RECOGNIZING AND TREATING
CANINE SEPARATION ANXIETY
Providing in-home dog training and behavior modification services to
the entire North Florida area - Zoom and phone consults anywhere

By Jon Wedemeyer
April 21, 2023

Separation anxiety can be a serious problem in pet dogs that have to be left alone for long periods, but can also develop in those that are only left for only short periods. The good news is that we can successfully treat separation anxiety and get your dog back to a healthier state when left alone.

Separation Anxiety (SA) will present in different forms and in varying degrees of severity. From the dog that barks incessantly and wanders the home pacing, to the dog that barks or whines, while pining at the window looking for its caretaker to return, to dogs that exhibit destructive behavior. Some of these cases can be mild, while other cases can be very extreme, to the point that some of these poor dogs will actually destroy their crates, furniture, carpet, doors, door-jams and even chew entirely through sheet-rock and walls in order to get out!

The root cause of SA will vary from case to case, but it always presents in a very real, intense, uncontrollable fear of being alone.

The good news is that SA can be treated and the behavior extinguished! In much the same way you teach a dog to do any task, you can treat SA and teach your dog to accept a prolonged period of time that you will be away. The length of treatment time will of course vary from dog to dog based on severity, but the treatment methods are very sound and work very well.

Typically we start out with desensitizing the dog to your leaving by going through the leaving process and actually leaving for very short periods (20-30 seconds) then returning without any fuss... just a calm greeting and nothing else. We do this over and over, then slowly lengthen the amount of time we are gone.

The next step is setting the dog for success. We do this by giving the dog plenty of high-value items to focus on as distractions, instead of having only panic because you are gone. These include 2-3 Kongs frozen w/peanut butter, treat enrichment toys (puzzle toys w/hidden treats) plenty of other favorite toys, Dog TV on at least 15 volume

If your dog has SA issues when left alone, please don't hesitate to contact us for a ZOOM or phone consultation. You and your dog to not have to live with this very heartbreaking, but very treatable condition.

Jon Wedemeyer – Is the founder of, and has operated North Florida K9 Behavior Center in Gainesville, FL, since 2015. Between his practice and his shelter work has worked over 2,000 canine behavior cases. He received his Diploma in Canine Psychology and Behavior from The International School for Canine Psychology and Behavior ISCP and recently completed a Master Class in Canine Aggression and a Certification Class in Canine Separation Anxiety.

CALL TODAY IF YOU NEED HELP WITH YOUR PET! - 352-256-6960