Dog behaviourist/dog behaviourists Oxfordshire (Oxon) and support with dog behaviour issues in West Oxfordshire, East Oxfordshire and South Oxfordshire, East Gloucestershire and surrounding areas. Puppy trainer/dog trainer Oxfordshire.
Why is socialisation and puppy training important? Puppy training West Oxfordshire / dog training Oxfordshire.
Weeks 3-12 in a puppy's development are often called the sensitive socialisation period and represent a key period for long term optimal socialisation effects to be realized. A pup makes rapid contact with a strange individual only within a short period from 3-5 weeks so puppy training and socialisation needs to include strangers. From week 5, pups start to become more cautious and hesitant about new social contacts due to their withdrawal/fear mechanism, the natural response of an animal in the wild to maintain distance for survival. This tendency will continue to increase and reach a peak in week 12 so active socialisation from weeks 3-14 is crucial.
Dogs are great discriminators so when training puppies it is vital to give opportunities for a puppy to meet people and others animals in their many forms and have positive associations with them! Socialisation should include verbal praise, handling, grooming, hand-feeding and play. A puppy's first experiences of anything new can have a long-lasting impact on their behaviour so it is particularly important to make sure that these initial experiences are really positive. This means introducing a puppy to new things gradually so they are not overwhelmed. Experiencing a little bit of challenge can help a puppy learn bounce-back and recovery and can help puppies to be more resilient and confident as adults.
Weeks 6-12 are a period of bonding and social conditioning. Operant conditioning, used in dog training, can encourage focus and impulse control and create engagement and a stronger bond between a dog and their human parent. Positive and force free puppy training from around 6 weeks is important and should include training cues such as sit, down, wait, here, leave, drop, off, close, settle and house-training. A young pup’s concentration span is tiny but positive dog training can be used to strengthen behaviour, increasing duration, distance and distractions as a puppy gets a little older.
In operant conditioning a positive consequence (reward) will increase the probability of the behaviour occurring in future. Food bowl exercises, object exchanges, and placement cues will help prevent the development of resource guarding (Donaldson, 2005). When training your dog it is important to focus primarily on encouraging, capturing and rewarding the behaviour you want, reinforcing this in a timely and consistent way, taking into account your dog's individual motivations and preferences.
Dogs are great discriminators so when training puppies it is vital to give opportunities for a puppy to meet people and others animals in their many forms and have positive associations with them! Socialisation should include verbal praise, handling, grooming, hand-feeding and play. A puppy's first experiences of anything new can have a long-lasting impact on their behaviour so it is particularly important to make sure that these initial experiences are really positive. This means introducing a puppy to new things gradually so they are not overwhelmed. Experiencing a little bit of challenge can help a puppy learn bounce-back and recovery and can help puppies to be more resilient and confident as adults.
Weeks 6-12 are a period of bonding and social conditioning. Operant conditioning, used in dog training, can encourage focus and impulse control and create engagement and a stronger bond between a dog and their human parent. Positive and force free puppy training from around 6 weeks is important and should include training cues such as sit, down, wait, here, leave, drop, off, close, settle and house-training. A young pup’s concentration span is tiny but positive dog training can be used to strengthen behaviour, increasing duration, distance and distractions as a puppy gets a little older.
In operant conditioning a positive consequence (reward) will increase the probability of the behaviour occurring in future. Food bowl exercises, object exchanges, and placement cues will help prevent the development of resource guarding (Donaldson, 2005). When training your dog it is important to focus primarily on encouraging, capturing and rewarding the behaviour you want, reinforcing this in a timely and consistent way, taking into account your dog's individual motivations and preferences.
Why is attunement so important? Dog training Oxfordshire
Dogs are brilliant on picking up on slight adjustments in our own body language (e.g. a slight change in body posture, facial tension, a held breath etc.) They can also pick up on our energy. How we individually feel can influence how other dogs and people feel around us. This works for dogs too. It is a way of being with our dogs rather than a dog training exercise and is a key element in having a secure human dog attachment and in helping a dog to address the underlying emotions and other factors that drive a dog’s behaviour.
