Separation anxiety is one of the biggest complaints amongst pet owners and is most often taken as bad behavior rather than the deeper problem that it is. No, separation anxiety is not simply a pet whining and quivering in the corner. Other more severe characteristics include going to the bathroom in the house (even when they’re house trained), getting into the trash, barking/howling, chewing things other than their toys (goodbye, flip-flops), digging (just about anywhere), and trying to escape.