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Before beginning training and starting a plan to address your dog's underlying anxiety and anxious behaviors, any certified separation anxiety trainer* first will help you assess your situation and that includes how your home is laid out.
Being aware of how your home layout supports or distracts from your objectives can make your separation anxiety training so much easier whether your dog has severe separation anxiety or mild separation anxiety.
*As we've talked about throughout this series, if your dog suffers from separation anxiety, you will want to work with a force-free certified professional dog trainer who is also a CSAT (Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer, like me) or a board certified veterinary behaviorist/certified applied animal behaviorist, a professional specifically trained in the complexities of being a dog separation anxiety trainer to help you reduce your dog's anxiety and support your dog successfully.*
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Think about where your dog likes to hang out when napping for long periods of time, when your dog is relaxing, a retreat where your dog feels safe. Does your pup have a favorite bed, couch, corner, rug, or crate? This will be where your dog will want to hang out when he or she is comfortable.
Does your dog have access to this spot when you're gone? (Not blocked by a door, baby gate, etc.) We're dealing with anxious dogs suffering from panic and not feeling safe at being alone, so to help your dog overcome separation anxiety, we want to make sure your pup can easily settle into a familiar safe haven that's always there.
If your dog's preferred napping spots are currently not accessible when you're gone, that can be one of the first changes you make to support your training and success.
Is your dog's favorite resting place (or places) in view of the door you'll use when leaving your home (without your dog)?
Having your dog's safe comfort spot in a sight line with the door you use to leave can significantly reduce following behavior. Most dogs may decide that seeing their person come and go many times while they can watch from their favorite spot is comforting and a way to be okay with what's happening.
If you currently use two doors as your exit doors, plan to decide which is needed more for "real life" exits and use that one for now for exits without your dog and training. Some environments are challenging, but we can find modifications to make it work.
If your dog's anxious behavior tends to get triggered to become reactive (excessive barking, for example) and your pup is unlikely to remain calm with any of the outside noises below, we'll want to create ways to mitigate them:
There are many ways to mitigate outside noise: provide safe places where your dog can't see or hear the noise, use sound-proofing materials, or desensitize and counter-condition to help your dog remain calm with these noises. It's just about figuring out what works for your specific dog.
Know which triggers might interrupt your dog's calm in alone-time and make it harder to have your separation anxiety training stick.
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As you start your separation anxiety training, considering situational factors such as time of day can help set you and your dog up for a more successful training program.
Plan training sessions at times your dog can be most successful first, and then work toward times that may be more challenging as you both become successful at working toward the desired behavior.
Setting up your home environment for success means being able to actively observe your dog when you are away. You'll want to know how your dog is reacting and if your dog doesn't remain calm, you want to be able to return before your dog's threshold is close to being reached.
Some options:
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That's a question many dog owners ask. And the answer: It depends... but I lean toward no.
All cases are different and if you want to use crate/confinement with canine separation anxiety - that's ok, just be realistic about why and your goals.
A few reasons actually...
Some dogs who experience separation anxiety will eat even in extreme stress. However, as soon as the food/chew is gone, the outward panic sets in. This gives a false sense of success for dog owners or a dog sitter and a false threshold.
If we present a dog with a food-stuffed toy, etc. every time we leave, that item becomes a negative environmental cue in your dog's mind. Dogs will often begin to refuse food when they perceive they may be left.
Most separation anxiety dogs simply will not eat in the times before or during alone-time due to physiological responses. The digestive system slows or shuts down during extreme states of stress for many dogs.
When used to try to coerce behavior, food can be punishing. It is too valuable a resource to use in this manner. Save it for when it can be helpful in other situations!
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An inspirational reminder to remember to celebrate every baby step of progress along the way with your dog. Even more so than most dog training, getting beyond separation anxiety in dogs takes time, patience, and love:
If you'd like more detail on setting up your environment for success, you can watch the live recorded version of the learning group on this topic, including Q&A with dog parents like you by registering at the link at the top of this page.
Now that you've learned how to best arrange your environment for success, you're ready to learn how to desensitize your comings and goings, so they become no big deal to your dog in the next guide here. Or jump to other step-by-step guides in the Anxiety Channel and start teaching your dog how to stay calm outside of the house.
Hop over to the Anxiety Channel if you'd like to ask any of the Dogly Training Advocates who are all certified dog trainers a question in the Community discussion or start any of the step-by-step guides in Environment Anxiety, Crate Anxiety, or Understanding Anxiety.
And if you ever need more personalized training help, please reach out to work with me one-on-one here on Dogly!
DISCLAIMER: The content of this website and community is based on the research, expertise, and views of each respective author. Information here is not intended to replace your one-on-one relationship with your veterinarian, but as a sharing of information and knowledge to help arm dog parents to make more informed choices. We encourage you to make health care decisions based on your research and in partnership with your vet. In cases of distress, medical issues, or emergency, always consult your veterinarian.