After months of spending more time with our pets than people, life is starting to return to normal.  Going back to working in an office or going on vacation can be tough and our four-legged family members could have a hard time adjusting.

This change of routine can cause issues that include separation anxiety or isolation distress. Lisa Kedian, Communications Coordinator for the Cochrane & Area Humane Society explains some of the signs to watch for in your pets, specifically dogs. 

“Finding your dog in a stressed-out state. They're drooling excessively, they've chewed the furniture or the walls or maybe there are some accidents in the home. Maybe your dog's been barking for hours and your neighbour is complaining. These are all indications of some type of separation anxiety.”

“Separation anxiety is not controllable for the dog so it's nothing that the dog is able to control it's an actual panic disorder and I mean if anybody has ever suffered from any type of anxiety, you can understand how it might feel for a dog.” 

Dogs are very social animals with a pack mentality, which can add to the stress of being left alone. While it may seem like getting another pet would fix the issue, Kedian and The Humane Society advise against it.

“You don't want to get a second dog to put into that mix until you have managed that disorder because what can happen is your newer dog can actually learn the behaviors of separation anxiety and now you've got two dogs with separation anxiety.”

She says the Humane Society has programs that can assist and help both you and your pets.

“We are definitely finding a lot of people reaching out to us for help and we can certainly help you, This can be overcome.”

“It is a manageable disorder. It's through a process of gradually desensitizing your dog to being left alone.  It is a long-term commitment, it's not something that's just going to change overnight, but the end result will be a much happier dog, you'll be able to come and leave your home in a much more calm state.”