Your Dog Thinks Leaving Means Forever

A more serious issue is when the learned behavior comes from fear of abandonment. This is common with rescue dogs, who were often taught early (and sometimes repeatedly) that when its owner leaves, they may not come back.

Dogs with abandonment issues need time to trust that they’ve found their forever home. Leaving should feel like part of the routine. Save the tearful goodbyes for rom-coms and keep it low-key. 

Time and consistency will heal those old emotional wounds. 

Your Dog Is Worried About You

Ever been around someone who’s just a bundle of nerves? It freaks you the fuck out and makes you feel anxious.

Your dog gets the same way. A study from Sweden’s Linkoping University found that emotional contagion, or the mirroring of stress levels found in cohabiting groups, is a very real thing for people and their pets.

The TL;DR is that when you’re anxious or stressed, your dog is attuned to that and responds by, well… freaking the fuck out. Anxiety and stress equal danger in dog language. 

Your dog wants to protect you, but doesn’t know how. The only thing it can control is to not let you out of its sight until it knows you’re safe. 

Take a deep breath, get your woo-sah on, and try to let it go. Some things are just too big to let go, but if it’s just Karen down the hall being Karen, leave it at the door.