Dogs are animals that are not made to live alone. Since their origins, canids have always lived in family groups, and that is something that has not changed. But of course, due to our rhythm of life they have no choice but to learn to be without us for a while, although for this, we have to teach them, since otherwise could end up having separation anxiety, which is nothing more than an excessive anguish that appears when we leave him at home alone.
So I'm going to tell you how to tell if my dog has separation anxiety, and I'm going to give you some tips to change the situation.
Signs that your dog has separation anxiety
When we have a dog that behaves great when we are with him, but as an overly rebellious dog when we are not, we could certainly be having an animal with separation anxiety at home. When I say "rebellious dog" I mean that it scratches the doors, it chews everything it finds (even the furniture), it destroys its toys, it has spoiled the indoor plants, ... well, that when you get home you don't recognize it (to home).
The dog with this "problem" thinks that he will never see his human again, so he does everything in his power to find, unsuccessfully, an outlet where he can go in search of him. As we can see, it is not just that he does not know how to be alone, but that he doesn't want to be separated from his human.
What to do to help you?
The first thing to keep in mind is that we do not have to hit or yell at him. This will only make you feel worse, aggravating the situation. Nor will it do any good if we keep him locked in a cage, or if we bring another dog to make him feel better. We must always keep in mind that what he doesn't want is to be without us.
So what is recommended to do is modify your behavior. How? Basically ignoring him 30 minutes before our departure, and keeping him busy when we are not, with toys stuffed with food for example. Likewise, it is also important that you discharge all your energy before we leave. In this sense, taking long walks or going for a run are activities that will come in handy.
In case there is no improvement, I recommend ask a dog trainer for help that works positively.
Separation anxiety is something that, with time and patience, can be fixed. Much encouragement.