Boston terriers have been known to develop problems dealing with separation anxiety.
So what really is seperation anxiety?
Seperation Anxiety is an anxiety disorder that is defined by a state of extreme panic brought on by the dog’s seperation from his owners.
Put differently, when you leave the house, your boston terrier launches into a state of nervous anxiety that escalates extremely quick.
Boston terriers are social animals and need lots of social interaction to keep them happy and pleased. No boston terrier likes to be left alone for lengthy amounts of time, but some handle it a lot worse than others.
The number 1 cause of seperation anxiety for boston terriers is being neglected. If you are gone a lot more than you are there in your boston terrier’s life, separation anxiety is pretty much unavoidable. Your boston terrier requires your companionship, affection, and care to be satisfied.
Symptoms of separation anxiety are pretty easy to recognize. Your boston terrier will usually determine when you are about to leave (he will hear your keys jingling, see you putting on your coat, etc) and will get very anxious. He might follow you from room to room, whining, shaking, and weeping. Some boston terriers even get aggressive trying to stop their owners from leaving.
Once you have left, the anxious behavior will quickly worsen and normally will peak within a half an hour. He might bark endlessly, scratch and dig at the windows and doors, chew inappropriate objects, and even urinate or defecate inside the house. In extreme cases, he may even self-mutilate by licking or chewing his skin until it has become raw, or pulling out his fur.
Then when you return, he will be overly excited, and will bounce around you in a frenzy of delight for a prolonged amount of time (more than the usual thirty seconds of a pleased, well-balanced boston terrier.)
This extended greeting is a source of some misinterpretation. Without knowing that such a greeting actually shows a psychological disorder, a lot of owners actually encourage their boston to get more and more worked up upon their return (by stirring up their boston’s excitement, encouraging him to jump around, and so on.)
Whenever you are doing this with your boston, you really need to stopshould really stop. I know that it can be tempting and very easy to do, and it seems harmless - but you are really just supporting his belief that your return is the best moment of the day. So he is as happy as can be when you come home, but when it’s time for you to leave again, his happiness at your presence is under threat, and he gets even more distressed when you leave.
