What It’s Like to Live with a Dog Who Has Separation Anxiety

It’s not just “a little barking.” It’s a life shaped around your dog’s distress—and it’s more common than you think.

You don’t leave the house without a plan.

Maybe it starts the moment you reach for your keys—or even before. Your dog knows. You see the worry in their eyes, the pacing, the whining, maybe the trembling. You might try to slip out quietly or give a treat and hope for the best.

But what happens next? Barking. Destruction. A neighbor’s complaint. A camera alert that shows your dog crying, scratching at the door, spinning in panic.

“I was very trapped at home, and I didn’t know what to do.”

“Minnie was having panic attacks and was not loving it.”

One guardian described returning from a short outing to “corned-up pillows” and complete chaos. Another shared, “She squeezed two kennel bars together at one point and somehow got out… that could be dangerous. She could have got stuck.”

So you stop leaving. Or you only leave when absolutely necessary. You cancel plans. You feel stuck. And worst of all, you feel guilty.

Your world shrinks.

You miss spontaneous outings. You worry every time you check your phone. You feel like you have to justify your dog’s behavior to others. You dread the judgment—from neighbors, friends, even other dog owners who just don’t get it.

“There was already a lot of isolation and I really just had no way of making friends because I couldn’t leave the house.”

Living with a dog who struggles with alone time isn’t just hard—it’s exhausting. Emotionally, logistically, financially. And it can feel incredibly isolating.

You love your dog—but you’re not okay.

And that’s the hardest part. You know your dog isn’t trying to give you a hard time—they’re having a hard time. But so are you.

“The separation anxiety was intense—destructive behavior, escape attempts, and a level of stress I’d never seen before.”

You want to help them feel safe. You want your life back. You want to breathe again without worrying about what’s happening at home.

You are not alone—and you don’t have to figure this out alone either.

If this sounds familiar, I want you to know something:

This isn’t your fault.

Your dog isn’t broken.

And there is a path forward.

“Working with Head Over Heels changed everything. I learned how to recognize the subtle patterns that were triggering my dogs’ anxiety and how to support them through gentle, step-by-step training.”

“What made the biggest difference? The consistent support. The fact that I wasn’t alone. That there was someone who truly understood this behavior and had a plan that actually worked.”

Let’s talk about what healing looks like.

This guardian now works part-time outside the home—without a second thought about leaving her dogs behind.

“I wouldn’t be able to do this had I not got the skills from you to condition Monty and Minnie to be able to be left alone.”

“They know I always come back. So it doesn’t matter if I’m gone for 10 minutes or for an eight-hour workday—they’re fine.”

“I peek in on them from time to time and I just see two calm dogs.”

With the right support, things can change. For your dog. For you. For your shared life.

Ready for your own transformation?

You don’t have to live in fear of leaving the house.

You don’t have to do this alone.

“What you taught me absolutely, 100% works. And I am free now. I have freedom.”

“It was worth the time invested. It works. It was worth the money. And I would do it again.”

📋 Schedule a discovery call here  and let’s start building a plan that works for you and your dog—so you can both feel safe, supported, and free.

“Don’t hesitate. Do it.”- Jill H., now works out of the house and runs errands with ease