Leaving Your Anxious Dog Alone: Tips for Successful “Home Alone” Training

Ive had quite a few enquiries lately about suspected Separation Distress in young dogs these last few weeks so thought it best that I create something that might help those who are waiting to work with me in person 🐶👍

If you have a dog who is anxious or destructive when you leave the house, they may be experiencing some form of separation distress- to work out the extent of the issue I highly advise a through vet exam if this is something brand new (behaviour wise) for an older dog and would also like a full history before we work together – Work with me here but whilst you wait – find my tips below.

Fortunately, there are effective techniques you can use to help your dog cope with being alone. In this article, we’ll cover six helpful strategies for separation anxiety training.

Foundation Training: Encouraging Calm Behaviours

Before you start working on separation anxiety training, it’s important to establish a foundation of calm behaviors. This means teaching your dog to relax and settle down on cue. You can use positive reinforcement techniques, such as treats and praise, to encourage your dog to sit or lie down and stay calm. Practice this behavior frequently, gradually increasing the duration of the stay. My favourite technique is to use “The Magic Mat” where this behaviour can be transferred to different parts of the house to encourage settling on a mat and eventually (if required) it can be transferred to settling in a crate with the door open etc I briefly mention how to train this HERE👍

Ditch the Crate: Confinement May Be Hindering Your Results

Many dog owners assume that crating their pet is the best solution for separation anxiety. However, for some dogs, being confined to a small space can actually increase anxiety levels. If you suspect that your dog is not comfortable in their crate, consider trying other confinement methods, such as a gated area or a playpen. Be sure to provide plenty of toys and distractions to keep your pup occupied. These will help to create a space where you dog can learn to take themselves off for “micro absences “ even when you are in – they need to be ok with being away from you – this is great for those who this they dealing with a dog with a base line of around 5-10 seconds 😅Don’t panic it does get better. * A caviat to this I would say that toys can become a predictor of you leaving so only help keep them under threshold for the time it takes to complete the task – extended periods of home alone training will be required AS WELL provided toys and enrichment 👍 which leads me to the point below……

Work Out the Triggers That Are Predicting Your Departure to Your Dog

Dogs have been selectively bred for thousands to work cohesively with their guardians this also means they are experts in watching our body language and seemingly “know” when we are about to leave before we are even aware of what we are doing . They quickly learn to recognize the cues that signal that you’re about to leave the house. This can include putting on your shoes or picking up your keys. To help your dog feel less anxious, try to desensitize them to these triggers. For example, put on your shoes but don’t leave the house, or jingle your keys but don’t go anywhere- multiple times a day . Over time, your dog will learn that these cues don’t always mean you’re leaving for an extended period of time. You can also be a little bit more prepared I like going on about this topic here – and make sure you leave in a calm manner and have those triggering abject steady by the front door so you can make your “actual departure” as calm as possible.

Leave Frequently and Return While the Dog Is Calm

One effective way to help your dog get used to your departures is to practice leaving frequently for short periods of time. This can help your dog learn that you will always come back. Start by leaving for just a few minutes at a time, and gradually increase the duration of your absences. When you return, if you have a dog who frantically greets you on return (there’s a high chance you will because this comes as part of the by products of having Separation Anxiety)be sure to greet them a little (as we don’t want that frustration tipping over the edge ) and then walk all the way through your house and asking for a behaviour that might make their greeting calmer ie: Toss a treat a few times and ask them to “Find it” or get out the previously mentioned Magic Mat and ask them to simple wait on it – mark with the word “Yes” and reward this calmer version of your dog (praise with a soothing tone we are aiming for calmer reactions after all). This reinforces the idea that calmer behaviour is rewarded. I mention the basics of “Yes” training here

Training So Frequently That It Becomes “No Big Deal”

To help your dog feel more comfortable with your departures, you want to train in short yet frequent amounts so that they almost get “bored” of reacting. They get scared because being alone is unpredictable so try to make leaving the house a non-event. Don’t make a big fuss over saying goodbye, make sure that the new predictable keeping under their threshold of stress is the new norm and try not to make a big deal about departures and returns. This helps your dog understand that being alone is now a normal more predictable part of their routine.

