What is separation anxiety?

Separation anxiety is a panic disorder in which a dog finds being left alone - or in some cases, being left by a specific person - extremely distressing. Clinical separation anxiety can only be diagnosed by a veterinarian.

Professionals will often instead use terms such as “isolation distress” or “separation related problem behaviours” to avoid confusion. These can manifest in a multitude of ways including panting, drooling, pacing, barking, whining, howling, destructive behaviour, eliminating (when the dog is already house trained), pawing or scratching at doors, trying to escape, and sometimes self-harm.

Can separation anxiety be fixed?

When we are working with sentient, individual animals with their own unique genetic makeup, environment, learning history, and medical concerns, it isn’t ethical for me to make broad generalisations or guarantees. That being said, with the right kind of training and support, the prognosis is very good! It is not a fast process, but it can be treated.

How long will training take?

The best way to help your dog through separation anxiety, according to our current understanding, is to let them set the pace. Every dog is different and will make progress at different speeds, but teaching a dog to feel safe in a situation where they were previously panicking will take time regardless. It is unlikely that you will resolve the problems you are facing in just a few weeks.

That might sound unhelpful and a little daunting, but that’s why I’m here! I will either be offering you guidance and support every step of the way and helping you adjust to make the most progress you can, or giving you the tools and knowledge you need to succeed on your own.

What do I need to get started?

All you need for this training is a phone, laptop, or tablet that can run Zoom or some other virtual meeting programme! I will walk you through the other tools we will be using during the protocol, and I aim to make the process as user-friendly as possible!

Pet cameras that can be viewed remotely are a huge help if you do have one, as well as some basic familiarity with Zoom and Google Sheets.

Do you provide other training services?

I do! Until delving into the world of separation anxiety, I specialised in reactivity and still enjoy working with those dogs. If you are local to North Lincolnshire, UK you can check out the Local Training tab for more information, otherwise feel free to fill out the contact form if you would like to discuss virtual training for other problems.