The short answer
Dogs tend to exhibit signs of stress and anxiety when their owners leave them alone at home. Common behaviors like barking, whining, pacing, restlessness and destruction suggest dogs do worry when left alone. However, experts don’t believe dogs actually think their owners are abandoning them forever each time they leave. Dogs are capable of learning routines and patterns. When an owner leaves on a typical workday at the normal time, the dog likely understands this is a temporary absence. Dogs can tell time much better than previously realized. They seem to display more anxiety when owners break regular routines. Overall, evidence suggests dogs feel anxious when home alone because they miss their people, not because they think they’ve been deserted for good.
Do dogs understand the concept of “forever”?
Dogs do have an understanding of time, but their sense of past and future is limited compared to humans. Experiments show dogs can remember events for a few months. This allows them to learn routines like their owner arriving home from work at a certain time. However, dogs likely don’t have an abstract notion of “forever”. They can’t imagine distant future scenarios the way people can. Without this ability for complex representation of time, it’s unlikely dogs assume each time their owner leaves it means abandoning them forever. Their level of anxiety seems connected more to the length of absence from the owner.
Signs of separation anxiety in dogs
Many dogs show signs of stress and anxiety when left home alone, including:
- Barking, whining or howling
- Chewing or destruction of household items
- Pacing or restlessness
- Aggression when owner tries to leave
- Depression
- Loss of appetite
- Excessive salivation
Up to 40% of dogs suffer from separation anxiety. This suggests the majority of dogs do experience heightened stress when their owner leaves. However, this doesn’t mean they think it’s a permanent abandonment.
Why dogs get anxious when left alone
There are several theories as to why dogs stress out when their human family members aren’t home:
- Social isolation: Dogs are social, pack animals. When left alone, they no longer have human companionship and contact.
- Change in routine: Dogs find an unexpected disruption to their routine disturbing. They thrive on regular schedules.
- Fear of the unknown: Being left alone is unpredictable. Dogs don’t know what will happen when the owner is gone.
- Boredom: Dogs depend on humans for physical and mental stimulation. Alone time leaves them under-stimulated.
None of these explanations require dogs to think their owner has abandoned them permanently. The anxiety seems connected more to missing their person and uncertainty about when they’ll return.
Do dogs understand you’re coming back?
Evidence suggests dogs do understand that when you leave the house on a typical work day, you are coming back. For example:
- Dogs whose owners work set schedules tend to relax before and after the owner’s regular departure and arrival times, suggesting they understand the routine.
- In one study, dogs left alone for varying time intervals displayed more anxiety when their owner returned later than expected, indicating they had an expectation of when the person should arrive home.
- Dogs greet owners excitedly when they return after an absence, tail wagging, suggesting they understand this is a temporary disappearance.
So dogs do seem capable of learning and anticipating their owner’s patterns and routine comings and goings. This means they likely understand you are coming back at the end of a typical workday absence.
Signs dogs know you’re coming back
Some clues that suggest dogs understand regular absences from the home are temporary include:
- Not becoming anxious until around the time the owner typically leaves
- Settling down after the owner has left
- Anticipating the owner’s arrival around the usual time
- Being excited, not fearful, when owner returns
- Not exhibiting destructive behavior while alone
Dogs who relax at home until the typical departure time shows they understand the routine. Settling after the person has left demonstrates trust that this isn’t forever. And excitement when the owner returns proves the dog expected them to come back.
When do dogs think you’re never coming back?
Experts say dogs seem to display the most anxiety about an owner never returning when:
- The owner breaks routine in a significant way (doesn’t come home one night, leaves at an odd time, goes away for several days)
- The dog is left alone by someone they don’t know well (pet sitter, overnight boarding)
- The dog is adopted from a shelter or rescue
- The dog has underlying anxiety issues
Major disruptions to the dog’s expected routine appear to trigger greater worry about the owner disappearing forever. Newly adopted dogs may be fearful of abandonment due to past neglect or abandonment. Dogs with anxiety overall will react more severely.
How to ease separation anxiety
If your dog seems extremely anxious when left alone, there are steps you can take to try and ease their worries:
- Keep routines and schedules as consistent as possible
- Provide exercise and enrichment before leaving
- Give soothing toys like a KONG with treats
- Use calming aids like pheromone diffusers
- Practice short solo absences to build confidence
- Reward calm, relaxed behavior
- Consult a vet or behaviorist if anxiety is severe
With patience, consistency and positive reinforcement, many dogs can overcome tendencies toward separation anxiety and learn to feel comfortable home alone for reasonable periods.
Key takeaways
- Dogs often act stressed and anxious when left alone at home
- They probably don’t think each absence means you’re leaving them forever
- Dogs can learn routines and seem to understand when you’re coming back
- Major disruptions to routines may cause greater worry about permanent abandonment
- With proper training, dogs can gain confidence and relax more when left alone
Conclusion
The evidence suggests that while dogs certainly feel anxious when their human family members leave the house, they likely don’t assume this means permanent abandonment, forever. Dogs can tell time and understand routines reasonably well. As long as regular schedules are maintained, dogs seem to grasp that short absences are temporary. Breaking with normal routines appears to cause dogs more distress and uncertainty. Overall, dogs probably see time in terms of daily or weekly patterns related to their owner’s habits. With consistency, patience and proper conditioning, man’s best friend can learn how to handle solo time at home in stride.