Gradually Build Up the Time You Are Outside Out of View

Finally, as your dog becomes more comfortable with your departures, you can start gradually increasing the time you spend out of view. Again, start with short periods of time and gradually build up to longer absences. Be sure to continue rewarding calm behavior, and make sure your dog has plenty of toys and distractions to keep them occupied but make sure you you PLAN ahead give your dog plenty of time to use those toys – ideally half an hour after a walk or being fed they can do these activities (licking sniffing and chewing all promote calm behaviour) so if they are sufficiently calm before you leave instead of a rushed placement of toy and running out the door will make you look even more unpredictable than before. Everything needs to be well rehearsed and predictable because it’s the only training you have to rely on where you cannot be present to do it – this why whilst you work on gradually building these events up in small increments you MUST find ways to keep your dog from tipping over into severe stress – Get a dog walker , send your dog to doggy day care on the days you have to be out of the house, call in as many friends and family you can to take a day each WHATEVER it takes so that your training can take hold and the sacrifice of your time for perhaps 3-6 9 months is worth it so that your dog can have a lifetime of not being anxious.

With patience and persistence, you can help your furry friend overcome separation anxiety or at least increase the amount of time they can cope with being alone and feel more comfortable when you’re away. By following these strategies for separation anxiety training, you’ll be on your way to a happier, more relaxed pup. I know exactly what you are going through as the guardian of two dogs with Separation Anxiety myself – please remember that what they are experiencing is not your fault or their and it is a phobia just like I’m afraid of heights it’s a phobia it’s not rational but it’s still valid and it’s up to the learner (in this case your dog) how quickly or slowly we gradually expose them to the scary thing – in this case being home alone – sometimes younger dogs sail through the training – some need a title longer to realise everything is going to be ok – that’s ok whichever way we get there – If you would like more help with your anxious dog please don’t hesitate to contact me as I can offer this training online as well as in person within 30 miles of Plymouth UK – You can books 1-2-1 session here

Sara @ About Town Pets 🐶

Ps if you liked todays post please be sure to check this post on Training A Teenage Dog Who Has Forgotten Everything 👍

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My Number One Tip For Any Training Scenario…

Be Prepared

If this conjures up thoughts of a very popular song from the original Lion King movie – then so be it 😅

It doesn’t matter if you’re training puppies to stop mouthing or setting up controlled scenarios to help practice something (ie: barking at the door or keeping calm for reactive dogs) if your not prepared, your dog is less likely to succeed at every given opportunity.

Husky mixed breed looks up at handler in the sit position – good training requires practice
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I NEVER leave the house without at least some treats in my pockets – even when I’m not training, I am prepared to train if the need should arise. My dogs, for example have been learning to settle at cafes at least twice a week, as well as learning to settle in our new campervan. At 5 and 10 years old they still need reminders of what’s expected and practicing regularly is the best way to do this. They may need help in the form of food reward to keep them motivated and keeping their attentions , especially if said cafe gets quite loud and full of people – our dogs can do this well usually, because they’ve practiced a lot previously, but I can’t assume they will be perfect on the day, so I bring things I know will help them concentrate and mitigate against distractions. multiple greetings from people , constant movement of people backward and forward , food and drink coming and going – it’s a lot but that’s why we are here right? 😅-

These things used to be an issue for Ollie (settling with distractions) he thought all food was for him and would bark until someone gave him something, he has since practiced A LOT and knows that EVENTUALLY he gets something if he waits it out – the only time he might bark is if he needs to go out for a wee so I don’t really want to extinguish ALL barking ALL OF THE TIME, it is sometimes a good thing but it would be dog specific 👍

A Jack Russell Lies Down on a mat holding its own lead – practicing duration of a hold is what makes training this behaviour successful

I digress….. that happens here…… now imagine that I didn’t take any treats or poo bags and didn’t bring a mat for my lurcher to chill out on (he has bad arthritis these days) the visits would not be as relaxed or as well planned as they could be. Scout would constantly figet because he was uncomfortable -leading to him excessively using his arthritic knee more than he should and Ollie would get very frustrated with me very quickly because after waiting a long time for his reward (we’ve worked on duration and delayed rewards) he would stop offering this waiting behaviour and most likely start his frustrated barking in public again – it’s not really worth the hassle and all of this can be avoided by simply was being a little bit prepared with a sensible lead some treats in my pocket and piece of vet bed for Scout – it is the difference between a chilled out lunch on a Sunday afternoon and having to rush and get a quick takeaway coffee and a walk in the rain because they won’t settle 😅😅

By simply being more prepared you are both setting yourselves up for success. Success that you can train your dog efficiently (hands free with a Halti lead around your waist means your hands are free to deposit a treat or you reward at the exact right time – because timing is everything😉) or having treats or a toy stashed systematically at points (I’d advise you out these out of reach from your dog 😅) so that when you come through the door you are ready with a toy for your frustrated greeters or if you want to practice alone time you prep pre-made toys and frozen kong enrichment toys, for example, all ready to just take out of the fridge when you need to leave and place in a crate or safe space for your pup or dog.

