Do dogs worry you won't come back?
Vita Adams
2025-06-25 17:02:47
Count answers
: 13
Dogs know when you’re leaving. They think about why and where you are going, and when you will return. Dogs miss us. They know the difference between us being gone for 15 minutes to run an errand versus three hours away. For some dogs, whether it is 10 minutes or two hours that you’re gone, it’s irrelevant to them, and they think about how much they miss you. Dogs wonder why they can’t go with you. They may shove their nose into the door opening, only to feel disappointment when you say, “No.” Their thoughts may be disbelief, and they jump to a window to catch a clue as to why they are not in the car, too. Dogs dream, and when the realization sets in that you have left for an unknown amount of time, their thoughts race. They become super-attuned to the sounds around them in anticipation that it means you have come back.
Jo Marquardt
2025-06-25 13:57:59
Count answers
: 9
Dogs are social animals, and they need to learn that it is alright to be left at home on their own. Dogs are a naturally social species and it’s normal for them to stay close to their social group which is why they can become anxious when left alone. When a puppy is first separated from their mother and litter mates, their usual response will be to whine, whimper or bark while trying to get back to them. If your dog is anxious, they may show some of these signs when left: whining barking/howling pacing trembling panting drooling destructive behaviour such as scratching and chewing at doorways or furniture urinating/defecating. The signs of separation anxiety will often start in the first few minutes after the dog is left on their own. Dogs do not know that these behaviours are ‘wrong’ and will not associate being told off when you come back through the door with something they did hours earlier, such as going to the toilet. Instead, they may become worried about you coming home, as well as being anxious about being left.
Nya Carter
2025-06-25 12:57:49
Count answers
: 9
I spend a lot of time with him as I work part time, but he gets left and my partner and landlady also take care of him. He’s going with our partner’s mum who he loves for the three days - I’m taking his toy box so he’s got stuff to choose from and other bits, will he think we’re abandoning him and not coming back. I know to some it may seem a stupid worry, but I love him so much and he’s such a good boy - I don’t want him to be upset. I think people are misunderstanding that Fynnley struggles with being left, I don’t want him left for that amount of time it’s nothing to do with how he behaves when left.
Read also
- What to do when a dog won't come back?
- How do you catch a dog that won't come back?
- Will a dog that runs away come back?
- Why does my dog refuse to come?
- Are long lines good for dogs?
- How do you lure a lost dog back?
- How far can a dog come back home?
- How to make a dog come back home?
- How long can a lost dog survive?