Introduction:
Living with a dog experiencing separation anxiety can be overwhelming and heart-wrenching for any pet parent. As an experienced dog trainer specialising in separation anxiety training, I’ve witnessed the transformative power of targeted SA training techniques. In this blog post, I’ll guide you through the process of separation anxiety training. Often people think dogs behave badly with separation anxiety but I will be providing valuable insights and practical tips to help your dog thrive when left alone.
Understanding Separation Anxiety:
Separation anxiety is a behavioural issue where dogs feel extreme distress and panic when separated from their owners. Common signs include excessive barking, destructive behaviour, and attempts to escape, leading to damage around doorways and injury. Identifying these signs early is vital to address the issue promptly.
Tip 1: Calm Energy during Departures
Avoid dramatic goodbyes or overly emotional departures. Instead, maintain a calm energy during exits and returns to instil a sense of neutrality – make these events, non-events.
Tip 2: Gradual Absences
During training, practise short departures and gradually extend the time spent away. Each time you return, greet your dog quietly and calmly. If there are signs of distress, deal with these without fuss – your dog has not done this on purpose or to ‘pay you back’ for leaving them. Consistency is key in building your dog’s confidence and sense of safety, reassuring them that you’ll always come back.
Tip 3: Desensitisation Techniques
Employ desensitisation techniques to alter your dog’s emotional response to departures. This involves associating your leaving with safety. Practising the actions of leaving in short sessions once a day, starts to desensitise the door as a predictor of you leaving.
Tip 4: Establish a Safe Haven
Create a designated safe space for your dog when you’re away. Where do they settle the best when you are at home? Use this space and manage it using closed doors or child gates to make it a safe space.
Tip 5: Gradual Alone Time Increase,
Gradually increase the time your dog spends alone, starting with short intervals and working your way up. This gradual exposure will help them adjust to your absence more easily. Always work within your dog’s comfort zone. If your dog can only handle seconds of alone time, you start at seconds and grow it from there.
Tip 6: Seek Professional Support
For severe cases of separation anxiety, searching for “dog behaviourist near me for anxiety”to enlist the help of a professional dog trainer with expertise in separation anxiety training prevents further distress. As a dedicated and expert separation anxiety trainer, I can provide a tailor-made training plan to address your dog’s specific home alone experience.
Conclusion:
Separation anxiety training is a gradual process that requires patience, empathy, and consistency. With the right support and guidance, you can help your dog overcome their anxiety and feel more secure during your absences from home. Remember that every dog is unique, and progress may take time, depending on your dog and their anxiety state.
As a separation anxiety training specialist with a client base that covers Gloucestershire, the UK and Europe, I am committed to training a dog to be left alone and helping you and your dog build a new emotional response around being left alone. Together, we can create a positive and lasting change that transforms your dog’s separation anxiety into peaceful and contented alone times. Are you ready to begin?