Listening: Being attuned to what a dog is communicating can enable you to respond to your puppy or dog in a way that can help them feel safe and secure and that meets their needs.
Tone of voice: We can use tone of voice to influence a dog’s response to things around them as dogs can understand our tone if not the meaning.
Acknowledge what a dog is feeling: a dog's feelings are real, even if occurring in the absence of any genuine threat. Avoid reassurance.
Avoid coaxing or putting a dog into any situation where they feel unsafe, anxious or frightened.
Narrate: Communicate to the nines! Describe and normalise things around a dog that could potentially be perceived as stressful or scary or overly exciting before they happen.
Choice and control: It is important for a dog to have choice and make decisions about things they are ready to handle. When helping our dogs navigate the world around them it is also really important for us to step up to take care of a dog and keep them safe when needed.
Listening: Being attuned to what a dog is communicating can enable you to respond to your puppy or dog in a way that can help them feel safe and secure and that meets their needs.
Tone of voice: We can use tone of voice to influence a dog’s response to things around them as dogs can understand our tone if not the meaning.
Acknowledge what a dog is feeling: a dog's feelings are real, even if occurring in the absence of any genuine threat. Avoid reassurance.
Avoid coaxing or putting a dog into any situation where they feel unsafe, anxious or frightened.
Narrate: Communicate to the nines! Describe and normalise things around a dog that could potentially be perceived as stressful or scary or overly exciting before they happen.
Choice and control: It is important for a dog to have choice and make decisions about things they are ready to handle. When helping our dogs navigate the world around them it is also really important for us to step up to take care of a dog and keep them safe when needed.
How do I get my dog to come back to me? Puppy training and dog training West Oxfordshire / Dog training West Oxfordshire
Great recall is founded on a secure dog human attachment as well as timely and consistent use of operant conditioning principles (e.g. the 'premack principle'). Dog training should include attention to name and helping a puppy build a strong verbal cue / food association. Body language is key. If we are upbeat, exciting and fun to be with a dog is more likely to want to be around us. Dogs read our posture, pitch and facial expression. Using short high-pitched sounds and moving or jogging away will encourage dogs to return to us. Dog-human interaction on walks is key. This could include playing hide and seek with treats, tennis balls and people, flirt pole games, taking something of high value hidden on your person and magically 'finding' this part way through a walk, and more. Being unpredictable is also important, changing pace, walks, and calling a dog back, having a short play, then releasing them again so they do not associate coming back to us with the end of their fun. Any eye contact, check -ins and recalls should be strongly rewarded at the time of the behaviour. Use of a long-line to build up reliability. Using a reward that plays to your dog's natural instincts and motivations should help set them up for success.
How do I stop my dog guarding food, objects, or locations? Help with dog behaviour issues West Oxfordshire / dog training Oxfordshire
Guarding of scarce resources is highly adaptive. Resource guarding, also known as possessive dog aggression, can occur when familiar or unfamiliar people or animals approach when a dog is somewhere or has something it values. If we go repeatedly into a dog's space to take something away from them it teaches a dog to be possessive. If subtle signs that a dog is uncomfortable are not heard, a dog can start to escalate to stronger body language signals such as growling, snapping or biting. A dog can also learn a negative association with people being close around items or locations of value.
A crucial element in addressing guarding behaviour is to manage the environment so that a dog doesn't have access (temporarily) to the guarded item or location and is not getting to rehearse the behaviour. This could mean keeping guarded items shut away or installing a puppy gate to prevent access. Any highly guarded resources may need to be withheld indefinitely.
