“How long will it take?” It’s one of the questions I get most often, and the one I’m least able to answer.
What is it like to live with a dog who has separation anxiety?
Dogs with separation anxiety are terrified of being alone. When left by themselves they’ll often bark, whine or howl. They dig and chew. They’ll drool and pee and poop, not to mention an array of other behaviors heartbreaking to watch. Mind you none of this is on purpose – it all happens well beyond their control. (Take it from a guy who freaks out when I see a big spider come into view – there’s no decision-making involved in panic.)
Obviously, this causes big problems for family and neighbors. There are nasty messes, expensive destruction, bothersome noise, and a truly miserable experience for the dogs themselves. It’s certainly not what anyone signs up for when they bring a dog into their lives. So I understand the need – really the desperation – to know when there might be some relief.
I have some good news and some bad news
As a Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer (CSAT), I work everyday helping clients and their dogs get back to a normal and happier life. On the subject of “…how long…,” let me share some, well – difficult news first, then I’ll share some good news and offer hope.
The challenging news
The difficult news is there’s really no way to predict how long the training will take before a dog can be left alone comfortably and safely. Unlearning fear can be VERY difficult, and the timeline varies widely from case to case. I’ve seen dogs with big, loud dramatic symptoms get through the training in just over 4 weeks. I’ve also seen dogs who tremble and whine and not much else take most of a year before they can be left alone for even half an hour. All of these dogs are suffering profoundly. Although it might be less bothersome to family and neighbors (if they’re even aware), the trembling/whining dog is having a terrible experience, maybe for many hours everyday.
Separation anxiety is a real welfare issue. Yet the magnitude of the symptoms doesn’t seem to correlate with how long the training takes to help improve things. There’s just no way to know in advance how quickly any individual dog will progress. If my CSAT colleagues and I could change any single aspect of our work, it might be that. All of us would LOVE to have even a rough timeline we could offer our clients. Alas, we simply don’t know.
The GOOD news
Now for the good news: with the right training, the vast majority of dogs with separation related behavior problems can improve significantly and to the point where families can live comfortably with whatever limitations might remain. In some situations, a family might only need for their dog to be comfortably alone for an hour or two a couple times per week. For other families, a dog might be able to be left alone for 3 or even 4 hours, have a neighbor or professional walker come take them for a walk to break up the day, then spend another few hours alone until the family gets back from work or school. There are countless combinations of resources that can be cobbled together both during training AND for the long term once a dog has learned to feel safe long enough to get by with a support network.
We CSATs spend a lot of time getting creative with our clients so that life can get back on an even keel while the training takes place. While we can’t tell you how long it’ll take, we can help bridge the gap so everyone gets what they need until the dog can be comfortably alone long enough to let things work.
Bob Ryder, CSAT, PMCT-2, CPDT-KA