The one behavior I said I wasn’t willing to work with when we adopted a new dog was separation anxiety. But within a week of Griffey coming home, he started showing symptoms of separation anxiety even when I would close the door to the bathroom. 

I felt like a prisoner in my own house and focusing on this unwanted behavior impacted my relationship with him. Many well-intentioned people (and many Google searches) gave me conflicting, confusing, and sometimes unintentionally hurtful advice. I felt powerless and alone– even though the problem was I couldn’t actually be alone!

Fast forward a few years to now. Griffey is now able to be left home alone for several hours. We have a fantastic relationship and I’m so grateful that we found each other. And to top it all off, I went from not wanting to go through a separation-related behavior modification journey to getting a certification as a separation anxiety dog trainer. 

So when my clients tell me how hard it is to live with a dog who has separation anxiety, I can truly say that I understand what they’re going through. I’ve been there, done that, and come out the other side and help my clients to do the same every day. 

While each journey is unique, there are a lot of similarities. I find myself often debunking the same myths, soothing the same fears, and providing the same tips. 

I want to share those similarities with you to help you on your journey, just like I do for my clients. It’s time you get answers for some of the most conflicting advice I get asked about from someone who lives and breathes separation anxiety in dogs every day. I hope these tips help make your journey smoother.

Happy training!

Ellen