Another example from my dogs perspective is that just before I leave everyday for work , to settle them down BEFORE I leave I make sure they have a small kong with peanut butter or a Whimzees chew toy so that the chewing licking and sniffing actions of using these toys is medicine of a calm and more chilled out dog before I leave – we do it so often that they waiting just after I put on my shoes and put on my walking belt. Now if I didn’t prep that they wouldn’t be sufficiently calm before I left the house . I’ve don’t this a lot too – if I rush out of the door because I’ve missed the post man or I have to pop out to the car – this unprepared rush is different and unrehearsed and the dogs will definitely bark and be up at the window because of it BUT if I RESET them and I give them the chews and toy 10 minutes later I put on my shoes and bag and leave calmly they won’t bark and won’t jump up at the window because we are rehearsing the calm exit strategy that they have done lots of times before and can settle a lot quicker 😅

A Cavapoo looks up at their handler for a reward after taking a picture
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So it sounds likes a stupidly simple piece of advice but if you want to succeed with your dogs training goals it’s the most important one of all. If you’re prepared you’re more likely to train than if you were unprepared and that means more practice and more repetitions of any desirable behaviours and that’s what successful dog training is all about.

Sara @ About Town Pets 🐶

Ps : if you liked this article you may also like my previous blog post With Tips & Advice For Training Tennage Dogs – Here 🐕

Or you may also want to check out my most popular blog article about 8 Enrichment Ideas For Your Dog 🥎

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Help My Teenage Dog Has Forgotten Everything!

Adolescent bulldog is running on the grass making a crazy face with mouth open

⭐️Tuesday Tips – The FAQ Series

Most dog owners with a pet aged 6 months or over will often say the same thing to me. That during the onset of your puppies adolescence phase (anywhere from 6-12 months old depending on the breed and their size) that their dog seems to have forgotten everything that they’ve ever taught them. Also there is usually mention of the fact that their dog seems to turn their ears off and needs extra persuasion during this time to follow through with behaviours that have been previously well practiced and trained😅

Fear Not – You Are Not Alone In This 🦮

This is so common that I offer follow on classes purely for this age range of puppy- It is often due to the fact that your dogs growth spurts will happen around 5 months old (perhaps earlier for smaller dogs) & during this period your dog may begin to start and stop in walks (especially if they walk on a harness). Which can look like “stubbornness” but is actually more likely to be that they are a bit more touch sensitive because of growing bodies. Their adolescent hormones will also start to kick in around 6-9 months old (again dependent on the rate at which that breed matures) This will mean that their focus and attention will be elsewhere as their environment , movement and sounds will be more distracting (more so than usual 😅)

Brown and white spaniel is running with ears flying and mouth open and tongue out

During this phase there is 50 percent more testosterone or Oestrogen in their little bodies as well as flooding into their brains making learning and memory very difficult during this time. This influx of hormones can contribute to concentration difficulties as well as bringing mood swings just like teenage humans- I am happy to report that these hormones do wain over the next 6 months or so, as does, the maturity of the dog – (smaller dogs mature earlier but goofy personalities will still prevail dependent on the breed) – if you can get over the 12-18 months hump, I can almost guarantee that their hormones levels will level out and you will get your “sensible” dog back but it is extra important to double down on training during this challenging period, making sure that you do so with very high value reward (I’m talking peanut butter, liver pate, baby food tubes, cooked chicken) these extra repetitions and refresher training sessions will help make training stick once they come out the other side of their “hormone rollercoaster”.

So KEEP GOING & DOUBLE UP on your reward frequency (how liberal you are being with the AMOUNT of reinforcement you are giving – because there’s no such thing as too much rewarding at this stage) PRACTICE in small increments and try to make a conscious effort to do double the amount of training you have already been doing (& by this I mean LITTLE BUT VERY OFTEN) be mindful of how long your dog can go before he needs a break in training – little tests help reset the “learning” part of their brains and look for frustrated behaviours such as fatigue in the form of panting , impatience ,getting overaroused by the activities you are asking your dog to do and really you will be onto a winner – the massive PLUS side to all the extra training means that you will have built up a great bond with your dog and your training habits will likely stay put , well in the dogs adult phase . You will be giving your dog a head start on the next phase of training which involves the 3 Ds (training through DISTRACTIONS over DISTANCE & for longer DURATIONS👍….But that’s a post for another day😅

Two young beagles that look related are running side by side with mouths open grabbing and playing with each other

Common Complaints During The Teenage Phase Include;

🐾Not listening when called (because girl/boy dogs can be smelt up to a mile away😅) -if recall is non existent (go back a step to recall on a long line with super duper high value rewards – think liver pate peanut butter tuna in a squeeze tube etc.

