What is Separation Anxiety?

If you’ve spent a lot of time in the separation anxiety training space, you’ve probably heard the term “suspending absences.” And if you’re particularly astute, you’ve figured out what that means: You essentially stop leaving your dog home alone. In this episode of the Believe in Your Dog Podcast, I’m taking a deep dive with my colleague Jane Wolff of Good Wolff on the subject. And like most things related to separation anxiety, it’s nuanced. It requires you to get curious about your individual dog and their needs. It requires you to be flexible. It requires you to observe and collect data. It requires you to reach out to your community for support. And it’s more than just bringing your dog to daycare. You’ll learn: How exactly we define it (hint: it doesn’t mean you can’t ever be separated from your dog)Why it is such a critical part of separation anxiety recoveryWhy it is a requirement to join our programWhat about emergencies?Creative ways to achieve this seemingly insurmountable taskHow to handle absence suspension for dogs who are attached to one key figureJane’s personal experience with absence suspension and her separation anxiety dogsAnd more!!!Resources mentioned in this episode:The Secret Sauce to Separation Anxiety Success: Suspending AbsencesSchedule a Complimentary Call with Jane Wolff, CTC, CSATIs Doggy Daycare Right for Your Dog? By Wag the Dog and CompanyChoosing a Doggy Daycare by Wag the Dog and CompanyCrowdsourcing Alone Time AlternativesSuspending Absences: Not just doable. It’s being done!

To be prepared is half the victory.-Miguel de CervantesThe purpose of this podcast is to empower you to take the reins on your own separation anxiety training journey. Resolving separation anxiety is a lofty goal–one that is complex and messy even under the guidance of a Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer. With that in mind, I want to be sure you are prepared as you DIY this endeavor. When obstacles inevitably confront you along your journey, I want you to remember that they are 1) normal and 2) surmountable. When you feel derailed, I want you to think “I remember Jackie saying this would happen,” instead of “I am a failure and this will never work.” A little preparation and familiarization with the footings on which the whole process rests will give you that sense of groundedness. So in this episode, I am laying out the 10 pillars that serve as your foundation for separation anxiety training. Any time you feel stuck (and you will feel stuck), I want you to circle back to this episode and assess how solid your foundation truly is. The 10 pillars I’ll address are: Viewing your dog as a study of oneProviding enrichment and meeting your dog’s needsManaging your dog’s distress with absence suspensionBecoming fluent in body languageReducing your dog’s overall stressGetting your dog checked out by your veterinarianBeing open to the use of behavior medicationExecuting a gradual exposure training planSetting realistic expectationsTaking care of yourselfResources mentioned in this episode:Study of One: A DisclaimerThe Secret Sauce to Separation Anxiety Success: Suspending AbsencesCanine Enrichment for the Real World by Allie Bender & Emily Strong Enrichment for the Real World PodcastDoggie Language by Lili ChinBravo Dog's Body Language Online CourseFallout from the Use of AversivesMedication Education ResourcesHow Long Does It Take to Resolve Separation Anxiety?

What does enrichment have to do with separation anxiety training?If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve probably heard me say that work-to-eat toys aren’t a cure-all for separation anxiety. And I stand by that. So why have I devoted a podcast to the topic of enrichment?Here’s the thing: Enrichment is about more than work-to-eat toys, and separation anxiety training is about more than suspending absences and going at your dog’s pace.Enrichment is about meeting your dog’s species-specific needs, and separation anxiety training needs to be a holistic approach that includes just that. In this podcast episode, special guest Allie Bender of Pet Harmony Animal Behavior and Training and I take a look at how this topic of meeting your dog’s needs can be incorporated into a behavior modification plan, and why it is crucial. In this episode of the Believe in Your Dog Podcast, you will learn:  How we define enrichment and a little history on the subjectSome of the species-specific needs that our dogs have and how you can meet themTips for “lazy enrichment” (so lazy, you can do it while watching TV!)Why enrichment is a key piece of the puzzle in separation anxiety trainingWhy agency is so important and some other easy ways that guardians can provide it in our dogs’ day to day livesHow to identity your dog’s individual needsAnd so much more! Resources mentioned in this episode:Pet Harmony Training WebsitePet Harmony Training on InstagramPet Harmony Training on FacebookPet Harmony Training PodcastPet Harmony Training Enrichment Chart Canine Enrichment for the Real World by Allie Bender and Emily StrongEnriching Animal’s Lives by Hal MarkowitzThink Smart Dog Training’s Snuffle MatsWhy Dogs Need More Control Over Their Lives - article on Psychology TodayDogMinded Enrichment Resources

“It depends.” That’s often the last thing that frustrated dog guardians want to hear in their search for answers. And as much as we want to give them the black-and-white responses they’re after, Certified Separation Anxiety Trainers (CSATS) often can’t. Because it really does depend when it comes to separation anxiety training. In this podcast episode, special guest Ally Verba of Training with Allyand I discuss why this is often case: Because every dog is a study of one. Cookie cutter approaches don’t account for the individual dog’s environment, learning history, experiences, health and so much more. And as Ally and I note, all those things have a huge impact on the dog’s trajectory. In this episode of the Believe in Your Dog Podcast, you will learn:  What, exactly, we mean when we say that each dog is a study of oneHow this principle comes into play with home alone training specificallySome common examples of questions that we answer with the “it depends” response and whyHow you can start to find the answers to these nuanced questions on your ownWhy cookie cutter training plans often failHow to be discerning when consuming information on social media about home alone trainingAnd so much more! Resources mentioned in this episode:Ally’s InstagramAlly’s WebsiteAlly’s PodcastAlly’s Home Alone Training Academy ProgramAlly’s Home Alone: Four Phases to Comfort DIY CourseUse code BELIEVE15 for 15% offTraining with Ally scholarshipAdherence to the Study of One: A Disclaimer  Podcast With Jackie and Ally on Data TrackingDr. Susan Friedman’s WebsiteDr. Susan Friedman’s Living & Learning With Animals Online CourseDoggie Language Bravo Dog Training’s Body Language Course

