Dog Separation Anxiety Training

Now that you have your ducks in a row and your dog is prepared you can begin the process of helping your dog learn to be alone.

Dog separation anxiety training. Your dog isn t trying to be naughty. Crate training to avoid dog separation anxiety. Start with short periods and then increase the time he spends in it. She s truly panicked at being left alone and all the resulting behavior barking whining chewing around exits self mutilation excessive licking or chewing on herself even the bladder bowel evacuations are beyond her control.

Keep in mind separation anxiety is a serious issue and you may have to do this a few times with multiple triggers. As an expert trainer i ve worked with many many dogs who have debilitating separation anxiety and i ve seen them make real progress with the right approach. Dog separation anxiety training plan. This is accomplished by setting things up so that the dog experiences the situation that provokes his anxiety namely being alone without experiencing fear or anxiety.

Whether in a puppy or an adult dog separation anxiety is when your dog exhibits extreme stress from the time you leave him alone until you return. Separation anxiety isn t always preventable despite your best efforts. You can catch part one here and part two here. Dogs with separation anxiety can become hysterical when left alone and cause damage to your home and to themselves.

Dog training for separation anxiety involves using tips techniques that will help to reduce your dog s fear of being left alone and the stress that puts on him and everyone who loves him. For more crating tips check out our article crate training your dog or puppy. Welcome to part three of our separation anxiety series. Determine what your dog s threshold is.

This is the level at which your dog starts to become distressed once you leave the house or even the room. During dog separation anxiety training you leave the room for a moment and return before your dog has a chance to become anxious. It s an anxiety disorder to be more precise. Feed him in the crate let him have his favorite bone to be used as a stress reliever while he is in there.

Here s what your desensitization plan should look like for beginning to resolve your dog s separation anxiety. Separation anxiety is just that anxiety. When treating a dog with separation anxiety the goal is to resolve the dog s underlying anxiety by teaching him to enjoy or at least tolerate being left alone. This is a behavior you should reinforce.

As with all behavior modification training the dog must remain sub threshold during the process which means that your dog hasn t begun to exhibit stress responses in response to the work. If he is calm when he s let out great. Tell him how good he is. But with patience and care you may be able to reduce your dog s suffering and the destructive behaviors it causes.