How can you tell if your dog is lonely? Dogs are pack animals where they thrive in groups. When dogs are placed in isolation for long periods of time they are deprived of social interactions and stimulation. Without social interaction loneliness sets in and your left with a lonely dog.

What are the lonely dog symptoms?

Destructive behavior

Dog destroying your house. This is a telltale sign that your pet is lonely. If your dog is chewing on chairs, couches, or any furniture in general it can be because they are suffering from depression when you are away from home for long hours. Dogs that suffer from separation anxiety can show the same signs.

If your dog destroys your house when you leave placing them in a separate room so they don’t destroy the entire house should be done. Preferably place them in a room near a window they can look out of but avoiding direct sunlight.

Increase in barking and howling

Dog barking can be worse than destructive behavior because when your dog barks your neighbors hear it as well. The most common solutions are dog barking collars they have dog shock collars, dog ultrasonic collars, dog muzzles and more. Each one has its pros and cons however these don’t focus on solving the cause of the problem which is a lonely dog.

Monitoring your dog with a dog monitor is a good way to keep them entertained when you are away from home. Checking up on them and even being able to play with them over your phone is in our opinion the best way to keep your dog from barking. An inexpensive option that I have seen work on and off is a full-length mirror. Since dogs are pack animals your dog can feel a little more at easy when it sees another dog in the house. This trick doesn’t work on all dogs, but it works on my pug just fine.  

Reduced appetite

Dog appetite loss can be a serious issue that might can be connected to a serious medical issue. If you notice that your dog has lost its appetite check up with a veterinarian asap. If there is no issue found health wise your dog might be suffering from separation anxiety. If it is confirmed that your dog’s decrease in appetite is a behavioral issue here are some ways to increase their appetite.

Feeding multiple small meals daily will help, and this can help your dog lose weight in the process. Feeding your dog multiple times during the day increases your interaction with your dog. This will help reduce separation anxiety because you are there more often. We know that most dog owners don’t have the free time feed their pets multiple times within the day. When and if you have the time, we believe that this is a great method for increasing their appetite.