Does leaving your dog home alone make you feel guiltier than Debra from HR ripping a loud fart in the packed elevator? Do you come home to find your furniture looks like it lost a boxing match and your carpet resembles a Jackson Pollock painting? Has your dog tried to squeeze through windows or chew through doors to stop your cruel abandonment?
If so, your pup likely has some serious issues with being left alone. But have no fear, with some training you can help your panicked pooch chill out when you're not around.
First, start small with crazy short departures. We're talking for a few seconds so your dog doesn't freak out. Rinse and repeat, repeat, repeat. Slowly increase your time away so your pup realizes you do actually come back and being alone isn't DEFCON 1 situation.
For every dog who is struggling with separation anxiety, there is a frazzled pet-parent trying to figure out how to live a normal life without sending their dog into a state of distress! And it can be really hard to navigate on your own, because the internet is a chaotic sea of misinformation, and there are some bad actors out there trying to claim that a certain product, herb, or bed can cure your dog.
Before wasting money on harmless but ineffective treatments, or worse, sending your dog to an ill-informed trainer, there are a few key points that are important to know.
Best practices as outlined by multiple studies and behavior specialists who focus on isolation distress and separation anxiety include gradual exposure and desensitization therapy, coupled with supportive behavior medications
Training must take place in the context of the dog’s struggles. Your dog will not learn how to tolerate being left alone at a trainer’s facility, and take those skills with him to your house. Be highly suspicious of any trainer claiming otherwise. Ask them their methods, are they using tethering, e-collars, or claim to teach long down-stays to fix the problem? Those are all extremely harmful practices and will cause your dog significant amounts of distress to endure.
There is currently no single medication, or nutraceutical treatment that cures isolation distress and separation anxiety.
It’s not your fault!!!! You didn’t create the problem by letting Fido share the bed or furniture, coddling them too much or too little, exercising them too much or too little. Please take this burden off your shoulders!
There are currently only two certifications available to dog trainers who specialize in separation anxiety cases: SAPT, and CSAT. If you are considering working with a trainer, please consider finding one with either of these certifications!
Working with a certified trainer who specializes in separation anxiety related issues will make the process go faster! A professional trainer can:
Pinpoint your dog’s starting baseline for behavior modification
Educate you on your dog’s subtle body language cues that it is tolerating or struggling with the training
Help you set up ways to monitor your dog when you are outside of the home
Help you get your life back!
