London - Winston Churchill famously called it the black dog – the depression that plagued the wartime prime minister throughout his life.
Now one in four of Britain’s 8 million pet dogs are said to be suffering from depression of their own, caused by the stress of being left alone by busy owners.
According to some evidence, the problem is made worse for animals whose owners work particularly long hours or have just returned to their jobs.
Filming for a television documentary has revealed the kind of behaviour displayed by dogs when left alone at home.
A spokesperson for Home Alone Dogs, to be shown on Channel 4 later this year, said: “For some dogs the consequences can be shocking, including pacing and spinning on the spot.
“Others were seen barking and howling for long periods, defecating and even self-harming.”
Dr John Bradshaw, author of In Defence of Dogs, explained: “Dogs have a very powerful link to humans. You can train a dog to do all sorts of things and understand our gestures.
“We expect to turn all that off by saying (to our dogs): ‘We’re going out – relax, have a kip, chew a bone, we’ll be back soon.’
“They don’t understand that.”
Owners of dogs suffering from separation anxiety are advised to gradually build up the time they spend away from their pets.
Dr Nicola Rooney, from the University of Bristol’s veterinary school, said the level of stress hormones in some dogs could be high even when the animals appeared to be content – but that the issue could be resolved.
She said:
“We don’t want owners to dump their dogs in re-homing centres.
“There are strategies that can be used.” – Daily Mail