I’m going start this post with a really big caveat dogs before we even attempt to help you to prevent SA in your puppy. If your dog has a genetic predisposition (mum had it, previous generations had it or mum was not a very caring or stressed mother) whereby SA or related distress has been passed on then you CANT prevent it you can just start home alone training as soon as you can.
That being said I am always reluctant to label behaviours as true separation anxiety in puppies initially because the vast majority of case in small pups are actually just early learning issues that can completely be trained for given the correct gradual exposure training. Basically most puppies just haven’t learnt to be home alone yet. The issues creep in when perhaps an owner has left it that bit too long before trying to train for the first time. Attending this training during adolescence for example is never a great place to start as they have usually got so many other competing factors around the onset of adolescence BUT like I always say it’s never to late to start. Also this post assumes the dog we are dealing with is under 12 months old and not a rescue dog. Those scenarios will need a slightly different approach. So let’s ASSUME that you have a puppy that is 14 weeks old and you simply haven’t started home alone training yet (maybe you work from home or you sensibly bought your dog on the six weeks school holidays to give yourself more time to train things) Well done you, you’ve come to the right place.
Unfortunately not every case can be prevented but you can absolutely can help mitigate it in puppies that don’t seem to be showing signs of it early on. This training is just as important for your pup as socialisation (seeing and interacting with people, vehicles, travelling other dogs, children, etc) and toilet training in the first few weeks you find yourself in charge of a baby dog.
Just like with socialisation and toilet training, enabling your pup to be confident “home alone” should be done very gradually. I always encourage new owners to set aside ample time to focus on their puppy when they arrive home. It is this part that everyone rushes. I’m talking about planning out the first six weeks of puppy parenthood and managing your life, making sure it revolves around the pup, for AT LEAST that long. It will be a small price to pay for a lifetime of learning to cope and be genuinely ok, when the time comes. All too often I see people get a puppy and a week later expect it to be fine in a crate or a pen like an adult dog – unfortunately this is a slippery slope to creating SA or separation related distress.
Great, you’ve set aside six weeks to hit the ground running, now what?
Firstly you are going to want resources on the following;
Settling at night for the first week or two. Try my blog post on how to start doing this here 👉Surviving The First 7 Days Of New Puppy Ownership & Beyond
Gradually popping puppy in a pen or crate next to your bed to start and being available to the pup for reassurance (at arms length) all the time when you need them to settle. I put an arm on the crate and stay quite. Allow them ample time to go out to the toilet and to settle again near you. Always allow pup to have the maximum amount of sleep they can in those first few weeks (pups need ALOT of sleep in the beginning).
Then move said pen every third day or so (end of the room/ outside the room / bottom of the stairs etc), to gradual lay allow your pup TIME to adjust with larger distances away from you.
Then you can work on “micro absences” during your normal day (30 seconds /a minute) of little absences away from you whilst you go to the toilet and to the shower for example) building all of this independence up making sure the pup is happy with your exits and returns. Keep theses sessions short and calm , continuing to build up.
Don’t rush crate/pen training and leave pups to cry it out, this can quickly cause your pup to form an unwanted association with the crate – get resources on gradual crate training or pen training, to help you out. My crate training protocol is available if you access my webinar linked below👇
BACK SOON.
👇👇🚨Access My Webinar Here🚨👇👇
Next up, expect to get a dog sitter in for comfort breaks if you have to be gone for longer than your pup can cope with in the first 6-8 weeks and even longer because toilet training and frustration are also causes of building a negative association with the crate due to not having enough space to turn around inside, should they need to relieve themselves. Some dogs can get very stressed if they soil near their beds. (I have had dogs consume poop for this very reason , in the past). Give them enough space to move and grow. I often advise you get a crate double the size you were initially aiming for, for this reason. Also Be mindful of the fact that if your pup is crated at night make sure they are not also being left in crate for long periods during the day. I have heard this line very very often “puppy can sleep in his crate upstairs for 7-8 hours no problem but when we leave to got out in the middle of the day he will not settle. That’s because puppy needs to stretch his legs and also we’ve changed the context by moving him downstairs where the house is busier and there is more light so he will naturally be more awake.
You will then proceed to train your pup using my “Home Alone Training” in small increments swapping out the settle on a mat for settling in a crate or behind a babygate with plenty to do. 👉It’s never too early/late to start home alone training is the link to follow for help with starting home alone training.
Hopefully this has helped you to see what is required and in what order you can start to train your pup be happy being home alone.
If you enjoyed this post please check out my previous three part blog series on Training High Energy Dogs here.
If you want access to my blog posts first before anyone else consider signing up to the newsletter here and receive a free Dog Behaviourist’s Guide called “Why’s my dog doing that?” Below👇
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Love from your friendly neighbourhood dog trainer Sara. X
Ps if you would like to work with me in person or online please feel free to contact me here Contact Sara Here
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