Finding the Balance: Navigating Separation Anxiety Training with Care
One of the things I most admire about my clients dealing with separation anxiety in their dogs is their unwavering commitment to helping their pets overcome the fear of being left alone. Their dedication is truly commendable. Training a dog to cope with separation anxiety is not easy; it's arguably one of the most challenging types of dog training, and it requires significant consistency and patience to see meaningful results.
At Everdog, our clients enroll in month-long training packages that include up to five custom-designed exercises each week. The goal is to train once a day, five days a week, with random rest days for balance. Each exercise is tailored to the specific needs of the dog, ensuring a personalized approach rather than a one-size-fits-all solution.
The exercises start with warm-up steps to signal to the dog that the "home alone" game is beginning. The final step involves leaving the dog home alone for the longest duration within the exercise. The objective is to gradually increase the time the dog is left alone until the client's goals are met.
As clients make progress, two common mistakes can occur, both related to overstepping the training regimen. The first mistake is the belief that if training once a day is good, then twice or three times a day is better. While this might seem like a way to speed up progress, it can actually hinder it. Recovery time between exposures is crucial for several reasons:
1. Desensitization Process: Systematic desensitization involves gradually exposing the dog to the fear-inducing situation (being left alone) in a controlled manner. Recovery time allows the dog to process the experience and understand that being left alone is not a constant threat. This gradual approach builds the dog's confidence and reduces fear over time.
2. Stress Reduction: Continuous exposure to a fear-inducing stimulus can cause significant stress. Dogs, like humans, need time to calm down and recover. Without this recovery period, their stress levels can remain high, leading to chronic anxiety and fear.
3. Physical Health: Prolonged stress negatively impacts a dog's physical health, including weakened immune responses, digestive issues, and cardiovascular problems. Adequate recovery time helps maintain the dog's overall health and well-being.
The second mistake occurs when clients, seeing that their dog is comfortable at the end of a training session, are tempted to extend the time just a bit longer. While it’s natural to want to test boundaries, pushing a dog beyond its comfort zone can undermine the progress made that day and potentially set back the training for days or even weeks. Trusting the process and maintaining a slow, steady pace is crucial; patience is indeed a virtue.
In conclusion, separation anxiety training is an area where less is more, and it’s essential not to test the limits. Ending on a high note is always better than risking a setback by pushing too far. It's better to leave wondering if the dog could have lasted another five minutes than to turn a positive session into a negative experience. Remember, one day isn’t worth a week or a month of setbacks.
For those who haven’t started their training journey yet, but are eager to dive deeper into our training approach or seek further insights into separation anxiety in dogs, I encourage you to explore our website, blog, or schedule a complimentary discovery call with our team. Together, we can work on helping you and your dog get your freedom back.
Everdog Training is located in Boston, MA, but accepts separation anxiety clients both nationwide and worldwide.