Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/spaik-toby-dog-waits-for-owner-to-return/
Separation anxiety doesn’t just affect humans, it can affect our pets as well. No one knows this better than the family of a Peruvian dog who patiently waits for his owner to return home – all day, sometimes into the night.
The dog, named Toby, suffers from separation anxiety, and he can hardly handle it when his owner leaves for work each morning.
The poor pup will sit on the balcony and watch his companion walk away. Then, he’ll stay there, keeping an eye on the last place he saw his owner. He waits all day, looking for his owner to return, until the moment he finally comes home from work.
Many dogs suffer from separation anxiety, especially when left alone all day while their owners work. Oftentimes, separation anxiety leads to unwanted, destructive behavior, like chewing, potty accidents, excessive barking and howling, and more. Some pets will even try to chew and scratch their way out of the house to get to their owners!
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Thankfully, in Toby’s case, he doesn’t practice any destructive behaviors, though he does let out a sad howl every now and again. It probably helps that he’s not left totally alone, either. He stays home with other family and another dog named Spaik while his “dad” goes to work.
For dogs who are left fully alone, severe separation anxiety can be quite troublesome and a real cause of concern. Dogs may hurt themselves trying to escape and get to their owners, or they may successfully break out and run away. Beyond that, they can eat something toxic or harmful, and are overall unhappy animals (at least they are when their owners are away).
Like humans, it’s important for dogs who suffer from any form of mental illness to get help.
According to the ASPCA, common signs of separation anxiety in dogs include the following:
Potty Accidents in Potty-Trained Dogs
Excessive Barking and Howling
Chewing, Digging and Destruction
Escaping
Pacing
Eating Their Own Poop
If you have a dog exhibiting signs of separation anxiety, make sure to speak with your veterinarian to rule out other possible causes for behavior and start a treatment plan.
You can follow Toby on TikTok, @spaik_toby.
Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog
