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My dog has separation anxiety. How to stop barking and destruction?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Female | spayed | 4 years and 1 month old | 37 lbs

my dog seems to have severe separation anxiety when we leave her alone in our apartment. She doesn't like her crate, but will also destroy the apartment if she's left outside the crate. Almost instantly, as soon as we leave, she starts barking and will continue to bark for hours until we've returned and she is overly excited to see us. How can we stop her from barking but still be able to go to work every day?

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on November 26th, 2016

This is a very difficult decision for you to be in with Lavender! Given that she destroys the apartment as soon as you leave if she isn't in the crate, then I would keep her in the crate when you are gone. I would try to make the crate a fun place for her to be in. She can have toys in the crate, and puzzle toys with treats in it that she has to figure out how to get the treats out. You can also fill a Kong toy with peanut butter and freeze it in the freezer overnight, then give it to her in the crate. That will keep her occupied for a while. You can get a pheromone diffuser called DAP that helps dogs with anxiety. I would also consider making an appointment with your vet for Lavender. Her separation anxiety sounds severe enough that she may require medication for it, which your vet can prescribe.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Daniel Fonza, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on February 27th, 2018

    Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. It sounds like poor Bella is struggling with separation anxiety. This can be a tough behavior to correct but is not impossible to fix. Patience and persistence are key when trying to address separation anxiety. Sometimes a combination of medication (anti-anxiety medication) and behavioral training work hand in hand and benefit each other leading to success. I would recommend trying the Adaptil products (collar and diffuser) that can be found online. This is a pheremone product that is supposed to keep dogs calm. Another product I would recommend using is NaturVet Quiet Moments Calm Chews Plus Melatonin. These chews can be found online or at your local pet store quite easily. I would also recommend providing plenty of toys for Bella to play with such as the Kong toys filled with peanut butter. You can also look into PetCube, in which you can interact with Bella directly from your phone via an app. You can communicate with her and even play with her using a remote controlled laser pointer. If the anxiety worsens or does not improve, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine Bella and discuss anti-anxiety medication options with you. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

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    Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

    Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

    Published on November 13th, 2016

    Poor Cassie! If she is having accidents and causing damage to the crate when she is left alone, you're right that this is a serious problem - for separation anxiety this severe, it's very likely that she will need prescription anti-anxiety medication to make any significant progress. So the first step would be to talk with your vet about the problem, or request referral to a veterinary behaviorist if needed - the sooner she can start something like this, the better chance you will have of being able to resolve the problem quickly. In the meantime, there are a few other things that you can do to help. Make sure that she has been sufficiently exercised before leaving her alone - ideally, a long walk or a session of fetch in the yard to help get rid of excess energy. Also, you should always leave her with a special, long-lasting treat of some kind every time you leave the house - something like a Kong toy stuffed with peanut butter works well for many dogs. This will help to keep her busy, and over time she will learn to associate you leaving with good things, which will help tremendously with her anxiety. Comings and goings should be as calm and low-key as possible - the more you make a fuss when you leave or get home, the more wound up and anxious she will be. You can also try a DAP pheromone collar along with a natural calming supplement like Composure or Zylkene to help reduce her anxiety until you are able to speak you her vet about medication.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on March 19th, 2018

    It sounds like from your description that Bubba has some really severe anxiety, and in these cases, crating him and/or medicating him is best. You clearly can't leave him out on his own, and unless you start taking him everywhere with you, you do need to try confinement as well as possibly medication. I do recommend crating him while you are gone, it's not a punishment, it's actually a safe space for dogs. The crate will provide him a small space where he can feel safe in it when you are gone. You will have to slowly train him to get used to a crate. Start putting him in it when you are home and sitting nearby so he doesn't think you are abandoning him, and slowly increase the time he is in it. He can have toys in the crate, and puzzle toys with treats in it that he has to figure out how to get the treats out. You can put a tablespoon of peanut butter in a Kong toy and freeze it in the freezer overnight, then give it to him in the crate. That will keep him occupied for a while. Finally, you can get a pheromone diffuser called DAP that helps dogs with anxiety and pair that will a DAP pheromone collar that releases pheromones when in contact with his skin. If these methods do not help him, then I recommend having him seen by a vet to discuss the use of anti-anxiety medications. Good luck, I hope this helps!

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