Food and separation anxiety training

Are you a member of any dog-related groups on Facebook or other social networks?

I often see people advising each other on how to help a dog with separation anxiety. A common suggestion is to give the dog a Kong or an edible treat just before you leave to distract or occupy them.

However, if your dog is truly struggling with separation distress, you’ll have likely noticed they tend not to eat when you're out. They don't feel safe enough to eat. And even if they did, I don't recommend using food in this situation for a couple of key reasons:

The Pitfalls of Using Food as a Distraction

Firstly, it won't take your dog long to learn that getting a treat or a Kong means something that causes them intense fear and distress is about to happen—you're leaving the house.

Once they make that connection, they can become wary of accepting any treats or toys. I recently heard from someone whose dog lost trust in her and became afraid of eating any food she gave them. That's a tragic and very difficult problem to solve, and it’s a situation you definitely want to avoid.

Secondly, if you leave while your dog is distracted by the Kong, they will, at some point, suddenly realise you're gone and go into full panic mode.

What are they learning from this? Sadly, that you've tricked them. This again risks losing their trust, and they'll become more vigilant of your every move.

The only reliable way to help dogs recover from separation-related issues is through a carefully guided process of desensitisation.

I cannot stress enough how worthwhile it is to get a specialist to help you start this process correctly with a professional assessment. The process itself isn't difficult once you know what to look for, but until then, the devil is in the detail!

If you'd like some strategies to prevent your dog from having anxiety episodes while you're away or want to start training them out of their anxiety, I'm here to help.

Grab a date and time in my calendar for a free chat, and I'll lay out the essential next steps you need to take so your dog can be calmer, happier, and healthier.

Wishing you and your dog all the very best,

Victoria