You are not alone! Separation anxiety is thought to affect 4 to 6 dogs and you did nothing to cause this issue! Anxiety is not about your dog being "naughty" it is an emotional problem where they anticipate something bad is going to happen (you not coming back) even though it is unlikely (because you are coming back!) With my separation anxiety training, we will work together to change your dog's emotional response - rather than anxiety we want your dog to feel calm and relaxed. If they feel more comfortable they will be able to be left home alone without feeling stressed, anxious and panicked!

My approach uses positive reinforcement-based, force-free methods. We will work to desensitise (i.e. slow and gentle exposure) your dog to you getting ready to leave your home and being left home alone. In our first call we will talk everything though - your dog's behaviour, what your goals are, what management we may need to put in place to help your dog and we will assess your dog's behaviour to see what they can currently cope with (it is okay if they struggle to cope with you even moving... this is very common!) I will then show you the first training stage and sent you a written plan after our call. In our follow-up sessions we will continue to work through the plan together to ensure your dog is progressing and is on track to being left home alone!

Working on separation anxiety issues is more effective online! I can assess your dog at home (rather than when a stranger - me - is in your home distracting your dog) which helps me to assess your dog more accurately. We can then continue to work on the training together, while I can accurately assess your dog. Also, as I am not required to commute to your home, the package can be offered at a lower price. We can meet on Zoom, WhatsApp or Facetime - whatever suits you best. I can always give you extra help to set up any new programmes/technology to ensure our calls go smoothly.

It can be great to use the first month (or two) to intensively work on your dogs separation anxiety training while being guided and support by me. Within this time, I will pass on knowledge about how to work through your dog's training and aim to give you a noticeable difference in your dog's behaviour when home alone. All dogs are individuals which results in not knowing how long it will take you to help your dog to be happy home alone, so it may take more than 1-2 months to achieve this goal. However, during the support you will gain confidence in the training and you will learn how to continue building on the training, even after our support is complete. Over time, you can achieve your goals!

I understand, you can spend a small fortune on lots of different dog training courses, trainers and behaviourist not to mention the time searching the internet for answers. I have learnt how to help dogs overcome separation anxiety by working directly with Julie Naismith (a world-renowned separation anxiety expert). This training technique has helped thousands of dogs become comfortable while home alone. It is the one proven method that has show to be the best progress (Overall, 2021).

It is important to liaison with your Veterinary Practice and to view your dog's clinical history before we start behavioural training together. Many medical conditions can contribute to behavioural issues, this needs to be taken into account when working on changing behaviour. Simply put - we could do all the training in the world to help your dog overcome their issues, but it is unlikely to help if a medical issue is fueling your dog's behaviour. We need to cover this base. When you sign up to work on behavioural issues a Veterinary Referral form will be sent to your Veterinary Surgery for completion via email. This ensures your Vet is happy for us to work together and keeps them up-to-date.

As a full member of the APBC many pet insurance companies will cover my fees. Please call your insurance company if you plan to claim. Claiming on your insurance is assessed on a case-by-case basis so it is best to check first. Please inform your company that I am a full member of the APBC - companies only cover fees of behaviourists who are members of particular organisations (the APBC being one of them). To book in a separation anxiety package the fee is required within two days to confirm your appointment days/times. Then you can claim the cost back from your insurance which will get paid directly to you (often minus an excess).