02/12/2025
We need you to hear this! Giving your dog access to furniture and giving them affection does not suddenly inspire your dog to punish you for leaving them home alone.
Dogs who experience separation-related issues are either at an age where that might be deemed developmentally appropriate (young puppies separated from littermates), at a stage in life where they are adjusting to a new transition (moving to a new home), have a contributing medical issue and/or have a genetic predisposition for separation anxiety.
This myth that humans ‘create’ behavior problems in their dogs is not only short-sighted but it’s pretty egotistical, too. Your dog might want to rest on the couch because it’s the most comfortable spot in the room (you choose it, don’t you?).
Your dog might seek you out for affection because they have a secure attachment to you (isn’t that a wonderful thing?). Every dog is an individual and like all behavior cases, there is a ton of nuance to be sifted through.
Rest easy, you can give your dog stuff for ‘free’, ditch the crate, give them physical freedom, let them sniff, treat them kindly and honor them as individuals. None of that will ever cause an issue with alone time. We’ll die on this hill.
If your dog is currently experiencing some alone time stress, reach out to us for more information regarding our alone time assessments and intensive separation anxiety program! We’d be honored to help you along your journey to comfortable alone time!
✨Empowering the human-dog partnership through cooperative learning ✨
