- Not a substitute for professional veterinary help.
There’s no way around it: Treating a dog’s separation anxiety takes time. The key is to work slowly, gradually increasing your dog’s tolerance to being alone. At the same time, you’ll be desensitizing them to the things that trigger their anxiety (like picking up your keys or putting on shoes).
The end goal is for your dog to feel safe and comfortable at home, whether you’re there or not. How long the process takes is completely up to your dog, and it’s crucial to follow their lead. Success may not look the same for every dog, and, in some cases, enlisting the help of a professional trainer may be necessary to get you to the next step.
In this detailed guide, we’ll walk you through the basic steps for treating separation anxiety in dogs. You’ll also learn how to evaluate your dog’s progress and when it might be time to consult a professional.
Did you know? At Rover, we make it easy to find trainers for your anxious pup. When searching for a dog trainer, filter for barking, separation distress, and other anxious behaviors.
Find Your Dog’s Threshold
Dogs with separation anxiety experience severe stress when they’re left alone. So, in order for your training to be effective, you’ll need to avoid triggering your dog’s sense of panic, says Ali Smith, a professional dog trainer and founder of Rebarkable. This involves first finding your dog’s threshold, or the exact moment they shift into panic mode.
To find your dog’s threshold:
- Observe your dog closely as you go about your daily routine. Look for shifts in your dog’s body language, going from relaxed to alert, particularly when you’re preparing to leave.
- Note any pre-departure cues that trigger your dog’s anxiety (e.g., grabbing your coat, putting on shoes, or picking up your keys).
- If pre-departure cues don’t trigger your dog, set up a pet camera near the door. That way, you can observe their behavior after you’ve left the house.
- Pull up the camera feed and start a stopwatch as soon as you close the door behind you.
- Monitor the camera feed as you leave and move far enough away from the door that your dog can’t see or hear you.
- Watch for signs of anxious behavior, like pacing, circling, whining, barking, howling, yawning, or lip licking.
- Note the exact time on the stopwatch that your dog starts showing anxious behaviors. This is your dog’s threshold.
- Monitor for a few more minutes before returning to see the full range of your dog’s behavior. If it follows a pattern, write it down.
Once you know your dog’s threshold, you’ll want to do everything you can to stay under it. A single overextended absence could cause your dog to regress in their absence training.
What to do if you have to leave your dog alone
By ending your absence training before your dog starts to panic, you’re essentially promising them you won’t leave them longer than they can tolerate, says Smith. But this can be extremely difficult for pet parents, especially if they have a dog who can only be alone for a few minutes at a time.
If you have to leave your dog alone longer than their threshold allows, arrange for a family member, friend, or pet sitter to stay with them. If in-home care isn’t an option, consider taking your dog to a sitter’s house for doggy daycare.
If you have no other choice but to leave your dog alone, try to set up your house to increase their comfort and minimize any risks. Play white noise and calming music to drown out scary sounds from outside or remove any objects they might be tempted to chew to self-soothe.
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Practice Pre-Departure Cues
Even if your dog can stand being alone for a few minutes, it’s a good idea to still work on desensitizing them to your pre-departure cues. They might not always react, but they always know when you’re getting ready to leave.
Examples of pre-departure cues include:
- Putting on your shoes
- Grabbing your coat from the closet
- Picking up your keys
- Pouring coffee into a travel mug
- Getting your lunch box out of the fridge
- Unlocking the front door
To desensitize your dog to your specific pre-departure cues, make a list of all the things you typically do before you leave. Then, pick one to work on per day.
Throughout the day, perform the action, then resume normal activity without leaving the house. For example, pick up your keys, then put them back down, and sit down on the couch to watch TV. Be sure to reward any calm, relaxed behavior with treats or praise.
Gradually Increase Alone Time
After desensitizing your dog to pre-departure cues, slowly work on increasing their tolerance for alone time (aka extending their threshold). Just be sure not to push your dog too far too fast.
If you’re starting from the very beginning, a sample sequence to follow might look like:
- Walking to the door and turning the knob. Pausing without opening the door, then walking away.
- Walking to the door and opening it without going outside. Closing the door and walking away.
- Opening the door and stepping outside, closing it behind you, then immediately returning inside.
Switch up the order of the steps from time to time, and keep practicing pre-departure cues throughout the process. Over time, gradually increase the length of time you stand outside before coming back in. As long as you remain under your dog’s threshold, you can even take a few steps away from the house or get into your car before returning.
Practice at different times of day, too, but limit it to about 20-30 minutes of active training per day in the beginning.
LindaYolanda via iStock
Evaluate Progress
There’s no specific timeline for treating separation anxiety in dogs. This type of training isn’t linear, as you’re trying to modify an existing behavior rather than introduce a new one. Progress is often slow, and setbacks are almost always guaranteed, but the goal is to keep moving forward, slowly and steadily.
Signs of success
Smith recommends waiting for repeated success with your departures before extending your time away. Remember: You want to return before your dog exhibits signs of anxiety. The truest sign of success is when your dog doesn’t even seem to notice you leaving.
As you extend your absences for longer periods, you may be training the same duration for multiple days (or even weeks) in a row. Though it’s crucial to avoid going beyond your dog’s threshold, still switch things up in the meantime. If their threshold is seven minutes, for example, don’t make every departure that long.
If you live in a multi-person household, don’t forget to involve everyone in the training process. Only progress to the next step once your dog remains calm during both individual and group absences.
Signs to take a step back
Throughout the training process, watch for any and every sign of anxiety (not just the ones your dog has displayed in the past). Stress signs can be as subtle as yawning, lip licking, or trembling. Make sure to also give your dog a day off from training once a week and consider longer breaks between practice sessions if their tolerance starts to wane.
If your dog gets to the point of pacing, barking, or scratching at the door, it’s a sure sign you’ve gone too far. You may need to move back several steps before you can move forward again.
Try not to get frustrated with your dog. This process can be difficult for everyone involved, but it’s important to be patient. Your dog’s anxious behaviors don’t come from a desire to disobey you. They’re just having a hard time and trying to cope with their distress at being away from you.
Consider Professional Help
Treating separation anxiety in dogs is challenging, and there’s no shame in asking for help. Whether you’re having trouble progressing past a certain point or you’re just feeling overwhelmed with the process, consider reaching out to a credentialed professional, like a veterinarian, a board-certified veterinary behaviorist, or a certified separation anxiety trainer (CSAT).
If you haven’t already talked to your veterinarian, they can help rule out underlying medical issues that could be contributing to your dog’s anxiety. A veterinary behaviorist or certified trainer can assess your dog’s behavior and help you develop a training plan tailored to their needs. To find an experienced trainer near you, learn more about dog training on Rover.
With additional expert help and a whole lot of patience, you and your dog will find a training rhythm that works for you both!
