You Don't Have To Silently Suffer: R+ Training & Clinical Separation Anxiety
My journey into the world of dog training began like so many others, from personal experience and the best good boy. It was 2015 and I had just naively adopted a dog from the shelter knowing absolutely nothing of his medical or behavioral history or that this was even a factor to pay attention to when adopting a dog. So here I was now with this newly adopted 130lb dog who could literally drag me around Downtown Dallas and he did. Our walks consisted of being pulled toward every living person, dog, a squirrel that Sampson saw. During this period I found myself getting frustrated and overwhelmed with Sampson as we tried even the shortest potty breaks, and still finding those tough. No matter what I was trying prior to our official training, it was still a struggle. In my gut, I knew that something was wrong, but I was not listening to it as well as I should. At one point I started to question if I was the right fit for my dog or not, doubting that I could provide him the life I wanted to give him just because our walks were so stressful. Along with this, during the last six years, I began fostering and working with a local rescue. So not only did I struggle with my own dog but after my experience of rescuing I still wanted to help all these animals that would come in and out of my home so that I could find their furever one. It was a huge undertaking for any person, but I only wanted to do right by all these furry friends, which led me to the realization that we needed training and help stat.
As we started the work of training Sampson I acknowledged that my overall understanding and education of dog behavior was a bit limited, but it was something I quickly became fascinated with when I saw the immediate improvements and how beneficial this kind of training was in helping dogs and their owners. The positive reinforcement training Sampson and I were doing showed me that we weren’t in a hopeless situation, that I wasn’t a bad fit for my dog, and that through this two-way street of communication-based on trust and mutual respect we could do anything. Seeing how much help we received with training sessions I not only wanted to teach my own dog but apply all that I learned to the many foster dogs, anything that could improve on their behaviors aiding in their adoptions. From the moment I started training with Sampson using positive reinforcement and we got the best results, you could spot me trying to gain whatever knowledge I could get my hands on.
As fate would have it, the same highly educated and wonderful trainer I began to train with for Sampson was now looking to add apprentices to their team. I dove headfirst right into the training game and have not looked back. Fast forward to 2019, after all the books, webinars, conferences, the hands-on experience with Tiffany during my apprenticeship, every client, and every experience working with dogs, all have led me to the path I am on today.
It was during this last Spring as I began to work with a new behavior modification client, that I found a new passion in my training. This client had reached out hoping to work on their dog’s leash reactivity outside of the home. We get to know a lot about each dog’s behaviors and body language as we work with them, but we also get to know a lot about every one of our human clients during our sessions (because remember we are there to assist your furry companion along with YOU). We are there to educate of course, but also it’s the quiet listening to our clients that cues us into how we can help foster that communication between them and their dog. I quickly came to the realization that these clients had been suffering in silence over their dog’s separation anxiety for far too long. Thanks to the not-so-helpful advice of previous trainers, they had felt helpless and hopeless with the situation, a feeling I could empathize with. Given the mistaken information by one trainer that the behavior was not a treatable one, they sought more help for their dog. Their second opinion from a trainer was no better, recommending they invest in a bark collar to “fix” the behavior. A suggestion they knew deep down they did not agree with for its adverse nature. So understandably after seeking the advice of “experts” in the field and receiving no helpful information they felt that it was something they just must live with. Living with feeling defeated, lonely, and trapped in their own home resigned to the fact they would never EVER be able to leave their dog alone, and I mean like ever. To the point that they had not even been on a date night in over a year, pre-COVID.
These dedicated and loving owners kept seeking out help for their doggo, and while it may have been for an entirely different behavior they wanted to work on, meeting with them and assessing the situation we were able to come up with a game plan that would allow them to live a normal life with their dog. A life that allowed date nights again and more freedom. The thing is, as familiar as I was with a lot of dog behaviors, I was far less familiar with Separation Anxiety. But it was the same spark in me ignited long ago to help others that had me go search for the answers so that not only would these wonderful people get the help they needed, but future clients would also not be suffering silently with their dogs.
As I started the process of expanding my knowledge on the subject, my first thoughts were why did other trainers avoid separation anxiety like the plague knowing that it is a common issue? I knew that it may be a difficult and complex behavior beyond what I had learned, but the research and information was there. So why did many trainers choose not to work on CSA behaviors and if I was going to do this, what were the steps I needed to best help, my clients?
As I have said SA is a highly researched behavior so there is a multitude of science-based evidence out there that acted as a guide for me when implementing a training plan. But it was specifically during a conference, where Malena DeMartini presented on separation anxiety, that gave me the base of information on where to start. What I began to learn is Separation Anxiety was in fact an umbrella term used to describe several behavioral conditions. So my plans would always need to be implemented case by case to suit the needs of the dogs and what behaviors or stressors they were specifically struggling with. I also learned that Separation Anxiety is an evolutionary mechanism seen in all social animals, including humans. So while it is often defined simply as undesirable alone-time behaviors, it is much more complicated than that. Challenging behaviors to train indeed (but not impossible!)
When we began the processes of daily exercises, using the science-based researched methods I had tirelessly been going over, it was a process of experimenting. Improvement was seen in this specific case when we started to ditch the crate, worked on rearranging the space to make their dog feel more at ease with them not present, and managing absences between our training sessions. Using a camera was a critical component so that we could see body language together and discuss what we were seeing. It also aided me in modifying our plans which were necessary, as with this behavior we sometimes needed to adjust plans daily based on environmental influences.
There was much work, dedication, and troubleshooting on every side, but both they and I were willing to put in the time so that the best furbabe could have an even better life, free of stress. We improved on their doggos alone time while our dear sweet couple built a network of support. This led to the final and well-deserved peace of mind (plus the overdue date nights).
The success that we managed and the joy that was brought to this family only cemented my dedication to training dog behaviors, but really wanting to share my growing expertise in CSA so that no one else had to deal with these struggles. Every time I get one of these cases, the moments of working so closely with the dogs, and the people, helping coach them through each process, and celebrating their wins with them bring me the most joy.
With all the time that has passed and all the wealth of knowledge I have acquired, I look back now and realize how absolutely lucky I am to have found Sampson. It was his adoption and my experience with him that compelled me to volunteer, which led me to want to rescue, which ultimately led to my dog training journey and I wouldn’t trade a second of it. All of our training has him feeling less worried than he used to. Instead, he knows exactly what to do and finds it reinforcing! He is full of confidence even in the presence of triggers knowing that he has always been safe and is safe with me. That I am listening to him giving leading to the solid foundation we have today. The confidence he has now has also given me the confidence to be a better trainer for my clients. Each client and every case makes me feel so privileged and lucky that I get to be a part of others' happy endings and that I call this my job.
