Norwich Terrier anxiety after companion left

Separation anxiety is one of the most distressing things for both dog and owner — and what you're describing has a particular twist to it: your Norwich Terrier was perfectly confident alone before, then had a companion, and now that companion is gone and everything feels wrong to him. That's a real loss, not just a training gap, and it makes sense he's struggling. Products can genuinely help here, but they work best alongside helping him rebuild that 'being alone is fine' muscle. To point you in the right direction — how bad is it right now? Are we talking mild unsettled behaviour, some destructive chewing, or full panic when you leave? And how long has it been since the second dog was rehomed?

That's really useful — and actually, Monty's history is encouraging. He knows how to be alone; he's just lost his equilibrium after Biscuit's arrival and departure. Six weeks of moderate distress, no destruction, and a dog with a proven baseline of calm tells me this is recoverable. A few quick things to help me give you the best advice: is Monty crate trained or does he roam freely? And when he scratches at the door, is that right at the start or does it settle after the 20-minute whining period?

Perfect — that camera is genuinely one of the best tools you have, so keep using it. What you're describing is classic transition anxiety: Monty gets through the peak stress window and then settles, which means he hasn't lost the ability to cope, he's just not comfortable in that initial window anymore. The goal is to blunt that peak and help him relearn that departures predict nothing bad. My recommendation is the Adaptil Calm Home Diffuser. It releases a synthetic version of the calming pheromone a mother dog produces for her puppies, and it's particularly effective for exactly this kind of socially-triggered anxiety — the loss of a companion, a change in the household dynamic. You plug it in where Monty tends to spend time alone, run it continuously, and within two to four weeks most dogs show a measurable reduction in that early distress window. It won't do the whole job on its own — short, positive departures where you come back before he peaks will help him rebuild confidence — but as a supporting tool it's well-evidenced and safe. The diffuser covers up to 70 square metres and one refill lasts about a month.

Yes, completely safe for Monty. Adaptil is species-specific — it only affects dogs, not cats or humans — and the pheromone itself is non-pharmacological, so there's no sedation, no side effects, and no interaction with anything else he might be on. Size doesn't factor in with pheromone diffusers the way it does with medication. It either has an effect on the dog's nervous system or it doesn't, and the research shows it's effective across all breeds and sizes. Norwich Terriers aren't sensitive to it in any documented way. One practical tip: plug it in a day or two before you need it — let the pheromone level build up in the room rather than starting it on a stressful morning.

Get the starter kit — it comes with the diffuser unit and one refill, which gives you a full month to properly assess whether it's working for Monty. Buying the unit and refill separately costs more, and you want at least four weeks of consistent use before drawing conclusions. After that, you just need the refills. Given you already have the camera set up, you'll be well placed to see whether that 15-minute peak is shortening over the coming weeks, which is exactly what you're looking for.