Don’t we need to see the behavior to know how to change it?Before I decided to specialize exclusively in separation anxiety, I fielded this question a lot. Many of my clients with aggressive dogs in particular strongly believed that I needed to see Fido snapping at visitors to successfully change the behavior. The case can certainly be made (as I did many times) that it isn’t necessary (or ethical) to put dogs and people in danger and risk a bite solely for the purpose of observation. Especially when we can safely and accurately surmise why Fido would do such a thing and what the best course of action would be without pushing a dog past their threshold. But what about for separation anxiety dogs? As my special guest and mentor Malena DeMartini and I discuss in this episode, we strongly believe in the importance of an initial absence assessment before embarking on a home alone protocol. We take a deep dive in all things initial assessments: what they are, why they are important, and how to conduct them. In this episode of the Believe in Your Dog Podcast, you will learn:  How we define an initial absence assessmentWhy we believe they are absolutely critical in establishing a baseline and understanding an individual dog’s suite of behaviorsWhat specific tools are needed to conduct an initial assessmentEnvironmental interventions to consider prior to the assessmentAll things camera set-up and positioning, including my personal favorite camera for separation anxiety trainingHow to know when it’s time to stop the assessmentWhat to look for and measure during and after the assessmentWhat to do and not do when you return homeAnd so much more! Resources mentioned in this episode:Malena’s websiteMalena on InstagramMalena on FacebookSchedule an initial assessment with a CSATLearn more about Mission Possible, Malena’s DIY online training course.  Use coupon code CSAT50 for $50 off.Malena’s bookWyze cam:https://www.wyze.com/How to watch and record your assessment using ZoomGreeting research that we talked about:https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1558787820300460If your dog doesn’t have SA/something else happened in the assessment:https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/2016/12/how-to-choose-dog-trainer.html

I’ve never been a big fan of labels. I have blogged about why they can be problematic.  But I also recognize that they can be innocuous, and in some cases, helpful. When it comes to separation anxiety training, getting clear on the terminology is important. It’s important because a clear understanding of what specific triggers are at play is imperative in planning and executing a successful training protocol. And labels like separation anxiety, isolation distress and fear of missing out (FOMO) allow us to group common triggers into categories that make training for efficient. In this episode of the Believe in Your Dog Podcast, you will learn:  The difference between clinical Separation Anxiety, isolation distress and FOMOThe umbrella term that most certified separation anxiety trainers (and lay people alike) use to describe separation-related challengesThe two key distinctions between bona fide separation anxiety and a dog who is just having a party while you’re awayWhy the distinction between “upset” and “non-upset” is so important, even though the resulting behaviors can look very similarWhat FOMO really is and why I worry that it trivializes the distress that a dog may be experiencingWhy it’s normal for dogs to become distressed when left aloneI also touch on the subject of the next episode: How to run an assessment with my mentor, Malena DeMartini. Resources mentioned in this episode:https://www.believeinyour.dog/blog/defining-separation-anxietyhttps://www.dacvb.org/page/AnimalOwners

Sometimes it just doesn’t feel possible. As soon as you think you’re on the right track with training, your dog destroys the door frame or your neighbors report that the howling persisted for the entire 6 hours you were away. And you once again feel deflated. I am here to tell you that separation anxiety is treatable. And while the process isn’t easy, it is doable. With my guidance and a hefty dose of trust in the process, my clients are regaining their freedom and ending their dogs’ distress, one mission at a time. In this first episode of the Believe in Your Dog Podcast, I introduce myself and share what you can expect from the podcast.  You’ll learn about how I got started in dogs and all the mistakes I made that led me to where I am today. You’ll learn why I’m so obsessed with helping separation anxiety dogs and their people. And you’ll even hear me touch on how the approach I use to resolve my client dogs’ home alone distress has informed my own mental health journey.I also get really clear on what I hope to achieve with this podcast: Everything I have learned about dog training and this super specialized niche I have carved out in separation anxiety training.How what I’ve learned about home alone training that has shaped how I approach my own mental health.A strong foundation to serve as the building blocks for your journey.What exactly separation anxiety is and how it manifests.How to determine if your dog would benefit from home alone training.The key components of training that will set you and your dog up for success, including a few that even my savviest listeners may not be aware of. All the minutiae that might affect your dog’s progress as you work through a protocol…And much, much, more. Resources mentioned in this episode:https://www.believeinyour.dog/resourceshttps://malenademartini.com/for-trainers/separation-anxiety-training-certificate-program/https://www.academyfordogtrainers.com/https://boulderhumane.org/training-and-behavior/https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/2018/07/what-is-desensitization-and-counter.htmlhttps://www.samhsa.gov/https://www.believeinyour.dog/blog/adherence-to-the-study-of-one-a-disclaimerhttps://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/2017/02/what-is-positive-reinforcement-in-dog.htmlDownload a transcript of this episode here.