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If youâve spent a lot of time in the separation anxiety training space, youâve probably heard the term âsuspending absences.â And if youâre particularly astute, youâve figured out what that means: You essentially stop leaving your dog home alone.
In this episode of the Believe in Your Dog Podcast, Iâm taking a deep dive with my colleague Jane Wolff of Good Wolff on the subject. And like most things related to separation anxiety, itâs nuanced.
It requires you to get curious about your individual dog and their needs. It requires you to be flexible. It requires you to observe and collect data. It requires you to reach out to your community for support.And itâs more than just bringing your dog to daycare.
Youâll learn:
How exactly we define it (hint: it doesnât mean you canât ever be separated from your dog)Why it is such a critical part of separation anxiety recoveryWhy it is a requirement to join our programWhat about emergencies?Creative ways to achieve this seemingly insurmountable taskHow to handle absence suspension for dogs who are attached to one key figureJaneâs personal experience with absence suspension and her separation anxiety dogsAnd more!!!Resources mentioned in this episode:
The Secret Sauce to Separation Anxiety Success: Suspending Absences
Schedule a Complimentary Call with Jane Wolff, CTC, CSAT
Is Doggy Daycare Right for Your Dog? By Wag the Dog and Company
Choosing a Doggy Daycare by Wag the Dog and Company
Crowdsourcing Alone Time Alternatives
Suspending Absences: Not just doable. Itâs being done!
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To be prepared is half the victory.
-Miguel de CervantesThe purpose of this podcast is to empower you to take the reins on your own separation anxiety training journey. Resolving separation anxiety is a lofty goalâone that is complex and messy even under the guidance of a Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer.
With that in mind, I want to be sure you are prepared as you DIY this endeavor. When obstacles inevitably confront you along your journey, I want you to remember that they are 1) normal and 2) surmountable.When you feel derailed, I want you to think âI remember Jackie saying this would happen,â instead of âI am a failure and this will never work.â
A little preparation and familiarization with the footings on which the whole process rests will give you that sense of groundedness.
So in this episode, I am laying out the 10 pillars that serve as your foundation for separation anxiety training. Any time you feel stuck (and you will feel stuck), I want you to circle back to this episode and assess how solid your foundation truly is.
Viewing your dog as a study of oneProviding enrichment and meeting your dogâs needsManaging your dogâs distress with absence suspensionBecoming fluent in body languageReducing your dogâs overall stressGetting your dog checked out by your veterinarianBeing open to the use of behavior medicationExecuting a gradual exposure training planSetting realistic expectationsTaking care of yourself
The 10 pillars Iâll address are:
Study of One: A DisclaimerThe Secret Sauce to Separation Anxiety Success: Suspending AbsencesCanine Enrichment for the Real World by Allie Bender & Emily Strong Enrichment for the Real World PodcastDoggie Language by Lili ChinBravo Dog's Body Language Online CourseFallout from the Use of AversivesMedication Education ResourcesHow Long Does It Take to Resolve Separation Anxiety?
Resources mentioned in this episode: -
Fehlende Folgen?
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What does enrichment have to do with separation anxiety training?
If you follow me on Instagram, youâve probably heard me say that work-to-eat toys arenât a cure-all for separation anxiety. And I stand by that.
So why have I devoted a podcast to the topic of enrichment?
Hereâs the thing: Enrichment is about more than work-to-eat toys, and separation anxiety training is about more than suspending absences and going at your dogâs pace.
Enrichment is about meeting your dogâs species-specific needs, and separation anxiety training needs to be a holistic approach that includes just that.
In this podcast episode, special guest Allie Bender of Pet Harmony Animal Behavior and Training and I take a look at how this topic of meeting your dogâs needs can be incorporated into a behavior modification plan, and why it is crucial.
In this episode of the Believe in Your Dog Podcast, you will learn:
How we define enrichment and a little history on the subjectSome of the species-specific needs that our dogs have and how you can meet themTips for âlazy enrichmentâ (so lazy, you can do it while watching TV!)Why enrichment is a key piece of the puzzle in separation anxiety trainingWhy agency is so important and some other easy ways that guardians can provide it in our dogsâ day to day livesHow to identity your dogâs individual needsAnd so much more!Resources mentioned in this episode:
Pet Harmony Training Website
Pet Harmony Training on Instagram
Pet Harmony Training on Facebook
Pet Harmony Training Podcast
Pet Harmony Training Enrichment Chart
Canine Enrichment for the Real World by Allie Bender and Emily Strong
Enriching Animalâs Lives by Hal Markowitz
Think Smart Dog Trainingâs Snuffle Mats
Why Dogs Need More Control Over Their Lives - article on Psychology Today
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âIt depends.â
Thatâs often the last thing that frustrated dog guardians want to hear in their search for answers. And as much as we want to give them the black-and-white responses theyâre after, Certified Separation Anxiety Trainers (CSATS) often canât.
Because it really does depend when it comes to separation anxiety training.
In this podcast episode, special guest Ally Verba of Training with Allyand I discuss why this is often case: Because every dog is a study of one. Cookie cutter approaches donât account for the individual dogâs environment, learning history, experiences, health and so much more. And as Ally and I note, all those things have a huge impact on the dogâs trajectory.
