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The Separation Anxiety Podcast

Real talk about the hard parts of training. The science, the setbacks, and the small wins that keep you going. 350,000+ downloads and counting.

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Episode 100

Ten Things I'd Tell My Younger Self About My Dog's Separation Anxiety

Imagine being able to send a letter to your past self, filled with wisdom and advice about the challenging road ahead with a dog who has separation anxiety. Today, I'm doing just that. I'll share the...

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Ep 102 · 13 min

Navigating Your Dog's Separation Anxiety Through the Holiday Season

Are you uncertain about how the holiday season will impact your dog's separation anxiety? In this latest podcast episode, we address the common concerns and questions surrounding separation anxiety...

Ep 101 · 35 min

Separation Anxiety and the House Training Conundrum with Kathleen McClure

Struggling with a dog who soils the house? Not sure whether it's anxiety or a house training issue? . Well, if this is your dog, you don't need me to tell you how frustrating it is. That's why, in...

Ep 99 · 31 min

Is There Actually a Cure for Separation Anxiety in Dogs?

In this episode, we're diving into a topic that many of you may have considered: can we ever really cure separation anxiety? Is it possible to fully and finally get dogs over this condition such that...

Ep 98 · 15 min

The Two Minute Rule: Your Secret Weapon Against Training Procrastination

If you've ever put off separation anxiety training, you are definitely not alone. Procrastination in training is such a common issue. Human brains are naturally inclined to seek immediate rewards,...

Ep 97 · 19 min

Separation Anxiety: Revealing the Truth Behind Social Media Misinformation

In today's episode, we're diving deep into the world of social media and its impact on our understanding of separation anxiety in dogs. We'll explore the myths, misconceptions, and misinformation...

Ep 96 · 18 min

Is Separation Anxiety Training Actually Futile? No. Here's Why

Ever wondered if all the separation anxiety training you do is actually worth it? Well, that very topic came up during a recent group coaching Zoom with my Separation Anxiety Heroes members. And it...

Ep 95 · 31 min

A Hard Truth: Why Not Leaving Your Dog Is Ridiculously Tough, But Absolutely Necessary

One of the hardest things I ever have to tell anyone is that to get their dog over separation anxiety, they need to find ways not to leave their dog in the meantime. It never goes down well. And I...

Ep 94 · 50 min

Understanding the Problems with Punishment: An Interview with Dr. Karolina Westlund.

On this episode of Be Right Back! Separation Anxiety Podcast, I get to chat to the brilliant Dr. Karolina Westlund, a huge name in the world of animal behaviour. Our focus? The use of punitive...

Ep 93 · 32 min

Beyond Obedience: Teaching Your Dog How to Feel Safe in a Daunting World

Join me in the latest episode of "Be Right Back! Separation Anxiety Podcast", where I explain the single most important lesson we can teach our dogs: that they are safe. In the episode, we also look...

Ep 92 · 18 min

Vacation and Travel Plans? What to Do When Routine Changes Affect Your Training

Planning a getaway and worried about how a routine change will impact your dog's separation anxiety, especially if you've been investing time in separation anxiety training? In this latest episode of...

Ep 91 · 36 min

From Abandoned to Adored: How one Non-Profit is Helping Rescue Dogs with Separation Anxiety

Join me for an inspiring and informative episode where I interview Jenni Pfafman and Amanda Dwyer. Jenni and Amanda are on the board of the Humane Alliance of Rescue Trainers (HART) a non-profit...

Ep 90 · 26 min

How to Take the Pressure off and Prevent Training Burnout

On this episode of Be Right Back! Separation Anxiety Podcast, we're talking about training burnout. Following on from our discussion in the last episode when we considered what to do when you want to...

Ep 89 · 29 min

Does It Ever Make Sense To Give Up on Desensitization?

Desensitization is the tried and trusted method for separation anxiety. But it's true that it can take time. It's not the most fun training process. And it doesn't work for every dog. So is it ever...

Ep 88 · 13 min

Know Better, Do Better: Trainer Tips for Forgiving the Innocent Mistakes We All Made in the Past

Discovering that your dog has separation anxiety hits hard. One of the biggest emotions to deal with the remorse we feel for not knowing. We beat ourselves up because we left a dog who couldn't be...

