Jump to content

Separation Anxiety?


andrewang
 Share

Recommended Posts

Hi guys,

Caesar is about 7 months old now and turning into an absolutely gorgeous dog.

Anyway, I have always wondered what Caesar does when alone at home so I set up a camera to record for the whole duration while I'm away.

I left him his Kong Wobbler with his lunch, some of his favourite toys, his bed and free roam to the apartment.

When I returned and went through the video, it was very heartbreaking to see that he spends almost all his time looking out the window waiting for me to come home after he finish his lunch. He'll only leave the window to take a toilet break and go back to the window again. I asked my neighbours to see if he's been barking while I was away but they all said he did not make any noise.

So I was wondering if he has separation anxiety and what I should do to keep him busy while I am away.

Cheers

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 40
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Just a thought but if he seems otherwise calm maybe he enjoys looking out the window.

He doesn't really do that when I'm at home. I just thought he might use the alone time to sleep as I brought him out for a free run before I went out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

He doesn't do that when you're home because he has other things to do- following you around, playing, watching you etc. When you're not there there is nothing to watch inside so he looks out. Highly unlikely to be separation anxiety.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think separation anxiety is one of the most over-diagnosed things out there - it doesn't seem as though Caesear is displaying any kind of anxiety at all, from that description.

My little dog Maggie sits at the baby gate and waits for my fiance to come back if he ever goes out unexpectedly, even if I'm there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think it's UNDER-diagnosed. We only diagnose it when there are seriously obvious signs of distress. In the academic literature, waiting by a window or door is considered related to separation distress (not the same as clinical separation anxiety). What's more, it's entirely possible we only diagnose it in dogs with a proactive coping style, because they are the only ones that actually show the symptoms. For all we know there are dogs out there just as distressed but they show it in much quieter and less troublesome ways so nobody ever knows.

I would consider waiting by a window for long periods of time potentially indicative of low level separation-related distress, although I wouldn't consider it alone something that necessarily needed to be treated if that's what it was. I don't think it serves dogs to assume that they are fine home alone until they start ripping things up, eliminating inside, and provoking neighbour complaints. Personally, I'm under no illusion that my dogs are somehow perfectly happy at home without me when I'm out for the day. The signs are subtle, but they are there if someone cares to look.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

He sounds like a wonderful dog.If he slept all day he would be keeping you awake at night.It's good that he can look out the window and watch the world ;

You are doing a great job raising your dog.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi guys,

Caesar is about 7 months old now and turning into an absolutely gorgeous dog.

Anyway, I have always wondered what Caesar does when alone at home so I set up a camera to record for the whole duration while I'm away.

I left him his Kong Wobbler with his lunch, some of his favourite toys, his bed and free roam to the apartment.

When I returned and went through the video, it was very heartbreaking to see that he spends almost all his time looking out the window waiting for me to come home after he finish his lunch. He'll only leave the window to take a toilet break and go back to the window again. I asked my neighbours to see if he's been barking while I was away but they all said he did not make any noise.

So I was wondering if he has separation anxiety and what I should do to keep him busy while I am away.

Cheers

I would not call this separation anxiety, I would call it love :heart:.

You have a little guy that can't wait to see you as soon as you get home, lucky you!

On another note, have you recorded him for more than one day? Maybe there was something REALLY interesting out the window that day, so he wanted to watch it all unfold. Maybe if you recorded him tomorrow he would be doing something else.......Sleeping, reading the paper, looking through your stuff :laugh:

KP.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share


×
×
  • Create New...