In this episode of the Believe in Your Dog Podcast, you will learn:
What, exactly, we mean when we say that each dog is a study of oneHow this principle comes into play with home alone training specificallySome common examples of questions that we answer with the âit dependsâ response and whyHow you can start to find the answers to these nuanced questions on your ownWhy cookie cutter training plans often failHow to be discerning when consuming information on social media about home alone trainingAnd so much more!Resources mentioned in this episode:
Allyâs InstagramAllyâs WebsiteAllyâs PodcastAllyâs Home Alone Training Academy ProgramAllyâs Home Alone: Four Phases to Comfort DIY CourseUse code BELIEVE15 for 15% offTraining with Ally scholarshipAdherence to the Study of One: A Disclaimer Podcast With Jackie and Ally on Data TrackingDr. Susan Friedmanâs WebsiteDr. Susan Friedmanâs Living & Learning With Animals Online CourseDoggie Language Bravo Dog Trainingâs Body Language Course -
Donât we need to see the behavior to know how to change it?
Before I decided to specialize exclusively in separation anxiety, I fielded this question a lot. Many of my clients with aggressive dogs in particular strongly believed that I needed to see Fido snapping at visitors to successfully change the behavior. The case can certainly be made (as I did many times) that it isnât necessary (or ethical) to put dogs and people in danger and risk a bite solely for the purpose of observation. Especially when we can safely and accurately surmise why Fido would do such a thing and what the best course of action would be without pushing a dog past their threshold.
But what about for separation anxiety dogs?
As my special guest and mentor Malena DeMartini and I discuss in this episode, we strongly believe in the importance of an initial absence assessment before embarking on a home alone protocol. We take a deep dive in all things initial assessments: what they are, why they are important, and how to conduct them.
In this episode of the Believe in Your Dog Podcast, you will learn:
How we define an initial absence assessmentWhy we believe they are absolutely critical in establishing a baseline and understanding an individual dogâs suite of behaviorsWhat specific tools are needed to conduct an initial assessmentEnvironmental interventions to consider prior to the assessmentAll things camera set-up and positioning, including my personal favorite camera for separation anxiety trainingHow to know when itâs time to stop the assessmentWhat to look for and measure during and after the assessmentWhat to do and not do when you return homeAnd so much more!Resources mentioned in this episode:
Malenaâs websiteMalena on InstagramMalena on FacebookSchedule an initial assessment with a CSATLearn more about Mission Possible, Malenaâs DIY online training course. Use coupon code CSAT50 for $50 off.Malenaâs bookWyze cam:https://www.wyze.com/How to watch and record your assessment using ZoomGreeting research that we talked about:https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1558787820300460If your dog doesnât have SA/something else happened in the assessment:https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/2016/12/how-to-choose-dog-trainer.html -
Iâve never been a big fan of labels. I have blogged about why they can be problematic. But I also recognize that they can be innocuous, and in some cases, helpful.
When it comes to separation anxiety training, getting clear on the terminology is important.
Itâs important because a clear understanding of what specific triggers are at play is imperative in planning and executing a successful training protocol.
And labels like separation anxiety, isolation distress and fear of missing out (FOMO) allow us to group common triggers into categories that make training for efficient.
In this episode of the Believe in Your Dog Podcast, you will learn:
The difference between clinical Separation Anxiety, isolation distress and FOMOThe umbrella term that most certified separation anxiety trainers (and lay people alike) use to describe separation-related challengesThe two key distinctions between bona fide separation anxiety and a dog who is just having a party while youâre awayWhy the distinction between âupsetâ and ânon-upsetâ is so important, even though the resulting behaviors can look very similarWhat FOMO really is and why I worry that it trivializes the distress that a dog may be experiencingWhy itâs normal for dogs to become distressed when left aloneI also touch on the subject of the next episode: How to run an assessment with my mentor, Malena DeMartini.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
https://www.believeinyour.dog/blog/defining-separation-anxiety
https://www.dacvb.org/page/AnimalOwners
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Sometimes it just doesnât feel possible. As soon as you think youâre on the right track with training, your dog destroys the door frame or your neighbors report that the howling persisted for the entire 6 hours you were away.
And you once again feel deflated.
I am here to tell you that separation anxiety is treatable. And while the process isnât easy, it is doable. With my guidance and a hefty dose of trust in the process, my clients are regaining their freedom and ending their dogsâ distress, one mission at a time.
In this first episode of the Believe in Your Dog Podcast, I introduce myself and share what you can expect from the podcast. Youâll learn about how I got started in dogs and all the mistakes I made that led me to where I am today.
Youâll learn why Iâm so obsessed with helping separation anxiety dogs and their people.
And youâll even hear me touch on how the approach I use to resolve my client dogsâ home alone distress has informed my own mental health journey.
I also get really clear on what I hope to achieve with this podcast:
Everything I have learned about dog training and this super specialized niche I have carved out in separation anxiety training.How what Iâve learned about home alone training that has shaped how I approach my own mental health.A strong foundation to serve as the building blocks for your journey.What exactly separation anxiety is and how it manifests.How to determine if your dog would benefit from home alone training.The key components of training that will set you and your dog up for success, including a few that even my savviest listeners may not be aware of. All the minutiae that might affect your dogâs progress as you work through a protocolâŠAnd much, much, more.Resources mentioned in this episode:
https://www.believeinyour.dog/resources
https://malenademartini.com/for-trainers/separation-anxiety-training-certificate-program/https://www.academyfordogtrainers.com/
https://boulderhumane.org/training-and-behavior/
https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/2018/07/what-is-desensitization-and-counter.html
https://www.samhsa.gov/
https://www.believeinyour.dog/blog/adherence-to-the-study-of-one-a-disclaimer
https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/2017/02/what-is-positive-reinforcement-in-dog.html
Download a transcript of this episode here.
