Age-dependent changes in dogs' separation-related behaviours in a longitudinal study

Researchers at the ELTE Department of Ethology in Budapest observed 32 dogs during separation from the owner and retested them two years later. They found that 41% of dogs were stable, 38 % improved, 16 % worsened in separation behaviour. Old dogs with separation-related disorder (SRD) whined more, showed more vocal stress signals, and tried to escape less from the room. This study, published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science, reveals an important link between ageing and separation behaviour as well as emphasizes the importance of testing SRD dogs longitudinally to track their changes.


Separation-related problems are common in companion dogs, caused by the stress that dogs experience when they are separated from the owner. Although the different causes and risk factors of the development of such behaviour problems have been widely investigated, the changes in separation behaviour during a dogs’ life are still a question. “We were curious about how separation behaviour changes over time and how older dogs behave during separation from the owner”- says András Marx, first author of the study, PhD candidate at ELTE Department of Ethology.- “Ageing is a complex phenomenon, which causes changes in cognition and physiological function, so we wanted to assess how which is its influences on separation behaviour”