🐾Marking their “territory”, (did you know that simply smelling the ammonia of another dog’s pee will illicit the cocking or squatting behaviour/ dogs live in a world of scent that we have no way of knowing anything about.

* Not knowing when to calm down (double down on your “Settle” or “Magic Mat”) everything good happens in the May including calm sits or downs on the mat – again build up the duration over time making sure your dog is kept focused for short periods of time and given regular breaks between mini sessions of training – settle training is also best practices after your dog has had some exercise, tired from a play session , after eating or after all of these things I’ve mentioned.

🐾Overexcited mouthing or nipping – time to get that tug toy out and start to practice a drop or leave it so it becomes very reliable – if you have a dog that gets a bit frustrated at you taking the toy away make sure to roll a treat away from them as you pick up the toy and put it away OR have a second toy ready the moment they drop the first so the game continues – you can add up duration to combat frustration tolerance gradually over time……ETC ETC so many questions so little time 😅

A brown shaggy dog that looks like an Italian Spinone is looking up and to its right with a wet face and mouth open and tongue out in the grass

⭐️Let me know what you are currently finding challenging with your teenage dog?

Sara @About Town Pets 🐶

✅Want To Work With Me On A 1-2-1 Basis Tap Here To Work With Me Now

Ps if you enjoyed this quick FAQ post you may also enjoy my post about Help- My Dog Is A Fussy Eater 🐶

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How To Help Nervous or Shy Puppies in Class

A common mistake I see being made by new puppy owners is that they think that their new little bundle of fluffiness will automatically love all dogs and all humans and be as enthusiastic as they are about life in general 😬❌

Unfortunately this couldn’t be further from the truth for some puppies. Dog guardians are often forgetting a vital piece in their puzzle – and that’s no matter how many times you unbeknowingly place your puppy into a new situation ,that it doesn’t want to be a part of , you won’t be automatically creating well socialised dog – what you might be doing instead is creating a pessimistic puppy not an optimistic one.

Tan & Black Puppy lies down with his head resting on a docking area

– Let me explain – whilst my advice IS to expose your puppy to new and novel situations in the first 6-8 weeks of ownership ,gradually, in a calm and positive way (gradual exposure) – my advice ISNT to begin exposing your puppy to everything as much as possible because your nervous pup will just get over it with time. Can you see the difference?

In the first instance I would like you to take your puppies personality (they are all different) into consideration – does he lip lick or turn his head away at the prospect of new things? Does he show instances of “Sticky feet” (wants to look or explore but keeps his back feet firmly on the floor for a quick getaway)? Does he hide under your legs or pull to get away from loud cars as they drive by? If yes then you have an under confident puppy or one who is potentially shy or nervous – I would expose these puppies even more calmly and gradually to things than your more forward puppy but the socialisation goals would be the same but timescale might take a little bit longer that’s all.

In the second instance mentioned above, we would be exposing our puppy for exposure sake- blindly not noticing the subtle body language cues puppies give off when they are nervous and what it can eventually lead to something called “flooding” – in this instance your dog becomes so overwhelmed by the scary things that they just shut down (which can “look” like they’ve “gotten over it”) but they actually don’t know what else to do for lack of escape routes or distance and reassurance from their handler. Chances are if we continue down this road with overly exposing puppies to things too quickly or too much your pup isnt going to want to interact again at the next opportunity – WHY? because they need GRADUAL EXPOSURE and SAFETY to figure out if the new anxiety inducing thing being presented is worth the risk.✅🐶

Cream coloured puppy with colourful harness lies down amongst the grass and leaves

This is where you come in -as the mammal with a large brain to body size ratio -you’d think we’d be able to work out our puppies likes and dislikes quite quickly. If your dog is a little nervous Nellie, then slow gradual confidence building is needed and regular rewards are required for activities that might have been quite hard work for them – Eg; your pup greets a new person they were otherwise shy of – EXTRA PRAISE & REINFORCEMENT PLEASE in the form of play or treats so that you make the puppy feel confident in their next choice to do so without pulling them towards the scary thing – with enough reward for making those sorts of choices, your pup will be more likely to choose to do that again and come back to their SAFE person (you) if you’ve built up a nice relationship at this point.

