out as that is what we are there for!

This information was adapted from an article in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association “Back-to-work Pet Anxiety” by Kaitlyn Mattson.

Image by heathergunn from Pixabay