Dog behaviour training such as training a dog to learn a calm 'default' behaviour can provide greater control and predictability for a dog in the outcomes to their behaviour so reduce anxiety. Food bowl exercises, object exchanges for higher value items and placement cues can help a dog learn to calm themselves down and greater impulse control (training leave, drop, off with a positive tone of voice) will increase a dog's responsiveness. In using dog behaviour approaches kindness and promoting a dog's empowerment should be central. Helping a dog learn an alternative response can only happen when a dog is calm enough to focus and learn. As resource guarding is often underpinned by anxiety, systematic de-sensitisation and counter-conditioning can be used around valued resources.
A crucial element in addressing guarding behaviour is to manage the environment so that a dog doesn't have access (temporarily) to the guarded item or location and is not getting to rehearse the behaviour. This could mean keeping guarded items shut away or installing a puppy gate to prevent access. Any highly guarded resources may need to be withheld indefinitely.
Dog behaviour training such as training a dog to learn a calm 'default' behaviour can provide greater control and predictability for a dog in the outcomes to their behaviour so reduce anxiety. Food bowl exercises, object exchanges for higher value items and placement cues can help a dog learn to calm themselves down and greater impulse control (training leave, drop, off with a positive tone of voice) will increase a dog's responsiveness. In using dog behaviour approaches kindness and promoting a dog's empowerment should be central. Helping a dog learn an alternative response can only happen when a dog is calm enough to focus and learn. As resource guarding is often underpinned by anxiety, systematic de-sensitisation and counter-conditioning can be used around valued resources.
How do I stop my dog jumping up? Dog training Oxfordshire.
If behaviour is being reinforced by attention then the process of extinction may form part of a dog behaviour and training plan. For most dogs, non confrontational eye contact, touching and talking to a dog can all be rewarding. It is important to be award that giving attention to an unwanted behaviour such as jumping up, may inadvertently reward it. The idea behind extinction is that if we withhold the reinforcement for a behaviour such as jumping up then this behaviour will diminish and eventually stop.
Expecting children, adults, visitors and strangers to consistently ignore jumping up is not realistic and is a little unfair and unkind to our dogs since it doesn't tell them what we do want them to do and could result in distress and frustration. Failing to stop jumping up and allowing the dog to potentially knock someone over would be irresponsible and in breach of our legal duty to keep dogs under control (Animal Welfare Act, 2006). A dog exhibiting strong and overly aroused jumping up behaviour may also mouth quite hard, even inadvertently bite a person, an offence under the Dangerous Dogs Act (1991). Another complication is the extinction burst whereby, even in controlled situations, a dog owner may simply give up on using this method due to an initial increase in the intensity, duration or frequency of jumping up behaviour when they start to ignore this.
Extinction requires that we have control over the reinforcers for behaviour. There is often limited ability to influence the behaviour of others, particularly when we are out and about. For a dog with a high energy drive or a dog with increased activity levels as a result of hormonal changes in puberty, or even for a dog that is receiving insufficient physical and mental stimulation, jumping up provides a means to ‘let off steam’, an outlet for natural drives. It can therefore be self reinforcing i.e. it doesn’t require the attention of people to be reinforced and repeated rehearsal can result in habitual and learnt behaviour. For all the above reasons this behaviour is unlikely to disappear with the use of extinction alone.
Strongly training a dog in an incompatible behaviour should form an essential part of any behaviour training and modification plan. Positive reinforcement of the desirable behaviour communicates to the dog what we want it to do, a real advantage and much kinder to our dogs. Training a calm 'default' behaviour for access to the activities a dog wants and needs, and proofing this behaviour, should provide a dog with a mutually exclusive behaviour. A dog cannot jump up and sit at the same time.
Positive dog training can be used to encourage a calm 'meet and greet’ with people using a sit, wait and release cue. Avoiding overly enthusiastic greetings, direct approaches and eye contact, ensuring a calm tone of voice, slow movements, and meeting and greeting a puppy or dog at their level can also help. Consideration should be given to the value and frequently of rewards. It is also important to teach ‘sit’ at a distance so that this cue can help prevent jumping up at strangers. Dog training should start in low distraction environments with timely and consistent positive reinforcement of the required dog behaviour to increase the probability of this occurring in future, generalising this to a variety of environments where jumping may occur. Constant reward is required for new behaviour. Once this is learnt, intermittent reinforcement is stronger in maintaining a behaviour as it is unpredictable.