It’s a personality thing – not all puppies are happy go lucky and not all puppies are going to need the softly softly approach BUT let’s just assume all puppies aren’t confident until they are, just to be on the safe side- don’t pull them towards something they don’t want to interact with – instead create space and when they are at a SAFE distance just let them LOOK👀 and reward for looking and looking back at you- this simple act let’s them know we can move away from the thing but it doesn’t go away -they also get rewarded for simply looking – you can then move forward at the puppies pace or try again another day.

Bernese mountain dog type puppy is being held in the arms of his guardian

DONT be tempted to rush this part as it can take quite a long time to build confidence in a nervous dog – it only takes one big scary interaction for your dog to unravel all of your training and set you back a week or two to build back up to it again. This is why we ALL must be mindful of our adult dogs interactions with puppies AT ALL TIMES – ESPECIALLY ALREADY SHY OR NERVOUS DOGS- they’ve got lots of time to become friends but a very narrow window exists in which if a scary thing happens (and this means scary to the dog not you) you are unlikely to be able to unravel this learning without months of behaviour modification in the future 😅 Honestly, gradual confidence building at key moments is better than full exposure and potential behavioural issues that need ironing out at 18 months old .

DONT assume all puppies want to be your friend – I know it’s tempting – the tiny daschund puppy you met on your walk is so cute you could eat him – but imagine if everyone on that walk picked him up and snuggled his face when he was quite a nervous dog to start with? Not only are we not noticing his cues to leave him alone but you are creating one of the most common behavioural issues for small dogs – explosive reactions. If he continues to not be listened to because he is so small – his behaviours and reactions have to get bigger and bigger for people and other dogs to “notice” him and then we end up creating (and I hate this term) “little dog syndrome” the tiny dog who barks excessively or has “an attitude”it’s not a syndrome and almost always created by us and is just a by product of little dogs having to resort to big shows of emotions to get listened to and this stress response gets passed on to subsequent puppies and so on and so forth. Let’s just not start this in the first place – get good at being a dog detective – look for shying away and hiding – what he really wants is reassurance from the care giver and you to probably just need to ignore him until he’s READY to interact.

Cream coloured crossbreed puppy lies down on a driveway

The weirdest response to these dogs is the “offended bystander” you know those people who think they’re gods gift to dogs and they should “WANT” to interact with them at all costs and almost get argumentative about your dogs reactions – my response to this is – please step away from my dog please he doesn’t want to be your friend – he’s got enough of those at home 😉😅 …… I digress……

Next up DO consider taking your puppy to class even if you have a barky pup chances are he just needs the confidence to know that nothing bad is going to happen and that I can interact from a distance if I need to – provisions can be made to help a more nervous member of a group class – I like to create a barrier around them until they settle , pop them at the other end of the room at a safe distance and I keep sudden movement and personal interactions to an absolute minimum – he’s not my best friend yet so I’m not going to force him – purely by watching other dogs with positive outcomes that pup will interact at his own pace – dogs don’t need to be side by side or even off lead to interact the act of rewarding calm behaviours without reactions in that environment is enough work for that dog that day and that’s an achievement in my book – you can learn the techniques in class and take it all home to your safe space to learn. I won’t be offended and the other people and pups in the class learn a valuable lesson on how to interact and help their fellow nervous members.

Large black puppy lies with his head on the tile floor

I would AVOID classes with large numbers or outdoors classes where lots of other dogs can be seen and movement detected it’s likely to be a bit much for for nervous pal to begin with – you can definitely work up to this but start with an intimate class indoors or even try online training classes or 1-2-1 in home training – you can still be coached through all the techniques from puppy class but the distractions are minimised and you can gradually work up to training these things in the “Real World” with calmer puppies or adults dogs at a distance in the future – There’s always a way to adapt your learning for nervous dogs and people -your journey might take a little bit longer or need some provision to help you & your puppy learn at a different rate that’s all.

I hope this article was helpful and feel free to tag someone who might need to hear this advice or would benefit from learning how to help their nervous pup- I will never exclude a dog from class they may just need an alternative arrangement instead ♥️🐶

Sara @About Town Pets

Ps if you liked this article you might want to try my other articles such as 8 Super Simple Enrichment Ideas You Can Use Every Day

Or The Very First Things You Can Train Your New Puppy Before Class Starts

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8 Super Simple Enrichment Ideas You Can Use Everyday Of The Week

Enrichment is simply activities that you can use to create a varied and different approach to mealtimes or even to simply give your best buddy a treat in a interesting way rather than ALWAYS popping their food in a bowl on the floor OR just giving them a treat stick from your hand….. go on let your dog live a little 😍

1- The number 1 freebie – “Find It” – encourage your dog to use use their eyes and their noses by scattering JUST ONE or TWO handfuls of their normal portion on the patio or in the kitchen or on a mat, granted you may have point out every kibble) to start with but once they get the hang of it (2 weeks tops) they will activate their little sniffers and enjoy “finding their food” more than just eating it straight from a bowl – I promise

2- Second freebie on the list, “RECYCLE IT” keep your most recent Amazon box or cereal box and put some screwed up paper in it (make sure they don’t eat the paper) and again scatter a handle or two of their designated portion in the box (size appropriate of course) and encourage them to rummage around and “FIND IT”.

