In-Home Separation Anxiety Training
Why I Don’t Recommend board and train for Separation Anxiety.
Separation Anxiety In Dogs: The Transition Home / To A New Home
Separation Anxiety in dogs is stressful for everyone.
After a board and train program to modify behavioral issues of separation anxiety, we feel he’s ready to go home and has demonstrated that he can relax comfortably in his crate without anxiety or attempted escape while you leave the house. Finally.
But there is a catch.
Creating the Environment For Separation Anxiety Training
When I train a dog with separation anxiety, I plan to spend the first 3 days in focused on crate training, state of mind, and learning to settle in the crate. In those 3 days, I do not actually leave the house. But I have cameras set up in the room with the dog, and usually an ecollar in a metal bowl atop of the crate (it makes a ruckus when needed).
In my program, I create a significant amount of structure and routine. I have disagreed with his behavior in the crate. And I have provided a lot of exercises and daily training, along with state-of-mind work. Most of all, I have created leadership for your dog.
It has never taken me more than 3 days to have a dog settle for at least a 30 minute interval with me “fake leaving” the house. Within a week, I can go out to dinner.
Triggers For Separation Anxiety in Dogs
One of the common triggers for Separation Anxiety is instability. Change. The fear that they will be left again. This is especially common for rescue dogs and shelter dogs.
So the moment I hand them back to an owner or foster guardian, their environment is once again unstable. I as their confident leader with extremely clear expectations of their behavior, just “abandoned them” — again.
I hand them over to you — who also brings with you all the emotion and fear you felt before the training began. The dog picks up on your fears and anxiety. He goes home and you have not yet implemented your leadership & confidence. He’s uncertain — again.
So I always taught my clients to expect a short regression when taking the dog home. Expect that he will forget the rules apply and test everything. Expect that you will be nervous and unsure of yourself.
I taught my clients to repeat the first 3 days as I had done in the beginning of my program before they go back to work.
Ultimately, I just eliminated the board and train and created a Separation Anxiety Protocol that you can do at home. I can support you via video or even with in-person lessons as need — but YOU need to do the work. You and the dog need to work together to come to terms on this thing we call leadership along with building trust and confidence in each other.
We encourage you to run your own mini-boot camp at home. We also encourage you to add a drop-cam to your toolbox.
Arrival at home should include a potty break, long walk, and in the crate. Save all the affection and couch time for later. Prove to him from the beginning that the expectation for his behavior in the crate is exactly was it was here.
Supervise him closely. You must remain consistent with him. Use your ecollar correction to interrupt any pacing, whining, barking or attempted pushes against the door, sides, digging the pan, etc. At this stage, low-level is often sufficient, but do not hesitate to cap the behavior with a bigger correction. It’s for his own good, and yours.
You can download my Separation Anxiety protocol
I also have a generalized anxiety protocol available on my natural wellness site.
Separation Anxiety Training most likely needs to be paired with obedience work, exercise, tapping into instincts of the breed, and teaching you confident leadership. Let’s chat to discuss the program right for your dog.