Separation Anxiety FAQ
Training and medication aren’t either/or, they often work best together. I’m not a veterinarian and can’t prescribe medication, but I can help you recognize when a vet or veterinary behaviorist consult may be worth exploring alongside training.
Yes, when there’s a clear plan in place. Part of the initial assessment is understanding exactly what happened and building safety measures, like management strategies, muzzle training if needed, around that specific history.
No. Dogs of any age can benefit from training; puppies that start early may avoid long-term anxiety, and older dogs can still learn new patterns
Absolutely no! There was nothing you did or did not do as a dog owner/dog parent to cause separation distress in your dog. Rest assure of this. What we know from science is that mammals have types of attachment – these can be secure or insecure, and we know that they can be based on …
Read more “Why does separation anxiety develop in dogs? Was it something I did?”
All dogs are different so we can’t say they will display the same behaviors but some common ones are barking/howling, destruction (chewing, scratching), house-soiling, pacing, drooling, and attempts to escape when they are left alone. But this is not the only way to determine this. We will start with an initial assessment where I will …
Read more “What are the typical signs my dog has separation anxiety?”
Yes — and remote training is actually the best practice for separation anxiety.
Every dog is different, so giving a potential timeframe would be outward lying. We usually offer to start with a 4 week package in which we deploy a protocol that includes 4 trainings per week and one reassessment. After this initial 4 weeks, we usually take a call with the client to see how to …
Yes — it is aboslutely important that we suspend absences and that your pup is not left alone until we have built a good amount of comfort around alone time. Training sessions are short and easy (no more than 20 minutes each time) to fit into daily life. But do not worry! As long as …