SEPARATION ANXIETY
Is your dog struggling with you going back to the office? Does your puppy howl in their crate at night? Are you getting noise complaints from your neighbors every time you leave? Are you sick of coming home to chewed up furniture? These are all signs that your dog is struggling with separation related anxiety.
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Some dogs panic when one specific person is out of sight. Some dogs are okay with their person leaving, as long as someone is in the room. Some dogs don’t necessarily mind being left alone, but struggle with being confined in a crate or even a room. Separation related behaviors can manifest in a wide variety of ways in our dogs. It is not uncommon for dogs with separation related anxiety to bark incessantly, whine, pace, and drool, urinate or defecate indoors, and even try to escape their crate, room, or house.
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Owners with dogs who are struggling with alone time already know how concerning these behaviors can be. Separation anxiety can become tiring, costly, and really frustrating to deal with. We also know how emotionally challenging it is for dog owners to go about their day to day life knowing that their dog is at home panicking and maybe even becoming destructive in the house or a nuisance to neighbors.
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Puppy howling when left indicating significant stress.
Our ultimate goal is for your dog to not really care if you leave without them. Separation anxiety training is unique because we aim for desensitization over creating positive associations or teaching new behaviors. At Pawsitive Futures, we do this by gradually exposing your dog to intervals of alone time that they are able to handle. We build on what they are comfortable with until they can be left alone longer and longer without panic. Separation anxiety is a gradual process, and there is no quick fix, but your certified professional trainer is here to help make this process easy for you. While subthreshold training can feel really tedious, it is effective and efficient and you soon will begin to see that progress!
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Separation anxiety training at Pawsitive Futures begins with a 90-Minute Behavior Consultation, which costs $185. In this virtual consultation, your Certified Separation Anxiety Pro Madelyn Speirs SAPT will meet with you over zoom to have a detailed conversation about your dog’s history and their separation related behaviors. Once we have a clear picture of what your dog is having a hard time with, we will discuss specific management strategies and the first steps of your customized separation anxiety plan. Going forward, most separation anxiety dogs will do best with consistent 30-Minute Private Virtual Sessions, where we practice alone time at their pace and make necessary adjustments to our training plan. These sessions can be purchased as Single 30-Minute Privates at $55 or in cost-saving packages of three 30-Minute Sessions at $185 or six 30-Minute Sessions at $330.
After each session with your professional trainer you will receive a recap email with some notes and reminders. You may also receive special videos, handouts, and blogs to help assist you with your dog. As a working client, you will have the convenience of being able to work through your individual plans with a certified pro helping you along with each step. Your trainer will help you learn to easily submit updates, provide you feedback, and assist you with your next new assignments.
Want to learn more? Read a blog post about our Separation Anxiety Training!
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