My own dog Ollie waits patiently for his treats to be placed in his box ❤️
Ollie is getting really stuck into his game of Find It in a recycled parcel box

3- Last freebie on the list is “THE TEA TOWEL” trick – simply roll a couple of kibbles up inside a tea towel and allow your puppy to unravel it (this may or may not take a couple of seconds but you can keep doing it several times to keep the game up – what could be easier?

This image is from sparklesandsunshineblog.com and show a brindle crossbreed dog using a rolled up tea towel with treats rolled up inside to encourage sniffing.

4- The next 2 are DIY projects potentially and requires some prep – THE SNUFFLE BOX Also known as the snuffle bin on Jolson Williams Website Here similar to the diy box except you get a plastic organising basket from your DIY/homeware store and some fleece material cut into strips then place those strips through the gaps to create a box that a little bit more of a challenge and place a few treats or a handful of kibbles in there and get them sniffing – obviously keep an eye on them for trying to chew up the fleece (supervision required for all of these activities- safety first).

This image is from joslinwilliams.com and shows a melee blue collie using a snuffle box/bin made with strips of fleece in a plastic basket

5- DIY SNUFFLE MAT- this is similar to the fancy snuffle mats you’ve all used or seen but you can make a cheaper version – get a holey bath mat (the non slip ones are good with the suckers on the bottom) and the fleece material from before but in shorter strips this time – tie each hole with 3/4 pieces of fleece (a simple crossover tie pulled tight will do no knots required) until you have a nice fleece surface to hide treats and again you’ve made your sniffing activity for your pup.

This image is from dreamalittlebigger.com and show a spaniel lying down on a snuffle mat made from fleece and tied through the gaps of a heavy duty plastic bath or door mat.

6- The next 3 are all brilliant products I recommend you invest in and make sure they don’t start to eat this first one when they are done (these are not affiliated links yet but they may become so in the future) – LICKI MATS- Place the wet portion of your dogs food or a small amount of pate or dog friendly peanut butter onto the mat (these come in heavy duty and with a non slip tray for heavy lickers😅) Find them here as the name suggests it slows down food scoffers and encourages licking which helps to settle your dog if they’ve been doing something else a bit more high energy or simply need to slow their eating habits down – I highly recommend you use Forthglade Puppy or Dog Food Grain Free as the nutrition rating is currently very high. Adult Dog Forthglade Here or the puppy version can be found Here

This image is from prouddogmom.com and shows a terrier chihuahua mixed breed using a Licki Mat.

7-The Kong – there are so many ways this can be utilised to help you out- distraction when in another room – encourages chewing and licking and movement all at the same time – you can put a little bit of dog pate or fat free yoghurt in there and it can take a while to get out – Find A Pack Of 2 Kongs Here -also you can put their own kibbles in there and plug the hole with wet dog food and let them get cracking for part of their breakfast OR if you need it to last longer you could soak the kibble before putting them in and plug the end and then put them in the freezer in a Jiffy bag for teething pups or simply to make them last longer, freezing has multiple advantages. I love them – I think they are one of the best toys ever invented for dogs and are so simple – I digress 😅😅I also love (bonus product) their wobbler Can be found here -for kibbles or small treats for older dogs or larger puppies to get the hang of too, just make sure you place them in a mat otherwise they go skidding all over shiny surfaces 😅

This image is from wearwagrepeat.com and shows2 Kongs and a Toppl product stuffed with lots of lovely dog food to be used as an enrichment activity

8- Lastly if you have a dog that pummels their food too fast -you could do all of the above (I do this for my dog and we’ve managed to get his 3 minute eating frenzy up to 15-20 minutes of active searching etc. Or you could invest in a Puzzle bowl to put their dry portion into. It is recommended you get a raised feeder also especially for taller dogs or deep chested dogs like whippets greyhounds or leggy gundogs (weimeraners and viszlas I’m looking at you) this simple act could be the difference between a dog that gets bloat (gulping too much air as they eat) or dogs that are too active after eating.

