Separation anxiety
Distress when separated from owners. Common in dogs (less in cats). Ranges from mild whining to destructive panic. Treatable with training and sometimes medication.
Separation anxiety is a clinical condition (not just "being bored"). Dogs with true separation anxiety experience genuine panic when left — they pant, drool, vocalise, destroy doorways or windows, sometimes self-injure trying to escape. It commonly emerges after a significant life change: a move, an owner returning to office work after working from home, the loss of a household member or pet.
The hallmark distinguishing this from boredom: signs start within minutes of departure (not hours), and are highly consistent regardless of how tired the dog is. Video recording the dog in your absence is the diagnostic gold standard — most owners are surprised by the severity.
Treatment is a structured desensitisation programme: very short absences below the panic threshold, gradually extended over weeks. Crating without prior training generally makes things worse. Anti-anxiety medication (clomipramine, fluoxetine, sometimes situational trazodone) accelerates progress in moderate-to-severe cases.
A veterinary behaviourist or qualified force-free trainer experienced in separation anxiety is the right partner — DIY approaches and outdated advice ("they're being dominant", "ignore them") commonly worsen the condition.