Be Right Back! The Separation Anxiety Podcast

You've most likely seen ads or posts about "calming" music for dogs, and how it can transform a nervous pup into a dog who confidently aces alone time.  But is this really the case, or is this yet another separation anxiety myth? If you do use music when you leave, you might also have heard that you'll make things worse by tipping off your dog. But is this so? There's lots of misinformation about...

It can seem like an obvious solution to your dog's separation anxiety: send your dog off to a trainer for two weeks and get his separation anxiety magically cured. As tempting as it sounds, board and train is never the answer to separation anxiety. In this podcast episode, I explain exactly why.

Anxious people create anxiety in their dogs, don't they? Perhaps you've been told that. Perhaps you've thought that. It seems so plausible that it must be true, right? Well, not so fast. There isn't a ton of evidence, especially as it relates to separation anxiety.  That's why in this podcast I debunk this theory, and explain why it's unhelpful, limited thinking.  Tune in to find out more.

It's that time of year: gathering with friends and family for cosy times, festive food, and…conversations about your dog.  If it feels like everyone you know is an expert in separation anxiety then you're probably bracing yourself for heaps of unsolicited, unhelpful advice, from people who mean well, but who just don't get it.  Or maybe, you're not going anywhere because you can't leave your dog,...

Increasingly research shows the link between pain and behavior in dogs. While it's not the only reason dog's present with behavioral challenges, it can be a significant contributing factor. And that's why in the episode I chat with canine rehabilitation specialist, Sue Van Evra. Sue is the person we go to when our dogs, India and Percy, are feeling stiff and sore. She's helped them deal with lots...

No one gets up in the morning and puts on a t-shirt saying "I can't wait to do separation anxiety training today". And so it can be easy to find that life gets in the way, and we end up not training.  Or, when we do train, we're ALL about the training. So much so, that it feels like that's all we do.  If this sounds familiar, just know that this is perfectly normal. It happens to everyone! That's...

Oh, those infuriating dips, drops, setbacks, and regression. There isn't a dog parent out there who doesn't go through ups and downs in separation anxiety training.  The thing is, though, what we see as confounding and confusion variable progression is actually very normal. And when we understand what's going on in a dog's brain when they learn to be home alone, it makes begins to make so much sen...

You might be thinking you aren't ever going to make any progress with separation anxiety training because your dog won't stay on her bed. Or maybe she starts on her bed but always follows you to the door and waits there. She needs to relax, right? Well, yes and no. We definitely need our dogs to show no anxiety when doing home alone training. But that doesn't mean she has to stay put. Listen to fi...

So many behaviors that come naturally to dogs are problems for us humans. Think barking, chewing, jumping up, counter-surfing – you name it! No wonder dogs get confused and get it wrong. And no wonder we get frustrated.  That's why in this episode, I'm thrilled to share an interview with Jane Robinson, Chair of the Association for Pet Dog Trainers, UK, about our expectations for dogs, and how we c...

If, recently, you've caught yourself thinking that your problems are insignificant "in the scheme of things", then you are not alone.  When we see war and devastation in the news everyday it can be easy to think that our problems don't matter. But someone else's suffering doesn't make your situation magically okay. That's why in this episode, I chatted with Certified Life Coach, Christal Allen-Har...

Sadly, we are fed a huge volume of incorrect advice about separation anxiety. And whenever we get bombarded with information, we start to believe what we are told, whether that information is fact-based or not.   That's why, in this episode, I go through four of the most commonly-held beliefs about separation anxiety that we must reject.  

Separation anxiety dogs fear two things the most: being alone and being crated. Vet stays create a perfect storm of both of these factors.  There are ways we can help make vet procedures less stressful for these dogs though. And in this episode I share six tips for helping make the process go as smoothly as it can. 

No dog ever voted for being left home alone. Yet, the average dog has learned to put up with our comings and goings.  They welcome our return with tail-wagging joy.  "You're home! How wonderful for us both!" It's different for dogs with separation anxiety.  They don't cope with being left home alone the way average dogs do.  Given a choice, they would never want us to leave them!  "Don't go!  I ca...

During the holidays, many of us are on the road visiting family and friends. And I'm often asked whether it's worth training when you're away. That's why in this episode I dive into the pros and cons of doing separation anxiety training away from home. If you're traveling this festive season, tune in to find out what your best plan of action should be!

Having seen 1000s of owners go through separation anxiety training, I've got a pretty good sense of the most common questions people have, to say the least! That's why in this episode and next, I'm giving you the answers to the most frequently questions that come up, including how often should you train, how long should a training session be and is following bad? Tune in to find out the answers!

As much as I know you're 100% committed to managing absences, what happens in an emergency? As horrible as it is to think about bad things happening is does pay to have a contingency plan should disaster strike.  In this episode I look at how to plan for those rare occurrences where you might, just might, need to leave your dog. Hopefully, you'll never be faced with such a dilemma but if you do, p...

There are few, if any, aspects of separation anxiety that create more mythology than crating. I see way too much muddled and confusing advice, and I can see that many of you struggle to get your head around whether or not to crate your dog. To clear things, up this episode covers the seven facts about crating that you absolutely need to know.

You've heard the horror stories about people getting pandemic puppies only to find that their pup grows into a dog they can't leave. You're so scared that this will happen to your puppy that you just don't dare leave him. You've taken on board all the advice about how this is a bad strategy. But you missed the bit about how you do need to leave them – as long as you so within context of gradual ho...

You've started training. You manage to get to the door or even out of the door but... ...your dog is following you the whole time. Big problem, right? Well, maybe but maybe not.  You see anxiety isn't always the reason dogs follow us to the door during training. And just because your dog is following you, that doesn't mean to say your training is a write-off. In this episode I explain when followi...

Don't think for a minute that your dog getting separation anxiety is a result of you being an inadequate dog parent, or down to you being clueless about what you're doing. Not at all! Plenty of dog professionals and dog trainers have dogs who develop separation anxiety too. In this episode I'm chatting to Certified SA Pro Trainers, Beth Berkobien and Jo Sellers, about their own dogs' journeys with...

Does it seem like there's a ton of conflicting advice out there about separation anxiety? I can totally see why you might think that and why that might leave you feeling overwhelmed, not knowing what to do. But here's the thing, the way we get dogs over separation anxiety – gradually getting them used to alone-time – isn't a secret. And it's pretty much accepted as the standard method, by people w...

Has your dog's separation anxiety been the cause of a few tense moments between you and your other half? Perhaps they think you're being too soft on your dog. Maybe they think the training is taking too long and that you should just let your dog cry it out. If this sounds familiar, then tune into this episode where I share my tips for doing separation anxiety training the right way even if your pa...

Separation anxiety training takes effort and it takes time. And there are a fair few mistakes that are easy to commit and which make training all the harder. That's why, in the episode, I spill the beans on the errors that I see people make over and over. I'll also share my tips and tricks to help you avoid these, and so ensuring your training far more efficient and much less painful!

When we're deep into separation anxiety training we get really good at observing our dogs when they are alone. So good in fact, that we can sometimes overlook getting to know what their body language is at other times. But in order to understand what's going on when doing departure training, we have to know what's normal for our dogs. Tune into this episode for tips on reading your dog in all sort...

Separation anxiety training has been revolutionized by video technology, in particular being able to watch your dog remotely. But it can be tricky to know what to pick and how to set up the tech you need without breaking the bank.  In this episode I explain why tech matters and I guide you through your options, fancy and not-so-fancy. There's an option for every budget and it needn't be daunting.