What is separation anxiety? Do whippets have it?
A dog with separation anxiety shows signs of distress when he does not have access to his owner. He will panic when his owner leaves the house for any length of time and sometimes when he is simply put into a room alone with the door closed. He may pant, drool, shiver, scratch frantically at the door, and sometimes destroy household furnishings in his panic. He can even injure himself trying to escape from a crate or the house itself. Separation anxiety is discussed as a breed problem in whippets, but as in many other breeds, it is over-diagnosed. Whippets who are unhappy with their living arrangements tend to let you know about it. We’ve heard many a story about a whippet with “severe separation anxiety” who is placed in a home where he receives more attention…and miracle of miracles, the “separation anxiety” disappears magically. It’s just not in the breed’s nature to spend lots of time alone and not complain about it! This breed does seem to do better in a two- or multi-dog househ