Eliminating the motivation for a dog's behaviour focuses on assessing the wider picture, identifying causes and therefore motivations and developing a dog training and behaviour plan that is more effective than differential reinforcement alone since it takes these factors into account. This will include a functional analysis of the conditions under which the behaviour occurs and behavioural diagnostics. Contributory factors could include genetics (e.g. high energy working breeds), the operant variables at work (antecedents and consequences), self stimulation (expressing frustration), learning history (e.g. inadvertent reinforcement by others), medical/physiological causes (e.g. hormonal changes in puberty; hyperactivity resulting from stress) and environmental factors.
One genetic factor that needs to be considered is the tendency for jumping up in all dogs. Jumping up and licking is a greeting ritual in dogs that often lasts into adulthood. Positive reinforcement is crucial but will not be sufficient on its own to address wider motivators for behaviour. Indeed, without providing the stimulation that a dog needs it is likely that the motivation for the jumping up (e.g. frustration) will simply be redirected into other undesirable behaviours. If a dog is a ‘high energy’ breed, perhaps of working stock, is being inadvertently rewarded with attention by its owners for jumping up and is receiving inadequate physical and mental stimulation these factors will all contribute to the problem. It is crucial that any dog behaviour plan provides an outlet to expend the dog’s natural drives, motivations and energy via regular exercise, play and mental challenges as well as human parent education as to the need for trust, kind and consistent boundaries, and a secure attachment.
Expecting children, adults, visitors and strangers to consistently ignore jumping up is not realistic and is a little unfair and unkind to our dogs since it doesn't tell them what we do want them to do and could result in distress and frustration. Failing to stop jumping up and allowing the dog to potentially knock someone over would be irresponsible and in breach of our legal duty to keep dogs under control (Animal Welfare Act, 2006). A dog exhibiting strong and overly aroused jumping up behaviour may also mouth quite hard, even inadvertently bite a person, an offence under the Dangerous Dogs Act (1991). Another complication is the extinction burst whereby, even in controlled situations, a dog owner may simply give up on using this method due to an initial increase in the intensity, duration or frequency of jumping up behaviour when they start to ignore this.
Extinction requires that we have control over the reinforcers for behaviour. There is often limited ability to influence the behaviour of others, particularly when we are out and about. For a dog with a high energy drive or a dog with increased activity levels as a result of hormonal changes in puberty, or even for a dog that is receiving insufficient physical and mental stimulation, jumping up provides a means to ‘let off steam’, an outlet for natural drives. It can therefore be self reinforcing i.e. it doesn’t require the attention of people to be reinforced and repeated rehearsal can result in habitual and learnt behaviour. For all the above reasons this behaviour is unlikely to disappear with the use of extinction alone.
Strongly training a dog in an incompatible behaviour should form an essential part of any behaviour training and modification plan. Positive reinforcement of the desirable behaviour communicates to the dog what we want it to do, a real advantage and much kinder to our dogs. Training a calm 'default' behaviour for access to the activities a dog wants and needs, and proofing this behaviour, should provide a dog with a mutually exclusive behaviour. A dog cannot jump up and sit at the same time.
Positive dog training can be used to encourage a calm 'meet and greet’ with people using a sit, wait and release cue. Avoiding overly enthusiastic greetings, direct approaches and eye contact, ensuring a calm tone of voice, slow movements, and meeting and greeting a puppy or dog at their level can also help. Consideration should be given to the value and frequently of rewards. It is also important to teach ‘sit’ at a distance so that this cue can help prevent jumping up at strangers. Dog training should start in low distraction environments with timely and consistent positive reinforcement of the required dog behaviour to increase the probability of this occurring in future, generalising this to a variety of environments where jumping may occur. Constant reward is required for new behaviour. Once this is learnt, intermittent reinforcement is stronger in maintaining a behaviour as it is unpredictable.
