Separation Anxiety starting at 18 months?

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Our 18/19 month intact male dog (cavapoo) has started scratching at the door if we all leave the house. He has also started barking when he hears sounds outside (dogs barking/ birds/ loud car engines) or on the TV. He has also started howling sometimes. For example today he was at home with DH but DH was in a meeting. He was howling so DH shut the office door as he couldn't hear the conversation. The dog then started scratching at the front door.
I should add that I am his favourite person- he usually follows me from room to room if I'm at home. He is fine at night. He sleeps in the kitchen either in or out the crate and no bother at all. If we all go out the scratching is more likely to happen just after we leave rather than if we leave him too long.
It seems like he is getting more anxious in the house. He never used to bark at anything. We have some new neighbours round the corner with a dog(s) which barks if we go in the garden. Our dog then barks back. Not sure if this has triggered him.
Is this a normal age for separation anxiety to develop?

Not too early but wouldn't diagnose it at this stage.

Clap your hands loudly and say QUIET when he barks at noises outside. Little dogs are reactive and need training.

18 months is about when they start to feel they need to protect territory and alert of intruders. This isn't separation anxiety related.

This behaviour will be embedded at about 3 years old if no training is started now.

Scratching doors is also not necessarily anxiety. Again, clap and say NO when you hear it and maybe don't let him cuddle in the evenings and direct him to his bed to show him alone time is OK.

I have had a dog with severe separation anxiety who had a team of researchers behind him from Lincoln University so I am well versed in separation anxiety.

Wouldn't worry at this stage, based on these behaviours, and caution you to be careful to not attribute all behaviour to your fear of it because it will cloud your judgement and ability to train appropriately.

Hope that helps

Becoming reactive to noise can be a sign of pain. Have you had him checked by a vet?

I would agree with poster above to get a vet check - my dog started barking at door/people outside having always been super quiet. Went to vet and he had quite a bad ear infection that he’d shown no signs of! Once treated he’s gone back to being quiet again

Agree with Spaniels. Any chance in behaviour should be met with a vets visit.

Don't clap at your dog and tell it to be quiet. That's not going to achieve anything. Could even make them more terrified/unhappy if they are genuinely scared/distressed - cavapoos are incredibly sensitive. Terrible advice.

For someone who is well versed in separation anxiety, your advice is not good.

Clapping your hands and shouting "no" at a dog when they are trying to communicate something isn't helpful and any decent behaviourist would tell you not to do so.

Take it up with Lincoln University since you know better than they do.

He doesn't seem to have anything wrong with him but take your point about a vet check. The barking in response to noises did start around Easter and he has been to the vets since then so don't think it is that but no harm in checking again with the vet.

We are teaching him quiet which has some success but think he needs some desensitization to noises (perhaps using the tv to aid with this as he reacts to dogs barking on the TV etc). Generally he scratches at the door if we are out but he knows off so could do it by being the wrong side of the door (as he doesn't like this) and then rewarding when he stops scratching. I would agree with @LandSharksAnonymous that he is very sensitive and doesn't like loud noises so not sure he'd react well to clapping. But definitely can try some training.

Well I'm not sure the howling is separation anxiety as he has been doing it all morning, even when we are all around. Doesn't seem to be at anything in particular. Just seems to like the sound of his voice. Responds to quiet and then stops and gets a treat. Have booked vet for tomorrow just in case. Wondering if there might be a dog in season nearby? He is very humpy at the moment and his "lipstick" is always coming out.

It's a good point about an in season bitch nearby. You'll probably never know if that's the case though; I kept it very very quiet when my bitch was in season as I was fearful of her being stolen and ending up in a puppy farm.

I did briefly consider letting the village know for exactly your reason - male dogs being suddenly nuts and puzzling their owners - but then came to my senses and kept quiet.