Why Vets Are Encouraging Pet Parents Not to FaceTime Their Dogs
If you have a dog that struggles with separation anxiety, or are just a loving dog parent, you understand the struggle of going away on vacation and worrying about your doggie the entire time all too well. As such, you may want to FaceTime the person watching your pup while you're out of town. This way, you can check in on your fur baby and let them hear your voice. This is totally understandable; you miss them and they definitely miss you, too!
However, some vets are warning pet parents that this seemingly harmless check-in might actually be doing more harm for your dog than good.
Why FaceTiming Your Dog Might Not Be the Best Idea
Dr. Alex Crow from The Net Vet recently spoke with Newsweekabout the reason why you may not want to FaceTime your dog while you're away.
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"From a veterinary and behavioral perspective, pets experience the world as a multisensory environment-sound, scent, sight and context all working together," Dr. Crow told Newsweek. "When a dog hears their owner's voice but can't detect their scent or physical presence, it creates a sensory mismatch."
Research supports this. A 2019 study that was published in Biologia Futura revealed that dogs could recognize their paw-rents based on their voice alone, able to distinguish them from strangers, too.
As such, if your pup hears your voice, they might anticipate seeing you come in the front door. Without that expected reunion, anxiety, frustration or confusion can occur, Dr. Crow told Newsweek.
Dr. Crow explained to Newsweek that this distress is typically temporary, with the exception of doggies prone to separation anxiety. If a FaceTime call happens repeatedly, without you coming home, it could make the problem worse through reinforcement.
"Dogs learn through patterns and associations," Dr. Crow told Newsweek. "If hearing their owner's voice repeatedly predicts emotional arousal without resolution, some dogs may become increasingly reactive to those cues over time."
Of course, not all dogs react negatively to hearing their person's voice on the phone. Ultimately, though, you know your dog best and if you notice that they feel disrupted when they hear your voice on the phone, avoid this the best you can. Have your friend watching your pup or the pet sitter send daily photos to help you. And remember, you'll be home before you know it!
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This story was originally published June 1, 2026 at 8:20 PM.