The dreaded note pinned on your door

When dogs show obvious behaviours linked to separation anxiety, such as barking or howling, some of the things I hear most often from their owners are:

“We’re worried about getting complaints from the neighbours,” or…

“We’ve already had complaints from our neighbours,” or even…

“Our landlady has given us a written ultimatum,”

…or some variation of the above.

Naturally, this only adds to the stress my clients are already experiencing. In some cases, it’s even the reason they reach out to me for help in the first place. It’s understandable to feel frustrated with neighbours and landlords in these situations.

But what if they’re actually doing you and your dog a favour?

Recently, a colleague of mine shared the story of a family she had known for many years. They used to attend her dog school for fun activities with their dog.

One day, for a reason completely unrelated to their dog, they set up a camera in their home. What they discovered was deeply upsetting.

While they were at work during the day, their dog was pacing obsessively. In a desperate attempt to relieve the fear of being left alone, he paced around the sitting room, up the stairs, across the landing, back down the stairs, around the sitting room, up the stairs… repeatedly, all day, every day.

He never lay down, never slept, and didn’t eat or drink.

When they returned home, he greeted them quite normally, so they had no idea what he had been going through. This loving family only discovered by chance just how much their dog had been suffering.

Living in constant fear causes dangerously high levels of stress over time.

Imagine how dreadful it must be to experience that level of fear every single day. None of us would wish such an existence on anyone. Ongoing stress like this can also lead to serious mental and physical health problems.

So, if you receive a grumpy note from your neighbour saying your dog is whining or howling while you’re out, could it actually be something to be thankful for? By alerting you to what your dog is experiencing in your absence, they could be saving your dog from significant mental distress.

Why not even thank your neighbours or landlord with flowers or chocolates and let them know how much you appreciate them?

Once this family came to terms with the shock that their dog was struggling to cope on his own, they had to work out how to prevent him from experiencing any more trauma. This meant finding ways to avoid leaving him alone while they introduced separation anxiety training to help him recover. Every additional episode of fear makes the process longer and more challenging.

If your dog is struggling with separation anxiety and you’d like some guidance on how to prevent further episodes of fear, or if you want to understand how to start helping your dog feel safe when left alone, I’m here to support you.

Book a free discovery call today. Simply choose a date and time in my calendar for a friendly chat, and I’ll explain the key next steps to help your dog feel calmer, happier, and healthier.

Wishing you and your dog all the very best,

Victoria