We are specialists in resolving separation anxiety in dogs.

Our evaluations focus on examining your dog comprehensively, analyzing both behavioral and physical indicators to identify any potential underlying health conditions that require diagnosis by your veterinarian. Recent research indicates that as many as 80% of dogs experiencing behavioral problems also have undisclosed conditions impacting their behavior. By addressing these issues early on, the training process can proceed more smoothly, quickly, and yield more consistent and enduring outcomes.

There are various reasons why a dog might exhibit distress when left alone, such as fear, frustration, unmet needs, underlying medical conditions, confinement distress, life stages, and even boredom. Conducting an assessment can identify your dog's specific concerns. Additionally, we offer online courses that target these challenges.

Unfortunately, we can’t provide a definitive answer to your question due to the numerous variables that influence training. Some of these factors include:

How long your dog has been experiencing separation issues.

Whether your dog is taking behavioral medications.

Any health issues, cognitive challenges, or pain affecting your dog's ability to handle stress and anxiety.

The amount of time you can commit to consistent training.

Your ability to limit absences during the rehabilitation process.

Your willingness to adhere to a behavior modification plan that may require additional time and resources to address your dog's physical, medical, nutritional, behavioral, and social needs.

Your dog's age, biology, and genetic composition.

We are teaching your dog how to stay alone in your home without your presence. Having a trainer around can be distracting (as most dogs tend to behave perfectly when the trainer is there). Training a dog to be alone at a training facility differs from training them to be alone in their own home.

Moreover, it is crucial that your dog feels at ease when you leave. Therefore, it is essential for the training to be done by the owner, not a trainer.

Changing your dog's fear or frustration is a process that requires time. Consider how challenging it can be to alter a habit, conquer a phobia, or heal from a broken heart – lasting change often takes months, not weeks.

Our aim is to guide you in understanding your dog's stress signals, making informed training decisions, addressing your dog's needs, and empowering you to lead training confidently when you're ready.

Each dog and owner combination is unique. For enduring and successful behavior modification, patience and time are essential.

Full Disclosure:

In rare instances, a few dogs may not overcome separation issues due to factors like age, medical conditions, or genetics. In such cases, we support clients in managing the situation and ensuring the dog's comfort.

We hear you, and we got you covered. See our blog post with suggestions for resources. There is a lot, and I mean a LOT, of poor information on the Internet when it comes to SA. We’d like to save you time, resources, and heartache by “trying everything” and “nothing works.”

Our online courses are designed to give you all the information you need to create a successful program on your own. In fact, there’s a LOT more detail in the programs than I am able to give during one-on-one coaching. I highly recommend them! p.s. Keep checking our Teachable page for new courses and free resources!

You can also use our affiliate link to join Julie Naismith’s Separation Anxiety Heroes members only Facebook group. You can post videos for SA Pros to review, use the Be Right Back training app, and there is loads of video/written content, including live Q&A sessions with Julie. All of this is a fraction of the cost of working with a private trainer.