Eliminating the motivation for a dog's behaviour focuses on assessing the wider picture, identifying causes and therefore motivations and developing a dog training and behaviour plan that is more effective than differential reinforcement alone since it takes these factors into account. This will include a functional analysis of the conditions under which the behaviour occurs and behavioural diagnostics. Contributory factors could include genetics (e.g. high energy working breeds), the operant variables at work (antecedents and consequences), self stimulation (expressing frustration), learning history (e.g. inadvertent reinforcement by others), medical/physiological causes (e.g. hormonal changes in puberty; hyperactivity resulting from stress) and environmental factors.
One genetic factor that needs to be considered is the tendency for jumping up in all dogs. Jumping up and licking is a greeting ritual in dogs that often lasts into adulthood. Positive reinforcement is crucial but will not be sufficient on its own to address wider motivators for behaviour. Indeed, without providing the stimulation that a dog needs it is likely that the motivation for the jumping up (e.g. frustration) will simply be redirected into other undesirable behaviours. If a dog is a ‘high energy’ breed, perhaps of working stock, is being inadvertently rewarded with attention by its owners for jumping up and is receiving inadequate physical and mental stimulation these factors will all contribute to the problem. It is crucial that any dog behaviour plan provides an outlet to expend the dog’s natural drives, motivations and energy via regular exercise, play and mental challenges as well as human parent education as to the need for trust, kind and consistent boundaries, and a secure attachment.
How do I stop my dog pulling on the lead? Dog training Oxfordshire
In dog training, dogs learn from antecedents and consequences to their behaviour, part of operant conditioning. By letting a dog walk on when it is pulling on the lead (the consequence) a dog is receiving unconditioned primary reinforcement for their behaviour. In short, the dog’s pulling is being reinforced by the their handler's forward movement. The dog’s behaviour is also indicative of the fact that most dogs tend to walk faster than most people and of the 'opposition reflex' i.e. when a dog feels pressure against their neck or chest they reflectively lean into it.
Using the red light / green light game may help in training a dog to walk on a loose lead. Tension on the lead represents a red light so it is important to stop dead when this happens whilst a slack lead represents a green light for dog and their handler to walk forward. Positive reinforcement is crucial, focusing on the desired behaviour and rewarding this with verbal praise and treats at the time of the behaviour. Consistency in dog training is also key. If a dog is allowed to pull forward at times it is receiving mixed messages and the process of dog learning will take longer. A balance harness can help to manage pulling when dog training is not an option. This equipment is unlikely to generalise to heel walking without it.
Training a pup or older dog to walk on a loose lead needs to be taught in progressive steps and should start with minimum distractions to maximise the chance of success. Using a special sound (e.g. a lip smacking or clicking sound) to engage a dog's attention can really help. The lead should be in a loose 'J' shape, with the handler's treat hand, pouch, or pocket on the same side as the puppy or dog and the lead held in the other hand. The handler should stop as soon as there is any tension on lead (as noted above) and wait a second or two, then make the clicking or smacking sound to gain attention. As soon as the puppy or dog turns towards the handler, they need to give praise, walk a few steps in another direction and drop a food reward to the ground for following. If a puppy or older dog doesn't responding during dog training wait and relax. This is because when a dog uses one sense (sniffing) they tend to shut off another so simply may not hear. Wait and a dog is likely to respond. Remember that young puppies can only respond for very short periods so keep practice very short. Once the dog training is learnt in a low distraction environment challenge can be added with frequent changes in direction, in pace and in increasing external distractions.
