Does your dog get nervous when you leave the house? Anxious when you’re not around? Then he may be suffering from separation anxiety , an anxiety disorder also called “abandonment anxiety.”

This behavioral disorder is a common problem in dogs, and, just like in humans, it can be detrimental to their health and well-being.

If your pet suffers from separation anxiety, CBD , a calming and soothing hemp extract, can be a valuable aid in calming your dog’s stress .

But what exactly is this problem that affects our companions, what are the causes and how can CBD help your dog better cope with your absences? Here are the answers to these questions.

 

What causes separation anxiety in dogs?

Before using CBD for dogs for separation anxiety, it is essential to understand why your dog is suffering from it.

Separation anxiety is an emotional state your dog may experience when you are away from him.

This disorder can particularly develop when an animal is too strongly linked to a family member or a particular person.

Today it is believed that between 20% and 40% of dogs experience these types of behavioral problems.

Note that this disorder is different from isolation anxiety , which only occurs when the dog is left completely alone. Separation anxiety, on the other hand, occurs when the dog is separated from the person to whom he has become most attached, even if there are other humans around him.

Some of the reasons that can cause separation anxiety include:

Late education

The dog can develop stress when the owner leaves, if the latter has not prepared him when he was younger. It is indeed important to teach puppies not to be dependent on a single human from a young age, in particular by socializing them.

Bad experience

The dog may suffer from separation anxiety after a trauma, such as abandonment. In this case, the dog is afraid of being abandoned again as soon as its new human parent moves away.

Transmission of stress

Dogs are sponges. So if you are stressed about leaving your pet, have trouble letting go when you go out, and prolong the outpourings, the dog may sense your stress and take it on.

Separation from the mother too early

The mother’s education is essential for the dog to fully flourish in its adult life. If the dog is separated from its biological mother too early, the latter will not have time to teach it to fend for itself.

Detachment from the mother must in fact happen naturally and gradually.

If you adopt the puppy too early, it is possible that he will identify you as his mother and, not having learned to manage himself, will try at all costs to stay by your side.

Too much attention

This phenomenon echoes the deep nature of your pet. Indeed, when he is young, your companion is totally dependent on his mother who protects him and with whom he feels safe.

After giving him the tools to live alone, the latter gradually detaches herself from him, so that he can eventually live his life independently.

However, once adopted and in a new family, puppies are often over-protected by humans.

As a result, they sometimes become particularly attached to one of the people who takes care of them.

Puppies can then become dependent on their human’s love and attention.

When this human disappears for a few moments and the dog finds himself without him, anxiety takes hold of him. This is where separation anxiety is born.

 

Separation Anxiety Disorder: 6 Symptoms

If your dog is exhibiting these signs, he may be suffering from separation anxiety and CBD can help him relax about your departures and absences.

1. Agitation

Your dog is trying to find an outlet and release his anxiety by pacing, walking in the same places over and over, or going in circles.

2. Panting

Even though he may have rested a few moments earlier, the dog may start panting as you are about to leave. Just like a human suffering from anxiety, labored breathing can be a sign of panic.

3. Tremor

Your dog starts shaking . Like restlessness and panting, this is a physical manifestation of his nervousness.

4. Urinate and defecate

Even a puppy trained in a healthy family can forget the housetraining rules learned when separation anxiety sets in.

5. Moaning

Whining and barking may indicate that your puppy is getting nervous about your departure or when you are away!

6. Anti-social behavior

Isolation anxiety and separation anxiety are two different things and it is important to know the difference.

Dogs with separation anxiety may exhibit antisocial behavior, even with other humans or dogs. They simply don’t want to be around just anyone, but only the person they are dependent on.