Separation Anxiety (or separation related behavior challenges) is expected to affect more than 35 million dogs in the US alone. These behaviors and the emotions that come with can be very challenging to modify. However, there are a number of things you can do to help your dog recovery, and one of the most important is to suspend absences during training.

There is a joke among the dog training community that if you put 3 dog trainers into a room the only thing 2 will agree on is that the third one is wrong. The debate about crates is no different.

An example of this in separation anxiety training could be suddenly continuously following to the door for a dog who was previously very comfortable with departures, or pacing, whining, barking at 10 minutes alone when the dog previously was able to tolerate much longer durations of comfort.

It’s 2022 and while the stigma associated with mental illness in humans has - thankfully - dissipated over the last decade or so there is still a stigma associated with the use of psychiatric medications that are widely available to help those in need with mental illnesses.

It’s cold, wet, windy and days are shorter. This usually means our dogs are getting shorter walks, and less physical and mental exercise overall. As a professional dog trainer I know this can lead to a slew of icky consequences….

As a trainer specializing in separation anxiety and fear related behaviors I know all too well the instinct to bring our dogs everywhere, and in some cases this might actually be need a that management set up to succeed with home alone training, but before you leash up your pup and bring them out to the nearest brewery, restaurant or cafe - let’s talk about what makes a successful patio dog.

When talking to potential clients about how I can help their dog through an extremely challenging and disruptive behavior issue like separation anxiety, one the most common questions I am asked, in some form or another, is about the use of food.

This is a strange and worrisome time we are living in right now. The uncertainty of Covid-19 is effecting us all on a global scale. Hopefully you are reading this from the comfort of your home and you are healthy and safe. If your circumstances are not as such, please know I am keeping you in my thoughts and prayers.

Welcome. I’m Melissa - A Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer. I began work with separation anxiety in dogs because of my own dog Rodger. He came to me at 18 weeks with a pretty serious case of it and I was lost.