It can be hard leaving the house knowing that your dog is having a hard time with it. And it’s not realistic to never leave your house again. So what do you do?
The short answer is that you can gradually build up the time that your dog is home alone for. Doing it this way can help them feel comfortable and worry free. This is the strategy we help pet parents with.
Here is our recipe for success:
1. Suspend absences - You’ll have to stop leaving your dog home alone while we build up their threshold.
2. Stop trying to distract - It can be helpful to give dogs something to do while you leave if they don’t have any anxiety. (Stuffed kong etc.) Dogs that become anxious quickly see that the distraction is a predictor that they’re going to be home alone and this can start the anxiety.
3. Increase time slowly- We start off by figuring out how long your dog can stay home alone for and then work a plan to gradually increase that time.
This process can take some time. We wish it worked overnight but helping a dog overcome their anxiety isn’t the same as teaching a dog to sit. If you're ready to get started, click here.
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