So how do you know how your dog feels about being left alone:
Some dogs make their displeasure quite obvious by leaving unpleasant “presents” for you to find. You could return home to find your furniture or personal belongings chewed up, the garbage ransacked, paper or pillows chewed to shreds, or you may find that your dog has vomited, urinated or defecated in the house.
A dog’s reaction to stress is as varied as a human’s. Bear in mind that all of these inappropriate behaviors don’t happen because your dog is “bad,” but rather scared and stressed out. When stressed, some dogs eat everything in sight and others become almost anorexic. Some dogs groom themselves incessantly to calm their nerves. Others vocalize their dissatisfaction by howling, whining and barking while you’re away. (And if you have neighbors nearby, you’re sure to hear about it!)

If your dog shows any of these behaviors while you’re away, “environmental enrichment” can help. This is the process of adding intriguing elements to their surroundings which keep them thinking, playing, and (best of all) avoiding inappropriate behaviors. When you give your dog plenty of fun things to do and see, his unhappy time alone can be transformed into a very satisfying day.

Here are some suggestions for curbing separation anxiety:
1. Hire a dog walker
2. Invest in doggy day care
3. Leave plenty of fun toys for your dog (like puzzle toys that you fill with treats)
4. Tire him out with some active play before you go (sleeping dogs don’t make trouble!)
5. Try something that will hold his interest while you are gone, like the Dog Sitter DVD

You might laugh at the idea of TV for dogs but this might just change your mind. (In fact, some of the world’s leading animal behaviorists are starting to recognize the potential benefits of video treatment for separation anxiety.) If you haven’t seen the Dog Sitter DVD yet, you really must check it out. It is amazing! This DVD was made especially to entertain dogs for hours on end. It features lots of animals (birds, cats, squirrels, raccoons and more) outdoors in their natural environment. Your dog will think he’s outside with his new friends joining in the fun. Dogs have uniquely sensitive hearing and one great feature of this video is the audio. The stereo soundtrack includes some sounds that only your dog can hear. And once you find out which tracks are your dog’s favorites, you can even personalize his viewing adventure using the continuous loop scene selection feature. When your dog is stuck inside all alone, the Dog Sitter DVD can bring the outside world in. https://www.ebay.com/itm/362379815840?msclkid=2bc93eea4c1e145aa0f2628ac127a2a8

Causes:
1. May require DVM discussion or testing/evaluation to determine reason
2. May be in form of stress, aggression or anxious
3. Could result from separation, discomfort, etc.

Products that help anxiety:
1. Calming essence that you can add to water
2. A thunder coat
3. Storm Stress Thundershirt www.thundershirt.com
4. Tellington T-Touch method that uses massage to calm a dog down
5. Stress formula of herbs such as H&P Anxiety TLFN, Natural Homeopathic Remedy
6. A “calming coat” that is supposed to help with anxiety, stress, barking, etc. http://www.DogGoneChic.com
7. Anxiety wrap

Other Considerations:
Start a behavior modification program at the same time you start any anxiety relief modality