Leaving your dog alone can result in ‘separation anxiety'

Despite being often referred to as ‘man's best friend', many of Britain's beloved pooches are spending many hours at a stretch without any human company. New research from Sainsbury's Finance, which offers good quality, competitively priced pet insurance, reveals that over three quarters of a million dog owners are leaving their dogs alone in the house during the working week for eight hours or more per day, an action that could be detrimental to their animal's mental well-being.

Even more concerning is the 1.3 million dog owners who admit to having left their dog for more than a day in the home without another person checking on them.

Dogs being left without human contact for long periods of time can result in ‘separation anxiety,' a condition which refers to any anxiety-related behavioural problem occurring as a result of being left alone. Over the last year, Sainsbury's Pet Insurance has seen a 28% increase in the number of pet insurance claims linked to behavioural problems.

When suffering from separation anxiety dogs can become immediately concerned about where their owner has gone, worrying if they will ever come back, and this distress can result in the dog chewing furniture, barking, vomiting or trying to escape by scratching at walls, doors or windows. They can suffer both mental and physical symptoms as a result.

Sainsbury's Finance research reveals that most dogs in Britain are fortunate enough to see their owners for a large part of the day, with 76% of owners leaving them alone for four hours or less each day. Still, 2.4 million leave their dogs alone for a majority of the working day, five hours or more.

Joanne Mallon, Sainsbury's Pet Insurance Manager says: "Dogs are highly sociable animals who crave the affection of their owners and can find being home alone distressing. Owners struggling to provide sufficient company themselves should consider dog walking and dog-sitting services or call on assistance from family or neighbours. Those thinking about purchasing a dog really need to factor this into their decision."

Sainsbury's Pet Insurance offers a range of benefits including up to £1,000 per condition for complementary treatments and £250 a year for behavioural problems.

For more information, visit sainsburysbank.co.uk