Ep 87 · 25 min

Want to Make Daycare Work for Your Dog? Here's How

When you have a dog with separation anxiety, you do your best to find ways not to leave them. Daycare is an obvious solution. But the problem is, not every dog loves daycare, and not every daycare...

Ep 86 · 19 min

Smug People and their "Perfect" Dogs: How to Not Let Them Make You Feel Like a Failure

Let's face it, people who've never had a dog with separation anxiety can be smug! They tell us about their "perfect" dog who "never had any issues being left." And they quiz us about why we "still"...

Ep 85 · 44 min

What to Do When Your Dog Can't Be Alone, But Is Dog and People Reactive Too – with Jennifer Pratt

Having a dog who can't be left is hard enough. But for some dogs, being around strange people or dogs is also a challenge. When this happens, it can feel like your options for managing alone-time are...

Ep 84 · 54 min

Sophie the Romanian Rescue—Helping a Dog Who's Scared of the World with Simon Wooler

In this episode, we're not talking about separation anxiety. Instead we're looking at how to help a dog with different fears. Tune in to hear my interview with Simon Wooler. Simon has been working...

Ep 83 · 22 min

4 Reasons Force-Free is the Only Choice for Separation Anxiety Training

Force-free training is kind, ethical, and highly effective. I'm passionate that it's the only way to train dogs. But I'm especially passionate that there is absolutely no other way to train dogs with...

Ep 82 · 25 min

The One Critical Question You Need To Ask Each Time You Train

Gradually expose your dog to increasing amounts of alone time: That's what I call the 'tight' rule of separation anxiety training. It applies universally to all dogs undergoing separation anxiety...

Ep 81 · 32 min

Motivation: 7 Easy Tips to Help You Regain Your Training Mojo

By the time we get to February it can be easy to feel flat about all the good intentions we had in January, can't it? Maybe you set yourself goals to start separation anxiety training with your dog,...

Ep 80 · 22 min

What Do We Really Mean by "Evidence" and Why Does That Matter?

We here a lot about "evidence" in dog training. But do we always know what we mean when we describe an approach as being "evidence-based"? And what about research and studies? We know these matter...

Ep 79 · 26 min

Percy and the Mystery of the Great Regression

I always say regressions can happen – but didn't expect it to happen to Percy. Not after all these years! But in summer 2022, we discovered that Percy was struggling when we left. Percy, the dog who,...

Ep 78 · 22 min

Why it's Not Your Fault – Or Your Dog's Fault Either

You may have heard me say that your dog's separation anxiety is not your fault. You didn't cause your dog's home alone issues. I've been where you are and I know how much judgment you have to deal...

Ep 77 · 22 min

Can "Calming" Music Really Soothe Your Anxious Dog?

You've most likely seen ads or posts about "calming" music for dogs, and how it can transform a nervous pup into a dog who confidently aces alone time. But is this really the case, or is this yet...

Ep 76 · 28 min

Why Board and Train is Such Bad News for Dogs with Separation Anxiety

It can seem like an obvious solution to your dog's separation anxiety: send your dog off to a trainer for two weeks and get his separation anxiety magically cured. As tempting as it sounds, board and...

Ep 75 · 15 min

The Truth about Whether Your Anxiety Caused Your Dog's Anxiety

Anxious people create anxiety in their dogs, don't they? Perhaps you've been told that. Perhaps you've thought that. It seems so plausible that it must be true, right? Well, not so fast. There isn't...

Ep 74 · 14 min

How To Deal With Judgy Comments and Unhelpful Advice This Festive Season

It's that time of year: gathering with friends and family for cosy times, festive food, and…conversations about your dog. If it feels like everyone you know is an expert in separation anxiety then...

Ep 73 · 40 min

All About Dogs and Pain With Canine Rehab Expert Sue Van Evra

Increasingly research shows the link between pain and behavior in dogs. While it's not the only reason dog's present with behavioral challenges, it can be a significant contributing factor. And...

Ep 72 · 15 min

How To Stop the Feeling that Training is Taking Over Your Life

No one gets up in the morning and puts on a t-shirt saying "I can't wait to do separation anxiety training today". And so it can be easy to find that life gets in the way, and we end up not training....

