5 surprising yet simple changes that I have made that have had a positive impact on my dogs separation anxiety training:
1. I changed my dogs diet – whilst there is no evidence to suggest that a dogs diet can directly impact a dogs anxiety levels, diet can contribute to health issues that can negatively impact a dog’s ability to relax whilst alone. Just like with us, health conditions can impact a dogs stress threshold. Could you relax if you had back pain or constant itching from allergies? I found that by altering my dogs diet it resolved her yeast infection and anal gland issues, and also reduced her discomfort from allergies. Unsurprisingly, free from the discomfort these health conditions were causing, she finds it much easier to relax.
** Please ensure you do your own research before making the decision to change your dogs diet, and consult a veterinarian where appropriate**
2. We started training less – I have always been of the view that ‘more is always better’ but actually with separation anxiety it really is about quality over quantity. I have seen noticeable improvements since we reduced training to just once a day, and that’s with at least two days off from training each week. The reduction in training has also benefited me greatly, as it can be mentally draining trying to squeeze multiple training sessions into a day.
3. We started spending more time together – I have always been lucky in that my dog has been ok with being in separate rooms within the house. However, as she has got older ( she is thirteen this month) and has lost her hearing, she has increasingly needed to know where I am in the home at all times. Rather than allowing her to become distressed at not being able to access me, or spending hours trying to regain her confidence when it comes to being separate within the home, I opted for simply allowing her free reign of the home, and I even went back on my ‘no dogs on the sofa’ rule. I have found that by allowing my dog to feel more secure and relaxed within the home it has actually improved our separation anxiety departure training, and I am spending more time then ever snuggled up next to my dog, a win win situation!
4. I changed my dogs bed – I realised that know my dog is getting older she was struggling to get into her bed in its usual position on the stairs, adding additional stress to her day. It was also meaning that if she got out of bed during our separation anxiety training, she was then reluctant to get back in and did not know what to do with herself! I have since swapped her bed for one that is much easier for her to get in and out of. I have also added an extra bed at the top of the stairs giving her more choice, and also allowing her own safe sleeping spot when she wants to be with me upstairs.
Ensuring your dog has their own designated safe space is something to consider when you are beginning separation anxiety training. A further consideration is the location of your dog’s bed, and also ensuring the dog has a choice regarding where they settle.
5. We slowed down our walks – I have always been a speedy walker and like the thought of getting from A to B as quickly as possible. However, in doing this I was reducing the amount of time that my dog spent sniffing on our walks. There are multiple benefits of allowing your dog to sniff on a walk from decreasing anxiety, to providing mental stimulation and also tiring out your dog. Alongside slow walks with lots of sniffing opportunities I love to carry out scent work with my dog, and also have multiple enrichment activities for her that involve sniffing that we can carry out at home.
Please remember that all dogs are unique, whilst these five changes have positively impacted my own dogs separation anxiety training, the most significant contributor to my dogs ability to be alone is of course the following of a tailored training programme. In which my dog is being gradually exposed to being alone, at a rate that she is comfortable with. If you would like to explore factors that may be impacting your own dogs separation anxiety training you can sign up for one of my separation anxiety training programmes, or schedule a one off call if you feel this would be more suited to your needs.
