Many of our animal friends suffer from separation anxiety: as soon as a favorite human leaves the house, the afflicted pet is overwhelmed by panic. For dogs, some common symptoms include: excessive barking, whining, pacing around, damaging furniture and other objects, trying to escape, and extreme drooling. Separation anxiety isn’t a reflection of poor training or plain old boredom: it’s a deeply ingrained emotional response.
It’s no accident that beagles are one of the best-loved breeds of dog. Because they were originally bred for hunting rabbits, beagles are quite intelligent but tend to be very single-minded. Their sense of smell is amazingly good, making beagles a favorite choice of dog for customs services. Another reason beagles are a good choice for a job like that is their small size, pleasant demeanor, and non-threatening appearance. This also makes them first-rate therapy dogs. Being so naturally friendly, it may be that beagles are the world’s worst guard dogs! These gentle, amiable and “merry” dogs are perfect family pets.
One pet parent decided to get two beagles rather than just one, figuring that when she was out, they would keep each other company. Two dogs would surely play and have a good time, whereas one dog might mope around and maybe even develop a full-blown case of separation anxiety. To test her theory, she had someone record a video and we’ve posted it for you below. Just seconds after she was out the door, the two beagles were sitting at the front door, looking out the window, and letting loose with that unmistakable beagle howl. After some more noise-making, the two of them ended up lying next to each other still staring mournfully out the window.
Have you ever had a pet who had separation anxiety issues? Did anything help? Let us know in the comments at Facebook and don’t forget to like and share!