Ep 71 · 22 min

What's Really Going On in Your Dog's Brain When Training Wobbles

Oh, those infuriating dips, drops, setbacks, and regression. There isn't a dog parent out there who doesn't go through ups and downs in separation anxiety training. The thing is, though, what we see...

Ep 70 · 20 min

Relax! What We Really Mean by Relaxation in Separation Anxiety Training and Why That Matters

You might be thinking you aren't ever going to make any progress with separation anxiety training because your dog won't stay on her bed. Or maybe she starts on her bed but always follows you to the...

Ep 69 · 41 min

Why We Expect Too Much of Dogs and How to Redress The Balance

So many behaviors that come naturally to dogs are problems for us humans. Think barking, chewing, jumping up, counter-surfing – you name it! No wonder dogs get confused and get it wrong. And no...

Ep 68 · 24 min

3 Strategies for Self-Compassion with Christal Allen-Harrahill

If, recently, you've caught yourself thinking that your problems are insignificant "in the scheme of things", then you are not alone. When we see war and devastation in the news everyday it can be...

Ep 67 · 12 min

4 Separation Anxiety Notions You Need To Reject

Sadly, we are fed a huge volume of incorrect advice about separation anxiety. And whenever we get bombarded with information, we start to believe what we are told, whether that information is...

Ep 66 · 16 min

Separation Anxiety Dogs at the Vets

Separation anxiety dogs fear two things the most: being alone and being crated. Vet stays create a perfect storm of both of these factors. There are ways we can help make vet procedures less...

Ep 65 · 19 min

Which Way Would Dogs Vote?

No dog ever voted for being left home alone. Yet, the average dog has learned to put up with our comings and goings. They welcome our return with tail-wagging joy. "You're home! How wonderful for us...

Ep 64 · 16 min

Does It Ever Pay To Train When You're Away From Home?

During the holidays, many of us are on the road visiting family and friends. And I'm often asked whether it's worth training when you're away. That's why in this episode I dive into the pros and cons...

Ep 63 · 16 min

Answered! Your Most Frequently Asked Questions (Part 1)

Having seen 1000s of owners go through separation anxiety training, I've got a pretty good sense of the most common questions people have, to say the least! That's why in this episode and next, I'm...

Ep 62 · 22 min

Emergency! What to Do When You're Left with No Choice but to Leave Your Dog

As much as I know you're 100% committed to managing absences, what happens in an emergency? As horrible as it is to think about bad things happening is does pay to have a contingency plan should...

Ep 61 · 20 min

7 Facts About Crating That You Absolutely Need To Know

There are few, if any, aspects of separation anxiety that create more mythology than crating. I see way too much muddled and confusing advice, and I can see that many of you struggle to get your head...

Ep 60 · 17 min

Why You Absolutely Must Leave Your Puppy Home Alone

You've heard the horror stories about people getting pandemic puppies only to find that their pup grows into a dog they can't leave. You're so scared that this will happen to your puppy that you just...

Ep 59 · 20 min

Is It Really a Problem If Your Dog Really Follows You to the Door?

You've started training. You manage to get to the door or even out of the door but... ...your dog is following you the whole time. Big problem, right? Well, maybe but maybe not. You see anxiety isn't...

Ep 58 · 43 min

It Happens to Trainers Too!

Don't think for a minute that your dog getting separation anxiety is a result of you being an inadequate dog parent, or down to you being clueless about what you're doing. Not at all! Plenty of dog...

Ep 57 · 33 min

When Myths Become Truths

Does it seem like there's a ton of conflicting advice out there about separation anxiety? I can totally see why you might think that and why that might leave you feeling overwhelmed, not knowing what...

Ep 56 · 20 min

Can You Ever Really Convince A Skeptical Other Half?

Has your dog's separation anxiety been the cause of a few tense moments between you and your other half? Perhaps they think you're being too soft on your dog. Maybe they think the training is taking...

Ep 55 · 28 min

The 7 Common Separation Anxiety Training Errors – And What You Can Learn From Them

Separation anxiety training takes effort and it takes time. And there are a fair few mistakes that are easy to commit and which make training all the harder. That's why, in the episode, I spill the...