This image from an advert for PetDuro puzzle bowls on Amazon – other brands of puzzle/slow feeders are available 😅

I hope all of these ideas have given you some food for thought….. no pun intended 😅 so you can give something a go every day be it a free DIY or purchased activity. I’d love to see your enrichment ideas and you can tag me at About Town Pet Care On Instagram to show me. I can never see enough videos of dogs in my day👍👍 Check out some more tips below – this post is my very first TikTok Video with some tips on How To Make Your Dogs Mealtimes Fun 👇👇

A video with tips on How To Make Your Dogs Meal Times More Fun – this is how my dogs eat their meals most days ♥️ – copyright http://www.about-town-pets.com

Sara @ About Town Pets

Ps if you enjoyed this post perhaps check out my previous post on How Often Should I Be Training My Puppy 👍❤️

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Help My Dog Is A Fussy Eater

⭐️Friday FAQ⭐️

This weeks FAQ turned into a Mini Blog Post is … How Do I Prevent A Fussy Eater?

This was a question from someone who had begun to resort to hand feeding their dog because “Im so worried she’s starting to starve herself” – an enquiry for a 7 month old terrier x pug …. So here we go ….🐶

Border collie sits on a chair at a table eating dog food from a plate with cutlery next to it

🐶First off I promise your dog will not starve themselves – I’ve dealt with fussy eaters my whole career and the minute they see another dog around food they start to chomp on their food -FOMO is real 😅 That being said if you try some of the things mentioned and your dog is still reluctant to eat I would get their mouths checked at the vets (you know just to be on the safe side).

If you are finding that your dog won’t eat their food in one sitting pick up the bowl and put the portion down again later in the day – this prevents grazers (I mean unless you don’t mind a grazer) Grazing is not recommended in my house for example because one of my dogs is a food guarder and they would come to harm if food was left down all the time so our simple solution is to give designated “feeding times” so that they know nothing else will come until later. that being said they are not rushed and allowed to eat as much as they like – but it’s never left down (but that’s just me and my multi dog household).

I think the main issue here is because hand feeding has been reinforced – she has learned that if she waits long enough you will hand feed her which she likes and is rewarding to her so she waits it out again and repeat etc etc 🐶 Positive reinforcement at its finest – something they like is added to the scenario to make the behaviour more likely to occur again in the future 😅👍

A Jack Russell sits at a table with a checkered makeshift bib and one dog treat is placed on a bowl in front of him

You might want to look at the bowl you are using to feed her – I know it sounds mad but some dogs don’t like the shiny reflection in metal bowls (you will get a water splasher) or the shape of their mouths (ie pugs for example) find it easier from a scoop shaped bowl or a slightly raised feeder – that being said you could make meal times more fun and feed her portion exclusively from kongs and the wet portion on a Licki mat – novelty also helps with fussy eaters – this is what we would for rescue dogs in shelters to create variety if a dog is a solo dog- 👍 For my own dogs I also mix it up a little with warm water mixed in with their food to make it more palatable and also add variety of food stuffs – for example – this link- will show you what food stuffs can be added to your dogs portion in small quantities without hurting them (literally one handful a day makes a lot of difference to your dogs gut biome).

So there’s my VERY QUICK advice for helping someone with a dog who has become a “fussy eater”🦴🐕 Don’t forget if you would like to work with me on a 1-2-1 basis you can do so by messaging me Here on my Facebook Business Page or by using My Contact Form Here & Ai look forward to working with you & your dog soon ❤️👍 Sara @ About Town Pets

🐶Ps if you enjoyed this quick FAQ style content please feel free to check out my previous post on How Often Should I Be Training My Puppy Here ❤️

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How Often Should I Be Training My Puppy

Mini Blog- FAQs

In my mini blog series – I will be answering some of the most common FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) that I am often asked. This week is it ….

How Often Should I Be Training My Puppy?

Yellow Labrador puppy is stretched out on the sofa relaxing and lying down

A little but often and it is dependent on the task ( is it a brand new task that the dog does not know yet?) do this more frequently to begin with in shorter stints so the can begin to get the hang of it and then add a few more minutes of it each day.

Does your dog already know what you are asking but needs improvement?

Try 10-15 minutes a day on an improving skill until it’s well practiced and if it’s well known and can be asked for everyday – add distractions next or train it in a different place for slightly longer each time or add distance a little bit at a time for example “Wait” can go from a couple of steps away to a couple of feet away and you could probably do this for 15 minutes twice a day.