When the dog moves to create tension on the lead the handler can use a magnet treat hand to lure them back and round so that the puppy or older dog is facing forward again alongside their handler. It is important not to reward at this point as the handler could inadvertently reinforce the undesirable behaviour in creating tension on lead. When the dog has then done circa 6-8 steps on a loose lead the owner can reward with verbal praise and treats. A further step in dog training loose lead walking involves fading a food lure, moving this gradually away and out of sight (e.g. into a pocket or treat pouch) and giving lots of verbal praise (a conditioned reinforcer) and frequent treats (an unconditioned reinforcer) for walking on a relaxed lead alongside. It is important that the dog’s loose lead walking is not dependent on having treats but it is also important to maintain intermittent reward to ensure the behaviour is maintained and is not extinguished through lack of reinforcement.
Using the red light / green light game may help in training a dog to walk on a loose lead. Tension on the lead represents a red light so it is important to stop dead when this happens whilst a slack lead represents a green light for dog and their handler to walk forward. Positive reinforcement is crucial, focusing on the desired behaviour and rewarding this with verbal praise and treats at the time of the behaviour. Consistency in dog training is also key. If a dog is allowed to pull forward at times it is receiving mixed messages and the process of dog learning will take longer. A balance harness can help to manage pulling when dog training is not an option. This equipment is unlikely to generalise to heel walking without it.
Training a pup or older dog to walk on a loose lead needs to be taught in progressive steps and should start with minimum distractions to maximise the chance of success. Using a special sound (e.g. a lip smacking or clicking sound) to engage a dog's attention can really help. The lead should be in a loose 'J' shape, with the handler's treat hand, pouch, or pocket on the same side as the puppy or dog and the lead held in the other hand. The handler should stop as soon as there is any tension on lead (as noted above) and wait a second or two, then make the clicking or smacking sound to gain attention. As soon as the puppy or dog turns towards the handler, they need to give praise, walk a few steps in another direction and drop a food reward to the ground for following. If a puppy or older dog doesn't responding during dog training wait and relax. This is because when a dog uses one sense (sniffing) they tend to shut off another so simply may not hear. Wait and a dog is likely to respond. Remember that young puppies can only respond for very short periods so keep practice very short. Once the dog training is learnt in a low distraction environment challenge can be added with frequent changes in direction, in pace and in increasing external distractions.
When the dog moves to create tension on the lead the handler can use a magnet treat hand to lure them back and round so that the puppy or older dog is facing forward again alongside their handler. It is important not to reward at this point as the handler could inadvertently reinforce the undesirable behaviour in creating tension on lead. When the dog has then done circa 6-8 steps on a loose lead the owner can reward with verbal praise and treats. A further step in dog training loose lead walking involves fading a food lure, moving this gradually away and out of sight (e.g. into a pocket or treat pouch) and giving lots of verbal praise (a conditioned reinforcer) and frequent treats (an unconditioned reinforcer) for walking on a relaxed lead alongside. It is important that the dog’s loose lead walking is not dependent on having treats but it is also important to maintain intermittent reward to ensure the behaviour is maintained and is not extinguished through lack of reinforcement.
How do I help my dog to cope with spending time alone? Dog behaviour training Oxfordshire / puppy training West Oxfordshire
Dogs are naturally social so need our help to become confident and relaxed in their own company. Short periods of time alone need to form part of your pup's daily schedule when they are old enough to cope with this. If a puppy has unrestricted access to their human parent on an ongoing basis they will become overly dependent on their presence. Once a puppy has settled in well into their new environment a PETCAM can be invaluable in monitoring a puppy's body language so that their human parents can ensure a puppy is calm and relaxed when left. If a puppy shows any signs of anxiety (e.g. pacing, panting) it is important to shorten the time they are left. Always set a puppy up for success. Helping a puppy learn to cope with being along will only work if practice goes at a puppy's pace. If a puppy is in a situation where they feel overwhelmed and cannot 'escape' this can increase their sensitivity to the situation. In helping a puppy to learn to be confident in being alone it is crucial that:
Management:
Make sure a puppy's sleeping place is a really cosy haven with room to stretch out, consider an adaptil plug in diffuser, and practice mock departures when a puppy is tired/exercised.
