“Just Get a Second Dog.” The Answer to Your Dog’s Separation Anxiety?

“Will getting another dog cure my dog’s separation anxiety?”

“If he had the company of another animal, won’t that stop him from barking and feeling anxious?”

These are common questions I get asked as a certified separation anxiety dog trainer (CSAT) and ones I see posted frequently in Facebook groups and other social media platforms. It seems logical to think that if a dog is anxious or fearful while alone, the company of another dog or pet will help. Unfortunately though, it’s not usually that simple.

Will getting a second dog help your dog’s separation anxiety?

To answer this question, we need to first consider what’s causing your dog’s separation anxiety. For most dogs, it’s the absence of the human family members (or one particular human) that elicits the anxiety, and thus the anxiety-based behavior such as barking or destructiveness. If this is the case for your dog, then unfortunately the presence of another dog is not likely to be a replacement for the human company that your dog seeks. I’ve worked with many clients who have multiple dogs and the other resident dog had zero effect on their anxious dog’s behavior. It’s the people’s (or person’s) absence that causes the separation anxiety, fellow dog companion or not.

“But he does great at daycare with other dogs around!”

Sometimes dogs with separation anxiety do really well at daycare, which is certainly helpful while going through the behavior modification process because it makes suspending absences easier. However, it’s still not a sign that getting a second dog is the solution. Your dog’s behavior at daycare likely has little to do with the other dogs and all to do with the environmental change. Now I’m not saying that your dog isn’t enjoying the company of his/her dog friends. They certainly may be, and it may be great social enrichment for your dog. But that’s probably not why your dog is anxious at home and not anxious at daycare. Let me explain…

Firstly, your dog may not ever be truly alone when at daycare. A good daycare is going to have staff members supervising dogs at all times. Even during nap times, staff may be in and out of the kennel areas to clean and care for other dogs which means your dog may hear, see and/or smell the workers.

But let’s assume that your dog does spend some time alone, isolated from all people, while he/she is at daycare. I would first evaluate whether your dog is truly relaxed or whether your dog is shut down. Animals respond to stress with a fight/flight/freeze response and the freeze response is sometimes confused with being “fine.” We see this a lot in veterinary clinics, where a dog may be stressed but rather than becoming aggressive (fight) or trying to get away (flee), they essentially give up (freeze) and allow the vet staff to handle them, even though they are stressed. Just because a dog seems “fine” doesn’t necessarily mean they are fine.

However, for the sake of this topic, let’s say your dog is truly relaxed, even when alone at daycare. First of all, a good daycare should never leave 2 or more dogs from different households together unattended. So this means that during alone time, your dog should be separated from not only people but the other dogs as well. Sure, there may be dogs in adjacent kennels, but your dog should not be able to access them, therefore, I would be skeptical that their presence is what’s helping your dog relax.

More than likely, what’s causing your dog to be able to relax alone at daycare, but not at home alone, is the change in environment and a different learning history. In other words, your dog has learned that being left alone at home is scary, therefore your dog becomes stressed and anxious. Your dog has not learned the same thing at daycare therefore he does not become stressed or anxious there. This doesn’t mean that you’ve done anything wrong, or that there’s anything wrong with your home or that you caused the separation anxiety in any way. It’s just the way learning works sometimes.

Environment has such a huge influence over behavior (along with genetics and learning history) that it’s one of the first things I evaluate as a positive reinforcement trainer when I meet with a new client. Even subtle environmental changes can yield very different behaviors from your dog (both good and bad). It’s why your dog likely behaves vastly different indoors vs. outdoors, or home vs. at the vet office, or in an unfamiliar park vs a familiar park. As do we. Think about it, I bet your behavior at work is different from how you behave at home, and I bet you can think of a time that you were silly and outgoing with close friends but became quiet and reserved when you were surrounded by strangers.

“He didn’t have separation anxiety until our other dog passed away.”

This may be a situation where getting another dog is the answer, but there are some things to consider first. If your dog was bonded to your last dog, and is suddenly exhibiting anxiety without that companion, that means your dog had a really special relationship with that particular dog. One that cannot be replaced easily. There’s no guarantee that your dog will bond in the same way to another dog or that even if they do bond, it will resolve your dog’s anxiety disorder.

Get a second dog if you’re ready for a second dog, but not as a behavioral fix.

If you want a second dog because you’re ready to add to your family, then getting another dog may make sense. However, bringing home a dog in the hopes that he/she will fix your dog’s behavioral problem is not something I advise and frankly it’s unfair to put that level of expectation on them.

If you’re not sure whether you’re ready for another dog, or if after reading this you still think a second dog could help your current dog’s anxiety, you may consider fostering a dog to test things out. Just remember that a dog’s true personality doesn’t emerge until weeks or months after settling into a new home. This means that you won’t truly know whether the dogs are bonded, whether it has any effect on your dog’s behavior, and what, if any behavioral issues the new dog has until the dog has been in your home for a while.

Consider the workload of another dog (especially if it’s a puppy or adolescent!). Are you ready to meet each dog’s exercise and enrichment needs, ready to devote time to training the new dog and navigating any behavioral concerns they may have, prepared for extra medical expenses, and willing to accept that there’s no guarantee that the dogs will get along or that it’ll have a positive influence on your current dog’s behavior? Adding a dog to your family can be rewarding and fulfilling but it’s also a lot of work to manage a multi-dog household and keep everyone happy, safe and healthy.

So, what’s the answer?

Just like in humans, anxiety disorders in dogs are often complex and there usually isn’t a quick fix. So what is the answer? Good quality, gradual desensitization training. It’s one of the most effective ways to help dogs overcome their separation anxiety permanently. It’s a process that takes time and patience, and isn’t always easy to do on your own, but it can yield some pretty remarkable results, improving your dog’s quality of life, as well as your own.

Want to learn more about how desensitization training works and see how professional training can benefit you and your dog? Book a free phone consultation so we can chat about my virtual separation anxiety training program.

With wags and aloha,

Cori Tufano- CSAT