Will a Second Dog Help Separation Anxiety? What Research Shows

Research backs this up. A 2021 video study filmed 77 dogs home alone, in single dog and multi dog homes. Whining was not lower when a familiar dog was present, and the dogs spent very little of their alone time interacting with each other. The ASPCA notes that most anxious dogs are fine as long as someone is with them, so a sitter or daycare is a far more reliable fix. Some dogs do relax with a canine friend, so a low risk trial with a friend's dog can tell you more than guessing.

This answer is part of Dog Separation Anxiety: The Complete Guide, written by The Alone & Okay team.

Why do owners hope a second dog will help?

It makes sense on the surface. Dogs are social, your dog seems lonely, and a friend sounds kinder than an empty house. Many owners also feel guilty about long workdays, and a second dog feels like a way to give their dog company without changing their schedule.

The trouble is the type of attachment. The ASPCA describes separation anxiety as distress triggered by separation from the people a dog is attached to. The American Kennel Club adds that it is real stress, not boredom. A dog in that state usually wants their person back. Another dog in the house does not answer that need for most of them.

What did the research find?

Stephan, Leidhold and Hammerschmidt (2021) videotaped 32 dogs in single dog homes and 45 dogs in multi dog homes while they were home alone as part of their normal routine. A few points from the study stand out for owners thinking about a second dog:

• Whining was not reduced when a familiar dog was in the home.
• Interactions with other pets took up only a tiny share of the time alone, even in multi dog homes.
• Dogs in multi dog homes were more active, especially in the first hour alone.
• The authors wrote that their data did not support the idea that a familiar dog helps with coping, and if anything suggested the opposite.

One study is not the last word, and it did not focus only on dogs with diagnosed separation anxiety. But it fits what trainers often see: dogs in the same house mostly ignore each other when the people leave.

What are the real risks of adding a dog?

• Two anxious dogs. A new dog can pick up stress from a dog who panics at the door, or arrive with their own alone time problems.
• Twice the cover. Two dogs still need potty breaks, walks and someone to check on them during long days.
• Less training time. A new dog takes weeks of attention, which can push aside the short daily practice your first dog needs.
• A worse fit for the first dog. Some dogs do not enjoy living with another dog at all.

When might a second dog help?

There are dogs who settle better with a calm canine housemate, and owners do report it. It tends to work better when:

• The distress is mild and mostly looks like boredom or loneliness, not panic.
• Your dog already settles well with a dog friend while you are home.
• You wanted a second dog anyway, for its own sake, and can handle two if it does not help.

How can you test it before you commit?

You can find out how your dog reacts without adopting:

1. Ask a friend with a calm, dog friendly dog to visit for an afternoon.
2. Let the dogs settle together while you are home first.
3. Step out for a short time, a few minutes at most, and watch both dogs on a camera.
4. Compare it with the same absence when your dog is alone.

If your dog still waits at the door, whines or paces with a friend there, a second dog is unlikely to solve it. If your dog relaxes, try a few more visits before deciding anything. Our guide on how long a dog with separation anxiety can be left alone explains how to find your dog's starting point for that kind of test.

What tends to work better?

• Human company on workdays. A sitter, daycare, a friend who works from home, or bringing your dog to work. The ASPCA notes the company does not have to be you.
• Short, calm practice absences. A review by Sargisson (2014) found desensitization and counterconditioning to be the most successful approach. In plain words: tiny absences that stay calm, paired with good things, growing slowly.
• A stable routine. The same review lists stable household routines as a protective factor.
• Exercise and brain work before you leave, such as a sniff walk and a food puzzle.

Our calm-exit plan for working owners and our guide to how long a dog can be left alone cover the workday side of this.

When should you get help?

If your dog panics within minutes, hurts themselves or destroys doors and windows, talk to your vet and ask about a referral to a veterinary behaviorist or a qualified behavior consultant. Any question about medication belongs with your vet.

What else do owners ask?

Would a cat help instead?

The same logic applies. Most anxious dogs miss their person, so any other pet is unlikely to fix it on its own.

My dogs are fine together, but one cries when I leave. Why?

That is very common. Living with another dog does not change how strongly one dog is attached to you.

Should I separate my two dogs when I leave?

Not by default. Watch them on a camera. If one dog's stress winds up the other, a gate between them can help. If they rest calmly together, leave them together.

Sources

• Stephan et al. (2021), Pet dogs home alone: a video-based study. Applied Animal Behaviour Science
• ASPCA: Separation Anxiety
• American Kennel Club: Separation Anxiety in Dogs
• Sargisson (2014), Canine separation anxiety: strategies for treatment and management. Veterinary Medicine: Research and Reports

General information, not veterinary advice. If your dog panics, injures themselves or something changes suddenly, talk to your vet.