Ep 54 · 25 min

Why You Need To Know What's Normal For Your Dog

When we're deep into separation anxiety training we get really good at observing our dogs when they are alone. So good in fact, that we can sometimes overlook getting to know what their body language...

Ep 53 · 11 min

A Guide to the Technology You Need for Training

Separation anxiety training has been revolutionized by video technology, in particular being able to watch your dog remotely. But it can be tricky to know what to pick and how to set up the tech you...

Ep 52 · 17 min

Could Training Be Making Your Dog Worse?

It might not make much sense – you train, and train, and train, but your dog's anxiety seems to be getting worse not better. Well, it can happen. But it is totally avoidable. So, if you think...

Ep 51 · 13 min

Why You Don't Need To Worry About Your Dog Sleeping On Your Bed

If you're feeling guilty or concerned about your dog sleeping on your bed because you think it might be making his separation anxiety worse, don't be. There really is no evidence to this. And in...

Ep 50 · 22 min

Using Food in Separation Anxiety Training? Here's Why That's Not Working

Are you leaving food when you go out only to find that your dog either doesn't touch it, or consumes it only to fall apart? You've probably been told that this is the way to go, that leaving a puzzle...

Ep 49 · 32 min

The 5 Types of Guilt All Owners Feel – And How to Stop Feeling That Way

As if having a dog with separation anxiety isn't hard enough, most owners also deal with a ton of guilt about their dog's condition. I know I did! In today's episode I examine the types of guilt I...

Ep 48 · 20 min

Two Dogs or More? What to do When Your Non-Anxious Dog is the Trigger

Ah, the joy of having more than one dog. Watching them interact, seeing them negotiate the social space: having more than one dog can be bliss. But if you have a dog with separation anxiety it can be...

Ep 47 · 28 min

How to Not Feel Deflated When Meds Don't Work

Anxiety medications can make a huge difference to separation anxiety training. But not in every case. That means we can easily get our hopes up only to find that our dog is one of those cases. If...

Ep 46 · 23 min

Why Does Your Training Seem So Up And Down?

It can definitely seem like dogs are all over the map with their ability to cope alone. Some days they ace training. Other days they fall apart. But just why do they do this? And what, if anything,...

Ep 45 · 16 min

5 Tips for When You Feel Like Quitting Training

If you feel like you've had enough and want to quit training, just know that you are not alone. Everyone at some point wants to give up. Separation anxiety training is hard, unrewarding, and...

Ep 44 · 13 min

Is separation anxiety training actually unethical? No. Here's why

I've heard some chatter recently that separation anxiety training is unethical and inhumane. The argument goes that dogs are such social creatures that training them to be alone is cruel. Well, it's...

Ep 43 · 12 min

Why I'm So Passionately For AND Against Crates.

It can seem really confusing when your dog will sleep all night in a crate but when you try to leave your dog in a crate when you go out he loses it. And that's why I both love and hate crates. In...

Ep 42 · 44 min

Making Your Dog Happy - Why it Matters and How Science Shows Us What to do

Should we worry about our dog's happiness? Yes! Can we improve their lives and make them happier? Absolutely we can. And in this episode, I'm joined by Dr. Zazie Todd, Author of Wag: The Science of...

Ep 41 · 44 min

Not One, but TWO dogs with SA—How Jen Struggled, Managed and Succeeded

In this podcast, I interview Jen Sadler, the owner of Gus, the amazing Shih Tzu Tibetan Spaniel cross. Jen's hard work helped Gus triumph over his separation anxiety. Their journey was not a short...

Ep 40 · 26 min

Fetch! (It's Time to Set the Record Straight)

Fetch gets such bad press. It's all too often billed as an activity that does nothing but gets dogs amped-up and stressed-out. As a result, dogs everywhere are being denied access to something that's...

Ep 39 · 12 min

5 Big Separation Anxiety Lockdown Myths

It's almost impossible to avoid not having a read an article or seen something on the news telling you your dog will absolutely lose it when you go back to work. The thing is, this might not be the...

Ep 38 · 16 min

Is It True That Quarantine is Bad News for Separation Anxiety?