Springer spaniel puppy sits up with attention on handle who has a treat positioned above his head out of shot

But it all comes with a caveat of how motivated to learn is your dog today? If they’ve had a scary experience that day then they will probably need a while to settle down to get back into learning mode (maybe they heard a loud bang or something similar) don’t train now give -them a day or so to calm down – or a dog high on adrenaline after high octane playing session – wait until they have calmed down and try again later- now – a dog that has had a walk,been fed and been to the toilet, who is in a contented state will probably relish a little bit of extra learning today this is the perfect time to get the treat pouch out👍

Always end on a high (playing a game is good way to end training to let off some steam after thinking) and stop training if the pup or dog is getting too frustrated or tired 👍Dog trainers don’t train their dogs for an hour each day (unless the dog is a super learners of course) they work out what needs to be practiced that day and “get repetitions in” where they can – asking for 5 things on a walk asking for 5 things at breakfast asking for 5 things when someone comes to visit (distractions) and 5 things on a second walk and finally having a bit of play session late in the day gives you opportunity to get 25 mini training repetitions in that day without even trying very hard and repeat that every day for a week is 175 reps that week😍 but if I said make sure you do 175 reps this week you’d likely become overwhelmed and give up easier. Smaller chunks are always better than a long haul session.

Young Yellow Labrador is be trained to sit up on back legs by young girl in the garden who has arms stretched out above the dogs head with a treat to encourage him

Also aim for 5 out of 7 days and don’t allow 2 days in a row to go by without at least practicing something -we want to keep what the pup is learning fresh in their mind 🐶

So little but often is my advice for how often should I train my puppy – 5 out of 7 days because we all need a learning break too 👍❤️ Sara @ About Town Pets

Ps if you are a brand new puppy owner & you liked this post be sure to check out my previous post Surviving The First 7 Days of Puppy Ownership & Beyond

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5 Myths About Separation Anxiety In Dogs

So you’re a worried pet parent who thinks your pooch has developed Separation related distress – you are not alone . You may have been told or have begun to think that you are the reason why your dog has started to display these phobia like behaviours- well I’m hear to bust a few mini myths about how dogs get Separation Anxiety in the first place to hopefully put your mind at ease a little bit more – 👇👇 The following statements are NOT TRUE so please don’t believe anyone who tells you otherwise….

❌Cuddling your dog too much can cause separation anxiety – FALSE ….if anything dogs with SA have anxious disposition and need MORE reassurance than normal in worrying scenarios.

❌Letting your dog sleep in your bed causes separation anxiety- FALSE- it’s the best bed in the house it makes sense he loves it there.

❌Letting your dog go through the door first- FALSE- wrong again- it’s just super exciting getting to go for a walk with you- these dogs just need to learn a few impulse control games with consistent training not “alpha leadership” – calm positive reinforcement to sit their bottom on a mat (target training) and learning to settle over time is all that is required – you barely have to say anything at all as hand signals will suffice as well as barely have to touch a dog if treats are involved. 👍

❌Letting him eat first will cause separation anxiety – FALsE – and again nope- your dog is not hell bent on household domination- your dog is hungry and probably gets once or twice a day to indulge in his favourite thing -EATING – don’t withhold this from him – I’d be super cranky if you took my Roast dinner away halfway through eating it – It’s highly likely if you do it too often I’d stab you with my fork (metaphor for resource guarding) 😅😅

❌The most common “internet advice” is often LET THEM BARK IT OUT – you guessed it…also FALSE – This statement implies that SA will fix itself if you leave it long enough (if it does rectify like this it wasn’t Separation anxiety in the first place. What IS likely to happen is that without predictable gradual training to cope with absence dogs that “bark it out” constantly rehearse going over threshold and subsequently get worse not better (like screaming on rollercoaster- it’s seems to have no function except to “self soothe” until the scary thing stops) in our case it’s barking until your owner gets home.

SHORT SUMMARY- Separation Anxiety is a phobia of being alone usually from a specific person which only happens or increase when that person is out of the house and aside from preventative training as a puppy you are unlikely to have caused this phobia and is usually a result of the genetics of stress being passed on my a parent dog or previous learned history (ie a scary situation has increased the likelihood of this phobia)🐶

Starting Home Alone Training now even if your dog doesn’t seem to be exhibiting SA is also advisable for all puppies young dogs and rescue dogs who need to get into a routine before you tended period of time .

If you suspect your dog might be exhibiting separation distress or any similar situation please get in contact i can get you started on your journey to becoming a guilt free home alone hero for your dog today using the link below 👇👇

Help Your Dog To Cope Now

❤️🐶 Sara @ About Town Pets

Ps If you enjoyed this post and would like advice on other dog behaviour related topics be sure to check out my blog on Help I Think My Dog Is Resource Guarding

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