Separation Anxiety is not the dog's fault and it's not your fault.
Signs of Separation Distress
Does your dog struggle when left home alone? If you were to set up a camera to see what your dog does when nobody is home, what would you see?
Signs of separation distress are distinct but not always loud. Dogs with separation anxiety don’t rest until you’re back home or until you’ve been away for hours and they’ve exhausted themselves with one or more of these behaviours: fretting and pacing, panting, shivering, excessive drooling, scratching and chewing at the door or window frames, barking, spinning in circles, attempting to escape confinement, toileting on the couch or floor despite being housebroken, and other anxious behaviours.
A dog that kicks up a fuss, destroys door frames, or self harms when home alone is a dog having a very hard time.
Dogs with separation anxiety suffer from a panic disorder. They rarely grow out of it, and the training strategies that help with other problem behaviours are not effective. Many dogs with separation anxiety also suffer from confinement anxiety, and common recommendations such as crating or isolating the dog in a dedicated small area when home alone actually increases the panic.
There is no way to predict which dogs will develop Separation Distress, it’s not caused by anything guardians do or don’t do.
- With the right interventions Separation Anxiety can however very often be successfully resolved or reduced so that life is more manageable.
- Though guardians don’t cause Separation Anxiety, strategies to prevent it, have value.
- Supporting very young puppies in graduated alone time is important and may prevent activation and rehearsal of emotions and pathways in the brain that could otherwise lead to separation anxiety.
- Supporting dogs newly adopted or when moving to a new environment with graduated alone time is also worthwhile as prevention.
Service Components Certified Separation Anxiety Training (CSAT)
The CSAT program involves training 5 days per week for four weeks. The CSAT guides the process and makes all training decisions based on careful observation of your dog. The service unfolds as follows:
- Complimentary phone consult to learn about your dog’s symptoms and to outline the CSAT approach to service. (30 minutes)
Live assessment of your dog using Zoom (CSAT observes your dog when you leave home) followed by discussion and planning. (60 – 90 minutes)
16 days (4 days each week) of training exercises written specifically for your dog–always based on the previous day’s observations. (Easy-to-follow instructions guide you in a 20 – 30 minute training session, four days each week; one day each week)
Weekly live reassessments of your dog (set-up is the same as the initial assessment) followed by discussion re your dog’s progress and planning for the next week.
Unlike many training protocols, separation anxiety doesn’t require the physical presence of the trainer. In fact, the trainer’s presence can actually inhibit progress by changing the normal, everyday circumstances your dog is used to.
The “trainer effect,” as it’s called, often produces false results—dogs seem to be getting better, but only while the trainer is there. Once she leaves, it’s back to anxiety-as-usual.
Training remotely with basic camera technology only makes sense
The Benefits of Remote Separation Anxiety Training
No need to live in the same city, country or continent. Work with the most qualified SA experts. Remote training means access to a qualified expert no matter where you live.
Schedule training-time that works for you. Working remotely allows us to work across time zones and to accommodate your busy schedule.
Pay for training-time, not travel-time. Cutting out travel-time allows us to keep training fees as modest as possible.
Maintain your privacy and routine. No home visits means no need to rush home after work to straighten up, and no extra pressures added to your week.
Remove the guesswork. Because we carefully create an individualized program for you, all of the guesswork as to what you should be doing day-to-day is removed.