Living with a dog who can’t be left alone is HARD. Living with a dog who can’t be left alone next door to strangers who report barking to your landlord or threaten legal action makes it EVEN HARDER. Taking the time to greet your neighbors when you pass them in the halls, introduce yourself, and establish even a tiny bit of connection can not only remind angry neighbors that you’re a human with a heart and feelings, but also help you identify dog lovers in your community who might be happy to keep your dog company when you need to go out.
Separation anxiety training is a marathon, not a sprint. This process takes time, energy, and patience, and all those things will be easier to find when you aren’t in conflict with your neighbors. It takes a village to conquer this behavior issue, and what better way to build your village than to start with your literal neighbors?
Have you found petsitting help next door? What gave you the courage to reach out for help? Let me know in the comments below!
#separationanxietytraining #dogtraining #separationanxiety #anxiousdogs #dogtrainingtips #dogtrainer
Your dog needs a lot of things, but gainful employment is not one of them. Identifying exactly what your dog needs to be happy and healthy may take more effort and nuance than can be summed up in a snappy slogan, but it will serve you both much better in the long run. Need help figuring out what your dog needs to be happy and emotionally well (and how you can provide those things)? Let’s connect!
#dogtrainer #fearfreepets #dogtrainingtips #dogtrainersofinstagram #moderndogtraining
Watching this video, you probably wouldn’t guess that this dog damaged her foster home or screamed like a banshee every time she was left alone post-adoption. In fact, you might think this is a boring video of a dog doing nothing…and you’d be almost right! (“Almost” because 60 minutes of a #separationanxietydog “doing nothing” while home alone is the opposite of “boring” to her people - we were THRILLED!)
Excellent training works at the pace of the learner, which means avoiding the fear, anxiety, and stress that pushes dogs into “dramatic” or “flashy” behaviors and instead letting them practice the behaviors we want more of: remaining relaxed and calm in the presence of their triggers.
If you’re watching a dog training video and it is full of drama and tension…it’s probably a pretty terrible dog training video! A trainer who is pushing the dogs in their care over threshold in order to create interesting content is not doing those dogs or their guardians any favors. In fact, this style of “flashy” training frequently leads to emotional and physical damage to these dogs and those around them.
Excellent training is often boring! If you’re working with a fearful or anxious dog, celebrate boredom in your training sessions and look for exciting entertainment elsewhere.
#dogtrainer #dogtraining #rescuedog #separationanxiety #fearfreepets #anxiousdogs
Living with a dog that uses your house as a toilet is stressful and frustrating! Learn how to solve this common behavior problem in my House Training 101 post on the Happy Tails Training blog:
https://www.happytailstraining.com/blog/house-training-101
#dogtrainer #dogtraining #dogtraining101 #dogtrainingtips #pottytrainingpuppy
When you're one noise complaint away from eviction, you don't want advice on what to do after your dog barks: you want advice on how to prevent the barking. When you can't have nice things because your dog pees on them the second you step out the door, you don't want advice on what to do after your dog pees: you want advice on how to prevent the peeing. When a "bad absence" means a trip to the ER, you don't want advice on what to do after your dog hurts themselves: you want advice on how to keep them safe.
Stop arguing about consequences and start arranging antecedents.
Not sure how to prevent the behavior everyone's telling you to punish? Please reach out! I'd love to help.
There is no "magic pill" that will solve all the problems in your life with your anxious dog, but the right medication(s) at the right dose can make a world of difference in quality of life and ability to learn. If the only thing holding you back is a feeling that medication would be "cheating," go ahead and punch in that cheat code! Find a #fearfreecertified vet near you and talk to them about your concerns.
Read Dr. Jen's full post here: https://www.drjensdogblog.com/behavior-medication-first-line-therapy-or-last-resort/
Separation anxiety training probably doesn't look anything like what you imagine when you hear the word "training."
That's because separation anxiety isn't your garden variety "behavior problem."
If you need help with your dog's separation-related behavior, let me know!
Life is short, sleep with your dog. Co-sleeping won't sabotage your training, whatever you're working on.
