This is Jason. We have been working on his SA only for a couple of months but he has already made great strides! At the beginning he used to bark as soon as his guardian would step out of the house, and even two seconds alone with the door closed would trigger his behavior (first video). Fast forward one month and he is now able to stay relaxed in his bed for up to 3 minutes while his guardian waits not outside the door anymore, but in the garage. She is also grabbing all her pre-departure cues when she leaves! And the best is that on our last reassessment he even readjusted his head and settled on his own before she returned (check second video). Although every case is different, one strategy that usually pays off is to keep the criteria more conservative on early stages, finding an intensity and level that would allow the dog to remain lying down or sitting instead of following to the door on every step. In some cases this will look very, very easy. Maybe even one second outside the door. Maybe the door will only be cracked instead of closed. It could be that you might even have to avoid exiting all the way and that your hardest step will be stepping halfway out. And the bad news are that it might look like nothing from an outside perspective. But the good news is that it will pay off! With Jason we started with final absence durations of 2 seconds. And I know it felt very small for his guardian! But that’s when trusting the process and also sharing the details of your strategy and the whys with your clients if you are a trainer can make a real difference in the motivation levels. Jason is proof of it!
This is a video of Murphy’s behavior when Mia, his hyper-attachment figure, goes for a run while he stays with his male guardian, Kevin (audio on to hear hin). Murphy is also the protagonist of the new Advanced Shadowing Program that’s about to start next Monday.
Maybe you know that last year I also created a Shadowing Program. The difference between them is that though there is no such a thing as a “straightforward case” because all cases are different and have their own challenges, there are many things that made the first one more suitable for beginners.
Kali (the protagonist of the first program) wasn’t experiencing other behavior challenges aside from his separation anxiety, and although he had a bit of a more challenging time with one of his guardians leaving, he was able to quickly adapt to this, allowing us to consider him as a separation anxiety case without hyper-attachment to a specific figure. He didn’t need any behavior medication support while going through the program, and his progress was consistent. He did of course experience challenges along the way (all dogs do!), but they were somewhat “transparent” and easy to connect to what we were doing, and to switch the strategy accordingly to help him succeed.
That’s why he was a great candidate for the program! It gave me the chance to share with you what the beginning of a SA training program looks like, and what are the basics in terms of strategy and flow.
If you are enjoying taking SA cases though (or if you are a dog guardian going through a protocol on your own), you will reach a point where you will wonder “and what happens next”? How do we take it from here? What do I do when it’s time ro fade up warmups, when all PDQs are incorporated, when durations get longer? How do I deal with regressions, inconsistencies, and various challenges that will happen along the way? This is why I created the Advanced Shadowing Program. This program will take you through a case that I
And the Ultimate Separation Anxiety Dog Bundle is finally here!!! Check the video to learn more about what you can get out of it 🥰
This is honestly a unique opportunity to get it all! This won’t last long. It will be available only until Sunday, October the 10th. Get it by clicking link in comments.
Enjoy! 🐶
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Music credit:
Joyful by Mixaund | https://mixaund.bandcamp.com
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
#separationanxietydog #csat #learnmoreaboutseparationanxiety
I know that some of you were waiting to hear the news. So I’m happy to tell you that the Separation Anxiety Shadowing Program is finally here! Yay!!
Whether if you are a dog pro or a dog enthusiast, this program will give you the chance to witness a real, and ongoing Separation Anxiety Case from the Initial Consultation to the first four weeks of daily training. All from the comfort of your home.
It will include live Q&A segments, live meetings, and access to the case ongoing training sheet. You will have 1-year access to the recordings and training material.
The live version of this program will start on Tuesday, September the 28th at 2pm EDT, and the recordings of all the sessions will also be available on demand. The course lasts five weeks, and you can learn more about its schedule in the link below.
Don't miss the chance to access the EARLY BIRD pricing until September the 14th, and pay only $89 USD (normal price before the live event starts $99 USD. $119 USD after).
More info here: https://separationanxietydog.thinkific.com/courses/separation-anxiety-shadowing-program
“The devil is in the details”, or as the original phrase went: “God is in the details”. SA isn’t the exception.
You wouldn’t imagine how often SA dog families are mocked by friends and family when they cherish their dogs’ progress. Sounds mean, doesn’t it? But if I told you that progress means things like: “my dog was able to stay lying down while I was outside with the door cracked for 3 sec”, or “I was able to drive away for the first time and achieve an absence of 3 min total while my dog was calmly sitting and looking at the door” you too might think it’s funny, or even ridiculous.
Sounds like that’s too small to be called progress, right? If that took you months of work to achieve, how long will it take you to leave for hours? And is it ever going to happen?
The thing is that it isn’t small. Those details are huge, and are helping you build a foundation of trust which will translate into exponential progress in the future. Anybody who has started to learn a new language, a new sport, or has embarked in a new project knows that every journey starts with one step in the direction of your final goals. It looks small at first, but if you persevere those small accomplishments translate into bigger ones.
Muenster is a wonderful example of this. We have been working for a year now. It has been a rocky journey. We have had many challenges along the way, and ups and downs to navigate. What he does on this video might seem like nothing, but being able to lie back down after getting up during an absence (and before mom returns) means he is thinking about it, processing the situation, and choosing to relax and wait. This is a huge milestone, and one that doesn’t happen miraculously or out of nowhere. It brews in the dark, during the every day work that his mom has done during a year, tirelessly, and honoring Muenster’s pace.
Advocate for your SA dog, and know that you aren’t alone. You are not silly to get excited about small a
“Mom, I’m telling you that I prefer the treat on the left cup”
- Dorian and his Weimaraner paw 😬
#findyourdogstopfivetreats #treattasting
