Help! My dog has Separation Anxiety, and I can’t afford a private trainer!

Written By Jennifer Phillips

First, a bit about the dog training industry…

The dog training industry is completely unregulated. Anyone can call themselves a professional dog trainer. There is no special permit needed, no educational requirements required. But aren’t some people just naturally good with dogs? You bet! But those people don’t necessarily know anything about how behavior works, training mechanics, and/or keep current with the most humane and ethical methods.

Ask yourself, how would you feel about this…

“I know all about the human kidney. In fact, I’ve had two kidneys all my life! I’ve watched every TV episode on kidneys, and read every book on the topic. You’re in safe hands with me. ”
— Surgeon about to operate on your child
Hire a separation anxiety expert

I hope you would run as fast as you can…and find a surgeon that went to medical school, did extra coursework in kidneys, and completed a residency in renal surgery. Dog training is no different. There are dog training schools, programs, workshops, conferences, and advanced education in specialized areas. Your agility instructor may not be the best person to advise you about SA protcols, and your SA coach may not be the best person to advise you about canine cognitive dysfunction.

Separation Anxiety in Dogs

Making Sense of all the Free Information on the Internet

There is SO MUCH information on canine separation related behaviors (“SRBs”) on the internet. How do you decide what to trust, and what may be unhelpful, outdated, or dangerous advice? Here’s a cheatsheet to help you:

  • If you find a great blog post/article/social media meme, check the trainer’s credentials. They should have a strong educational background in behavioral science and/or dog training academies (feel free to check my credentials: here). In addition, it is preferred that they attended a program specifically for working with SRBs. The most comprehensive SRB educational programs:

(p.s. There are a few trainers that have qualified as an SA Pro and a CSAT. Now that’s fierce.)

There are also Veterinary Behaviorists, PhDs and Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists that specialize in SRBs. To qualify as a “behaviorist” a person must have a Master’s and/or PhD in applied animal science/behavior (this rule applies to the United States, other areas of the world have different rules). Many dog trainers use this title incorrectly.

  • Avoid following other pet owner’s advice. There is a saying in the animal training industry, “behavior is the study of one” (hat tip to Susan Friedman, PhD). Just because a certain method worked for a particular dog, it does not mean it will work for your dog. If a video is titled, “I cured my dog of separation anxiety in 7 days, and here’s how I did it” - don’t fall for it.

  • Social media posts. Check the credentials of the writer when determining if the information is factual, up to date, humane and ethical (look for SA Pros, CSATs and behaviorists). Double check to see if they attended a program that specialized in SRBs. Even if a trainer attended a quality dog training school, they may be unprepared to handle SRB cases. I attended two top rated dog training academies, worked as a zookeeper, completed a college program in applied animal behavior, and did not consider myself “competent” until I completed an academic program in SRBs, AND worked one-on-one with a mentor.

Books and Podcasts

When reading ANY dog training material, look at the publication date. The field is constantly evolving to reflect the most humane, effective/ethical standards and current science. If something is written 3+ years ago the information may be outdated.

Books:

Julie’s books are written for pet owners, and Malena’s is written for professional trainers. All are recent publications, both authors have websites and social media pages, both authors are experts in the field and oversee hundreds of SRBs professionals though their educational programs.

Podcasts:

Canine Separation Anxiety

DIY Programs, Online Classes, Facebook Groups

There are so many do it yourself programs online that were created during the pandemic. Again, you want to make sure that the program content was created by someone who specializes in SRBs. Check their credentials. Many wonderful trainers have created online content on working with SRBs, and some is quite good! But I want to save you the “try it and see if it works” way of doing things. I’m passionate about my job, and want people and their dogs to succeed. Save yourself time and confusion, and learn from the experts in the field. These are not free programs, but they cost significantly less than a private trainer/coach.

Disclaimer: I have not taken these courses, but I know the credentials of the trainers that created the content.

Our Online Classes/Workshops

We are now offering our own online classes! They can be found on school’s Teachable website: https://separation-anxiety-specialists.teachable.com/

Coming Soon!

The Separation Anxiety Specialists Masterclass - We’ve been working on this program for over six months! We are finally in the home stretch and hope to offer it to the public by summer 2024. Stay tuned for more announcements!

Free Resources

Again, there are hundreds of blog posts on the topic of SRBs. When reading a blog post, always check the source of the information. Check out the websites of CSAT and/or SA Pro Trainers to find good blogs. There are way too many to list here, but you can email me if you’d like specific recommendations.

If you are not familiar with Fear Free, you may want to check out their website for pet owners: Fear Free Homes. It’s loaded with free information about animal training, behavior, and stress-free vet visits. The video on behavioral medication is particularly helpful.

Miscellaneous

Separation related behaviors are rarely straightforward. We carefully look at the animal’s physical and mental enrichment, and constantly monitor the dog’s body language for any signs of fear and/or anxiety. Here are a couple of wonderful books that can be helpful:

Dogs With Anxiety

In Closing

First…WOW. You made it through a lot of words! Thank you for taking the time to read this post.

I will be adding to this post as new free/low costs items come across my path. If you have any recommendations, feel free to email me at jennifer@separationanxietyspecialists.com, or leave a comment below.

Additional Note to Trainers: if you want to work on SRBs and need guidance on choosing an educational program, looking for a qualified mentor, or anything else…please do not hesitate to reach out to me.

Jennifer Phillips
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