How can I monitor if my dog's separation anxiety is improving?

What is separation anxiety?

The stress of being apart can be debilitating for dogs and traumatic for owners. Separation anxiety is a behavioral problem where your dog is panicking about you not being around. It may be associated with whining, barking, howling, high salivation, chewing, scratching or other disruptive or destructive behaviors. Typical causes include lack of exercise (not an excuse for FitBark users!), lack of mental stimulation, and changes in daily routines.

How to tell if anxiety is improving

If your dog has been diagnosed with separation anxiety, FitBark makes it easy to visualize his anxiety levels after you leave home.

Here’s how it works. Imagine you leave home around 8am. You shut the door and go to work. How did Fido do after you left? Open the FitBark mobile app, go to the daily view and tap on the 8-9am hourly view. Compare that with what’s typical for your dog when he’s home with you and resting (15-30 points per hour for example). The higher the number, the higher his anxiety level. Users often report that their dogs experience separation anxiety for up to 30-45 minutes, then go back to a more regular resting behavior – unless there are new external stimuli.