Archives for June 2020

Summertime is usually a very positive time for our pets.  The weather is pleasant, walks are more frequent, and general outside playtime is more regular.  Unfortunately, this is also the time of thunderstorms and increase fireworks use, especially around July 4th.  The loud noises associated with these events can cause fear and anxiety in some pets.  A new behavioral study out of the University of Helsinki suggests that sensitivity to noise, especially fireworks, is the most common form of anxiety in pet dogs.  In this study, 72.5% of all dogs showed some type of anxiety, whereas, 32% displayed a form of noise sensitivity¹.

People who own pets with noise sensitivity usually recognize the classic display of anxiety behaviors such as trembling, panting, drooling, pacing, vocalizing, hiding, and trying to escape.  Often, dogs are confused about the source of the noise and therefore try to escape to the outside, or just the opposite, scratch at the door to come inside.  Because some rooms are better at dampening sound, these dogs may run to the basement or hide under or behind furniture. There are some displays of anxiety that owners may not pick ...

Your dog is not spiteful. In fact, I would dare to say that NO dog is spiteful. However, it’s pretty easy to feel like this might be the case if your dog predictably takes their own trip to Destruction Town nearly every time you leave them alone. The urine and feces on the floor, chewed up furnishings, carpet, doors, and other personal items are all the evidence you need to convince you that your dog was bent on revenge for leaving them in solitude. Even though it may feel personal, in actuality, this destruction might just be a sign that your dog suffers from a treatable disorder known as separation anxiety (SA), which happens to be most common in dogs which are highly bonded to their owners.

What is Separation Anxiety?

Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Dr. Suzanne Hetts, lists SA among the most common of 12 common causes of destructive canine behavior. It has been described as a “behavioral disorder of dogs when left alone or separated from their owner” (2). Though not exclusive to dogs with SA, many affected dogs are also described as being “hyperattached” to the owner. Affected dogs are often found to follow their owner from ...