Are you worried that being with your dog 24/7 will make his separation anxiety worse? Or is your previously non-clingy dog suddenly following you everywhere? If so then tune into this episode where...

Ep 37 · 16 min

What To Do When Reactivity And Separation Anxiety Collide!

What do you do when you can't leave your dog at home but his reactivity prevents you from leaving him somewhere else? Ugh! It's the trickiest of tricky problems when your anxious home alone dog...

Ep 36 · 43 min

Pain In Dogs—Why It's An Even Bigger Deal Than We Think, But Often So Easy To Miss

In this episode, I chat with the amazing Julie McKinney Miller a canine physical therapist (physio to those of us outside the US) who educates and empowers dog parents about physical therapy,...

Ep 35 · 17 min

Rethinking the Big 4 Myths of Departure Cue Training

What if all the training we've been doing with departure cues and triggers could be simplified? What if we didn't have to worry about departure triggers at all? In this episode I'm going to explain...

Ep 34 · 13 min

6 Things You Need to Do If You Feel Like Quitting Training

What to do when you feel like giving up If you're anything like any owner I've ever worked with (and hundreds have used my system now) you'll have moments where you want to give up separation anxiety...

Ep 33 · 16 min

Are You Really The Problem? Separation Anxiety Cause and Prevention

If your dog has separation anxiety, has anyone ever told you that you caused it. That you're the problem? Of course they have. Frequently I bet! Seems like when it comes to separation anxiety it's...

Ep 32 · 12 min

5 Steps To Helping Your New Rescue Get Over His Fear Of Being Alone

Have you adopted a dog only to find that they aren't settling in quite as you'd hoped? Is your rescue dog struggling every time you leave the house? Or maybe he's freaking when you leave the room! If...

Ep 31 · 17 min

What's The ONE Thing That Makes All The Difference to Separation Anxiety Recovery?

In this episode, we're going to explore the one, big thing that's most crucial to getting your dog over separation anxiety – consistency. Interestingly though, most of us often overlook consistency,...

Ep 30 · 16 min

Why Some Solutions That Seem to Work Aren't Actually Working for Your Dog

There are plenty of solutions that claim to work for fixing separation anxiety. But in this episode, I explain why those so-called solutions might not be working for you, and why, if we asked your...

Ep 29 · 14 min

Why is There so Much Owner Guilt?

There are so many ways in which owners whose dogs have separation anxiety have to deal with guilt. And in this week's episode of the Fixing Separation Anxiety podcast, we're going to look at those...

Ep 28 · 11 min

Why I Committed to Writing a Book (Even Though I Knew It Would Take Over My Life!)

This month my new book, Be Right Back! came out. It's been a labour of love and it comes from the heart. With Be Right Back! I'm trying to help make the world even just a tiny bit better for dogs and...

Ep 27 · 13 min

5 Tips for Moving House When Your Dog Has Separation Anxiety

Moving house is hard enough but when your dog has separation anxiety it becomes a whole new level of difficult. In this episode I'll help you make your move go smoothly, whether you've already moved...

Ep 26 · 19 min

Pro Tips for Helping your Puppy be Happy Home Alone

Puppies don't get separation anxiety...do they? Yes! They can, and do. Instead of just assuming that your puppy is going to be okay when you leave, you need to teach your puppy home alone skills,...

Ep 25 · 16 min

The Truth About Whether dogs Every Really Just Get Over It

"You just need to let your dog get over it." I'm pretty sure you've heard this one: But does that actually work? Well, some people swear it does. That's why in this episode we're looking at whether...

Ep 24 · 17 min

What You Need to Know to Actually Fix Separation Anxiety

In the second part of our focus on separation anxiety training, what works, and why, we're diving deep into the exact steps you need to follow if you want to get your dog over separation anxiety. We...

Ep 23 · 25 min

Why Everything You've Tried Has Failed And What Will Actually Work Instead

Today's episode is part 1 of a 2 part series looking at why everything you've tried to fix separation anxiety hasn't worked (this week), and what you need to do instead if you want to get your dog...

Ep 22 · 18 min

3 Trainer Tips For Dealing With A Dog Who's Super Attached To You

We all adore dogs because of the unconditional love they give us. But when that love turns into a focus on you, when it's all about you and no one else will do, that love becomes a freedom-limiting...

