Does Your Dog Really Have Separation Anxiety?

Quiz Questions

• 1.
  1. Does your dog get anxious before you leave?

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  • A.
    Not a bit
  • B.
    He gets a little anxious
  • C.
    He freaks out if we even think about leaving
  • D.
    He gets excited but it doesn't look like anxiety
• 2.
  2. Does your dog soil the house when you leave him alone?

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  • A.
    Yes, he does, and never ever soils when we're home
  • B.
    He soils when we're out, but also when we're home
  • C.
    He never soils the house
• 3.
  3. If your dog destroys when you go out, how bad is it? Think about what's TYPICAL and pick a picture that's the best fit. 

  • A.
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    Significant destruction - walls, floors, doors ripped, scratched to pieces
  • B.
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    Scratching, but fairly superficial. Doors and walls usually remain in tact. 
  • C.
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    My dog doesn't destroy, scratch or chew.
• 4.
  4. Does your dog bark/whine/cry/howl when you leave him alone?

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  • A.
    Sometimes
  • B.
    Never
  • C.
    Always
• 5.
  5. If your dog barks, howls or whines when you're out, how long for?

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  • A.
    He'll do it the whole time we're out
  • B.
    He does it on and off
  • C.
    N/A: he doesn't bark, howl, whine or cry when we leave him
• 6.
  6. When you return, how is your dog?

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  • A.
    Asleep somewhere; he hardly notices us come back
  • B.
    Pleased to see us but not overly excited
  • C.
    Extremely excited. He seems to find it hard to calm down
• 7.
  7. Have you ever been so worried about leaving your dog that you've set up a camera?

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  • A.
    No, I'm not that worried
  • B.
    I am very worried but haven't set up a camera
  • C.
    Yes, I've set up a camera on my dog
• 8.
  8. Does your dog do any of the following when you're out?

  • A.
    Pant, salivate or drool excessively
  • B.
    Pace around
  • C.
    Whine or whimper
  • D.
    Leave food untouched
  • E.
    None of the above
  • F.
    Don't know

Quiz Outcomes

• 1.
  Your dog sounds like he does okay at home alone

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  Hi! I'm Julie Naismith, the Separation Anxiety Coach. Thanks for taking the quiz. It looks like you're one of the lucky people who has a happy home alone dog. But you may have taken this quiz because you're concerned that your dog isn't that settled when you leave him. Some dogs display what we call "separation related behaviours." They may not be anxious when they're left but they do get up to things we'd rather they didn't. If you are concerned, see if you can video your dog while you're out. That's a great way to learn what exactly is going on, and is easy to do with current technology. Here's an article on technology for watching home alone dogs that you might find helpful.Meanwhile, if you do still worry that your dog might be anxious when he's left, I've got a podcast all about separation anxiety. Click below to find out more.
• 2.
  Your dog may have some mild to moderate anxiety when you leave

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  Hi! I'm Julie Naismith, the Separation Anxiety Coach. Thank you for taking the quiz. Based on your answers, it seems that your dog may be displaying a few of the signs of separation anxiety. However, some of these behaviours, such as barking or chewing, are also seen in dogs who aren't anxious. These fall under the umbrella of "separation related behaviours". The great news is we can easily find out for certain if your dog has separation anxiety and, if he does, we can treat it. I've got a podcast all about separation anxiety that you might find helpful. It's packed full of episodes on topics like how you know whether your dog is fearful when you leave, how to treat separation anxiety, and why you didn't cause separation anxiety.
• 3.
  Your dog's may have moderate to severe anxiety when you leave

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  Hi! I'm Julie Naismith, the Separation Anxiety Coach. Thank you for taking the quiz. Based on your answers, it seems your dog may be displaying one or many of signs of separation anxiety, including getting anxious before you leave, soiling the house, trying to escape, causing damage, and excessive vocalization. We used to think that separation anxiety was untreatable but happily we now know that it can be fixed. If your dog does have separation anxiety, we can beat it with it together! I've got a podcast all about separation anxiety that will help you get more info on your dog's condition.
• 4.
  Your dog's separation anxiety symptoms sound pretty severe

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  Hi! I'm Julie Naismith, the Separation Anxiety Coach. Thank you for taking the quiz. It does look like your dog shows the classic signs of severe separation anxiety. But don't despair! You can get your dog over separation anxiety. The treatment for separation anxiety has a really high success rate. I've got a podcast all about separation anxiety that's packed full of info you're going to find helpful.