Is your dog only dependant on you?

If your dog only feels safe with you, it can feel like an enormous extra burden because you can’t leave them with anyone else.

If you haven’t been through it, it’s difficult to picture just how physically and emotionally draining it can be. Every day involves planning, juggling work and life around your dog’s care, and the constant reality of not being able to leave them with anyone else.

If your dog is very attached to you and you’re just beginning your training journey, here’s some advice:

Alongside desensitisation training, try to help your dog feel safe and comfortable with someone else. Later, you can slowly introduce one or two more people. Done gradually and at your dog’s pace, this can really build their confidence. It also takes away some of the pressure on you, which is such an important part of managing life with a separation anxiety dog.

We call this approach ‘Spreading the Love’ – and it’s definitely worth investing a little time and patience in.

Here are some tips:

• Choose someone who can be around regularly. A person who only visits once or twice won’t give your dog the consistency they need.

• The key to earning a dog’s trust is understanding their communication and responding to it. Ideally, your dog’s new helper should be open to learning the basics of canine body language.

• This means they’ll be able to recognise when your dog feels relaxed or uncomfortable and give them the space they need. It also helps them use soft body language themselves, such as standing slightly sideways instead of head-on, avoiding staring, and sitting down if that makes the dog feel safer.

• They should never try to lure your dog towards them with food. This often leaves the dog conflicted and uneasy. Instead, your dog should be free to approach in their own time, knowing they won’t immediately be touched or stroked. Encourage the person to keep their hands to themselves – even offering a hand to sniff can feel like pressure.

• Finally, instead of introducing a new person straight into your home, your dog might feel more comfortable meeting them on a short walk first, and then coming indoors together.

All the best, Victoria