When you adopt a dog, he has so many things you want him to learn such as eliminating outside or in the right place, being confined or on a leash and many other things. But he also has to learn to tolerate separation. And you must be the teacher.
In the wild, a dog never has to be alone. Unfortunately, when you choose your dog to be your house pet, he will abruptly experience separation when he leaves his litter mates and spends his first night in his new home, alone. And, when his new family goes off to work or school, he is, again, left alone.
No wonder there are so many behavior problems when dog training does not include separation training.
So, as a dog owner, you need to help your dog adjust to being alone. This benefits both you and your dog by:
1) helping him wean from you which both creates more devotion and less
dependency.
2) helping him feel secure when you are gone from his sight.
3) helping him be less anxious when you are gone from home, thus reducing possible
behavior problems due to stress.
4) teaching him how you expect him to behave when you are separate from him.
5) helping him build up a tolerance to distractions so he can be a spectator instead of a
participant in all activities.
6) helping prevent him from becoming possessive.
7) providing the first step to overcoming any fears he might have.
Dog training that includes separation training also helps you establish leadership. This is important because it will enable you to direct your dog, positively, to a safe place when might have guests over, when you are having dinner or when you just want to read or have quiet time. So, dog training that includes separation training is a must for you. And for your dog, he will learn how you want him to behave as a domesticated pet living in your world.
Separation training, in part, requires confinement. So, as a first step, you need to determine how well your dog can tolerate confinement. Sometimes dogs are afraid of confinement and they are upset when you leave. Some dogs have barrier frustration; some are afraid of noises and don’t like to be left alone because, if a loud noise startles them, you are not around to reassure them. Sometimes dogs bark when they are in confinement and then they become dehydrated, thirsty and very stressed.
Separation problems can be avoided or they become a primary problem. (For a fuller discussion of this area, see the section on Confinement.) Be sure that your dog training includes training for separation.
Karen’s knowledge, experience, use of her five-step model (See The Arnoff Model) and 30 years of client successes is why you’ll succeed with Cleveland Dog Training Classes (formerly the Dog-Owner Connection).