Ep 21 · 17 min

What You Need to Know About The 7 Stages of Separation Anxiety Recovery

In this episode, we look at what it really means to get a dog over separation anxiety, how we answer the question "how long will it take, and what the stages of recovery involves.

Ep 20 · 17 min

5 Big Reasons People Quit Separation Anxiety Training

On this week's episode, I'm going to talk about why separation anxiety training can be so hard, and why so many of us give up before we've given it a chance. I'll also look at why it's not just...

Ep 19 · 12 min

3 Tips To Help You Smash Separation Anxiety Training

If you think you've tried separation anxiety training and it didn't work, you need to listen to this episode. I'm going to explain what separation anxiety training is (and what it's not) and I'm...

Ep 18 · 21 min

How To Fix 3 Common Types Of Barking

In this episode, we discuss the 3 main types of problem barking, what causes problem barking, and how can tackle it. Topics: [00:36] How you can tackle home alone barking and different types of...

Ep 17 · 14 min

What Do You Need To Know About Your Senior Dog's Anxiety?

Owning a senior dog is both a responsibility and a privilege. And if you care for a senior dog you'll know to expect all sorts of changes. One change that we can see in older dogs is that they can...

Ep 16 · 19 min

5 Tips You Need To Know Before You Hire a Trainer

In this week's episode, I'm going to give you my top tips for finding the right separation anxiety trainer for you and your dog. Separation anxiety training isn't easy but it does have a high success...

Ep 15 · 18 min

How To Cope With Dogs Who Hate The Car

Today we're talking about a different type of anxiety, but one that many separation anxiety dogs have: anxiety over car journeys. For the most part cars predict good things for dogs. So why do so...

Ep 14 · 19 min

Why You Need to Stop the Sky Falling on Your Dog's Head

This week we're going to be looking at how we can make the world a less scary place for your dog. And why that matters so much to him, to you, and your training. We'll look at why training stalls if...

Ep 13 · 17 min

How Can You Really Tell If It's Fear or Frustration?

Description: When your dog barks, chews, or destroys when he's home alone, how can you be certain that it's separation anxiety and not something else? Lots of dogs do these things when they are left,...

Ep 12 · 18 min

4 Tips For Handling Dogs Who Deviate From Your Plan

Does your dog seem to be all over the place with training? Is he okay on Saturdays but awful on Wednesdays? Does he do well when you leave but fall apart if your other half does the training? If this...

Ep 11 · 17 min

Why You Don't Need to Worry About Training Versus Real-Life

I hear many dog owners concerned that their dogs can tell the difference between separation anxiety training and real-life departures. I understand how that makes you worried that you're never going...

Ep 10 · 21 min

The Ultimate Guide To CBD Oil And Separation Anxiety

If you've been doing research to help your dog with separation anxiety, it is likely that you've come across CBD oil. In this special Facebook Live episode, we'll discuss if CBD oil is the new...

Ep 9 · 13 min

How To Cope With A Dog Who Soils When You Go Out

Is there a more disappointing aspect to dog parenting thank coming home to find your dog has soiled the house? This is especially crushing when your dog is 100% housetrained the rest of the time. In...

Ep 8 · 14 min

Does Excessive Greeting Mean Your Dog Has Separation Anxiety?

We used to think that a key sign of separation anxiety was a dog who went bonkers when you came home. But now we know that just because he's doing the whole jack-in-the-box routine, doesn't mean he...

Ep 7 · 13 min

2 Arguments For Why Your Dog Is Ok In the Car

Is your dog one of those who is okay being alone in the car, even though he loses it when you leave him at home? It's surprising how many dogs are. In this week's episode, I put forward two arguments...

Ep 6 · 16 min

How Do You Know If It's Time To Get a Second Dog

You'll read a ton of posters on social media say that getting a second dog fixed their dog's anxiety. So, is this the magic cure you've been searching for? Maybe. But most likely not. And in today's...

Ep 5 · 16 min

All About Thresholds

You don't need to be an expert dog trainer to get your dog over separation anxiety. What you do need is to be an expert in your own dog. With separation anxiety, the most crucial thing you'll ever...

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