Research has highlighted the significance of saying goodbye to your dog before you leave home – and the reason is both heartbreaking and heart-warming. Dogs are commonly referred to as a “man’s best friend”, and they slot in seamlessly with their human families, providing great joy and companionship.
It’s no secret dogs require consistent love, care and attention throughout their entire lives, with owners responsible for providing these essentials. It’s also no secret that dogs can be deeply attached to their owners and feel great sadness, stress and anxiety when being separated from them.
To avoid your dog suffering unnecessarily with your absence, experts advise preparing them for when you leave – so they know you’re going to return to them.
This is because, sadly, many dogs can panic that you’re never going to come back. American psychologist Stanley Coren once said: “The greatest fear dogs know is the fear that you will not come back when you go out the door without them.”
It’s advised that owners create a consistent routine with their dog when they’re leaving the house so the animal can mentally prepare and is more likely to recognise they’re going to be left alone for a period of time.
Upon your arrival home, the dog will be reassured and begin to recognise that you always come back.
Some experts recommend saying a consistent phrase when you’re about to leave to signal your impending departure.
This could be something simple like “bye bye [dog’s] name”, or “look after the house”, said in a calm and reassuring tone, while making sure you give them appropriate levels of attention.
Ultimately, a dog’s deep love and devotion to their owner can cause them to suffer from anxiety and sadness so it’s up to their owners to try and mitigate this as best they can.
One dog owner seeking insight and advice turned to the popular social media forum Reddit, where they asked: “How many out there say goodbye to their dog when they leave?”
They continued: “So, we are working on my dog’s [separation anxiety] and when we leave we don’t say anything as I heard you’re not supposed to not make a big deal of coming and going.
“But I often wonder if saying ‘See you later’ or ‘Be good’ would be okay? Or is it too late for that?
“He understands when I say ‘I’ll be right back’ when I leave the room to get or do something. What do you all say or do when you leave your dog?”
One person replied: “I tell my dog bye when I leave! I think it’s helpful information for them. How they react will be dependent on habit.
“If you always say ‘see ya’ then leave for longer periods of time than your dog can handle? They may start to freak out when you say see ya, because it’s a cue preceding an anxiety filled event.
“Conversely, like you do with ‘I’ll be right back’ if you say bye and always return within a time your dog can handle, he might get calmer when you say it like ‘oh no problem, that means my person will go away and then come back and I just wait here’.”
Another person shared: “I always have to tell my dogs ‘stay’ so they know they aren’t coming. I work from home so when they see me put shoes on they think it’s walktime and they get excited.
“When I say ‘stay’, that tells them they aren’t coming and they relax and go lay down.”
