When families imagine getting a dog, it’s a fun, simple way to enrich everyone’s lives. The dog gets to be included in family activities, and can rest quietly at home when people need to go to work or school. Unfortunately, some dogs have separation anxiety, a panic disorder that is triggered simply by the act of being left alone. Not only is this a very uncomfortable disorder for the dog, but it’s also a huge logistical challenge for the family.
Separation Related Problems
There are a huge range of issues that dogs can experience that are related to “separation,” not all of which are truly “separation anxiety.” Some dogs simply have FOMO – fear of missing out. They may protest and complain a little bit if they are on the other side of a door or baby gate, but it’s simply because they are social and want to be with you. Some dogs have confinement distress – similar to what we think of as claustrophobia, making it nearly impossible to put them in a crate.
But as every parent of little humans knows, there are times when the dog simply can’t be with us. That could be when we are changing a particularly disgusting diaper or when we leave the house to take our kiddos to the pediatrician. Regardless of the reason, a dog in distress can make our lives even more complicated than they are already.
Malena DeMartini Has Answers!
Last year, I attended a multiple-day workshop with Malena DeMartini, the world’s leading expert in separation anxiety. I mustered up the courage to introduce myself and we immediately became friends. Since then, we have talked and texted for hours about dog behavior (we are both behavior nerds!) and she has helped me with my puppy, Pippin, who has separation anxiety. When I asked her if she would do an interview with me about how separation related problems specifically impact families with children, she immediately agreed.
Some of the topics we discussed are how to get a dog used to being on the other side of a barrier, and how small the steps need to be when teaching a dog to be left alone. We busted the myth about leaving a dog with a special treat and talked about the goal of having our departures be the cue for our dogs to take a nap.
This video is a clip of a longer interview that is exclusively for the members of my Thriving Parents of Kids and Dogs Community. Doors only open a few times a year, so make sure you are on the waiting list to be the first to hear when registration opens again.
