Training a Dog with Separation Anxiety

Training a dog with separation anxiety can take a lot of time and is often difficult as many of us cannot commit to not leaving the home for several days while we do the training.

The best course of action is always prevention. If you’re reading this because you are getting a new dog or puppy or because you feel your dog may be getting too ‘clingy,’ please download my free eBook.

This eBook will help you in preventing separation anxiety, but also help you if your dog is starting to show signs of mild separation anxiety.

It’s always important to establish if your dog really does have separation anxiety or if the behaviour is because your dog needs some training or is bored. Check out how to identify the behaviour. 

Is Separation Anxiety always caused by Human Behaviour?

The answer to that is no, not really. Some dogs are naturally more nervous than others. The important thing is to pick up on this early on and start training your dog in separation anxiety prevention techniques as soon as possible.

With an anxious dog you will need to take longer getting them settled being left alone but the sooner you start doing this the better.

I’ve experienced the difference in two pups over the past couple of years. My Great Dane settled at night, sleeping alone, right from the first night. In the day however, he just had to be near me. He couldn’t even be in another room alone, unless he was in his crate. He’s now two years old and still needs a crate to be left home alone comfortably. Yes, it is a very large crate!

More recently I’ve got a Flat-coated Retriever pup. From day 1, at 9 weeks, he had no concern whatsoever about being left home alone. He just goes to bed and sleeps until we come home.

I can be a bit of a ‘tough love’ person, so I’m confident it wasn’t my behaviour that made my Dane nervous about being left alone. Part of this could have been because my Dane was born at the end of Covid and the litter was never home alone without humans. It’s probably a combination of things.

The point is, if I hadn’t picked up on this early on and started training my dog with separation anxiety, it could have led to a very severe separation anxiety, difficult to resolve.

How do you prevent separation anxiety?

We owe it to our dogs to teach them to be comfortable home alone. As we’ve already noted above, some dogs will be more worried about being left alone than others, but there are many simple things to avoid.

• Don’t make a big fuss when you go out
• Don’t make a big fuss when you come back – pop the kettle on before saying hello
• Use a crate or a room where your dog can be confined – this helps with safety as well as security
• Think about the things you do, just before you leave – do them at all sorts of times of day
• Teach your dog to be in the crate or room while you’re in another room.
• Make you leaving a positive – give your dog a tasty kong.
• Be sure to give  your dog the mental stimualtion they need.
• Be sure they have toileted a good 15 minutes before you leave.
• Be calm and casual.

If you need a crate training sheet, you can get this by clicking here. If you’re dog already has mild separation anxiety, the eBook will help you resolve this. Try this first. If your dog has severe separation anxiety and the tips in the book are not enough, sign up for the Training a Dog with Separation Anxiety course.

Start today, help your dog feel comfortable home alone.