Puppy training / dog training:
Training a chill and/or magnet mat work can help a puppy learn to calm themselves down as can using the 3Ds to strengthen calm behaviour and encouraging greater confidence and independence through 'free work' and scent games.
Practice mock departures, gradually increasing time being alone providing a puppy is comfortable with this:
Human parents need to make sure that they are calm with relaxed breathing before and during practice as this enables co-regulation. Using a hand signal to acknowledge a puppy before moving away and leaving can also help, as can a kong with a frozen filling or a long lasting chew given at least five minutes before leaving. It is important to keep departures and arrivals really low key and to only progress if a puppy is showing relaxed body language. If a puppy is showing any signs of stress (e.g. pacing, panting, vocalisation) things are going a little too fast for them and it is important to go back a few steps in the dog training and proceed a little more slowly. Avoid any reassurance. Gradually increase the time a puppy is left from, say, 30 seconds to a few minutes, rewarding relaxed behaviour. If practicing a few minutes a day this will soon build up to ten minutes or more. Once a puppy is comfortable with being alone for, say, 15-20 minutes they are likely to be able to remain calm for longer.
A dog with anxiety around departments or separation anxiety is exhibiting an involuntary response to being alone and can therefore be treated using classical conditioning principles. The use of systematic desensitization and counter conditioning ensures that not only is there a step by step graduated exposure to what the dog fears but that the dog is given positive associations with being alone. Using these classical conditioning techniques gives the dog a chance to overcome their fears gradually. A pheromone diffuser may also have a calming effect. High quality treats/chews should be used when the dog is left alone so that it builds up a positive association with this experience but need to be given a good 15 minutes before leaving as, otherwise, they can become a further trigger for departure.
- The time leaving a puppy is short enough for them not to get distressed (you can then gradually increase this time).
- That a puppy is calm prior to, at the point of, and after a departure.
Management:
Make sure a puppy's sleeping place is a really cosy haven with room to stretch out, consider an adaptil plug in diffuser, and practice mock departures when a puppy is tired/exercised.
Puppy training / dog training:
Training a chill and/or magnet mat work can help a puppy learn to calm themselves down as can using the 3Ds to strengthen calm behaviour and encouraging greater confidence and independence through 'free work' and scent games.
Practice mock departures, gradually increasing time being alone providing a puppy is comfortable with this:
Human parents need to make sure that they are calm with relaxed breathing before and during practice as this enables co-regulation. Using a hand signal to acknowledge a puppy before moving away and leaving can also help, as can a kong with a frozen filling or a long lasting chew given at least five minutes before leaving. It is important to keep departures and arrivals really low key and to only progress if a puppy is showing relaxed body language. If a puppy is showing any signs of stress (e.g. pacing, panting, vocalisation) things are going a little too fast for them and it is important to go back a few steps in the dog training and proceed a little more slowly. Avoid any reassurance. Gradually increase the time a puppy is left from, say, 30 seconds to a few minutes, rewarding relaxed behaviour. If practicing a few minutes a day this will soon build up to ten minutes or more. Once a puppy is comfortable with being alone for, say, 15-20 minutes they are likely to be able to remain calm for longer.
A dog with anxiety around departments or separation anxiety is exhibiting an involuntary response to being alone and can therefore be treated using classical conditioning principles. The use of systematic desensitization and counter conditioning ensures that not only is there a step by step graduated exposure to what the dog fears but that the dog is given positive associations with being alone. Using these classical conditioning techniques gives the dog a chance to overcome their fears gradually. A pheromone diffuser may also have a calming effect. High quality treats/chews should be used when the dog is left alone so that it builds up a positive association with this experience but need to be given a good 15 minutes before leaving as, otherwise, they can become a further trigger for departure.