How to deal with your dog's separation anxiety

"Sometimes, when guardians leave the house, the dog will chew up and destroy objects. A common misconception is that dogs do this because they are bored. That is not the case.

In this video, I will show you my method for showing the dog there is no need to destroy anything when you leave - no gadgets, tools or demands involved. I hope you enjoy and let me know in the comments if you have any questions!

*** PS: I NEED YOUR HELP ***

My goal is to better the lives of #onemilliondogs in my lifetime. It is clearly impossible for me to do this on a one to one basis. I have seen that with around every thousand views on my videos, I get a comment or email thanking me and letting me know the video has helped. So working on that basis, I have to make videos on how to address every problem
behaviour and accumulate ONE billion views in order to help 1,000,000 dogs.

You can help me reach #onemilliondogs by (1) subscribing to my channel and (2) give this video a thumbs up - so YouTube suggests this video to more dog owners and we can help 1,000,000 dogs all over the world. Thank you so much!

*** THANK YOU ***

For more information on dog's behaviour and behavioural issues, have a look at the following links:

My book: 'The Dog Guardian, Your Guide to a Happy, Well-Behaved Dog':

Canine behaviour courses:

Social media:

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About me:
My name is Nigel Reed, and I am a dog behaviourist and author with fifteen years experience addressing all types of problematic behaviour. My book The Dog Guardian has sold over 21,000 copies and I have over 2000 clients in the U.K and Europe. I hold qualifications and certificates in dog training and behaviour, animal assisted therapy, wolf studies and nutrition and health. Next to that, I am a regular on radio and television helping owners address their dog’s behaviour.

I believe the secret to helping you address your dog's undesirable behaviour is through detailed but simple advice that is kind, effective and easy to absorb. This why I have produced extensive online courses with how to training videos and created a book. This information will ensure I can suit your preferred learning style in order to help you perfect your relationship with your dog, wherever you are in the world."

[nigelreed]

For more advice on separation anxiety or any other issue check out my book The Dog Guardian by Nigel Reed available on Amazon and many other places.

[amandaturton]

I am so glad I watched your video. Our dog has suffered severe separation anxiety for years. It has got worse since the lockdown and has barked constantly thru the night. We followed your advice and cld not believe how it worked from day 1. We have stuck to it ridgedly for the last 2 wks and he has not barked once thru the night! He is so much calmer and so are we. Thank you so much for the advice!

[Dumchi]

Watching this 10 years later to help my 11month pup.

[michellebetrueu]

I've always had staffies, best breed ever IMO!
it's been 13 years since I've had a puppy and getting a new baby in a few weeks, these videos are great to remind me what I have to do to keep my new girl calm, staffies are so human like 😀😁😂 very much a protector of the family 🙏🙏 thank you

[mikealousi]

My 8 month old puppy Hudson (chihuahua spaniel mix) is dealing with isolation distress. He gets plenty of exercise and nice long walks twice a day. When someone is home, Hudson is fine to be in his crate, wait patiently, or play with his toys in another part of the home while we’re in the bathroom or kitchen.
Initially we believed him to have separation anxiety, but as we reinforced crate training and constant rewarding for being quiet when left the room, we discovered his issue is only when we leave the home.
We approach leaving our house the same way we approached crate training and keeping him in other rooms (we call them “In and Outs”).. started with short periods of time, rewards when he was calm, extended to longer periods of time the more comfortable he got. When doing In and Out training, we can build up his time to hours in his crate, or 15/20 minutes waiting outside the house (it’s a cold winter in Canada, can’t stay out there long).

The problem comes when we leave the house and Hudson realizes this no longer is a training exercise, he howls excessively until our return. He refuses to relax in his crate or take a nap. He once howled for 3 hours straight when we needed to go out. How am I suppose to reward a calm puppy for my return if he’s never calm and doesn’t stop howling? We need to eventually re-enter our home, but because he’s howling that means Hudson wins.
We can’t do “In and Out” build ups everytime we need to go out to the gym, dinner, grocery shopping, etc.

Please help!!
Michael and Stephanie

[MrLuxint]

bloody did it ten times with my dog...first four times frantic panting and  wiating by door, by time 6 was lieing down and had head cocked up toward door by time 10 hardly noticed....extended last four from 3, 5, 7, 10 secs....may be on the road with practice: calmness, consistency and

[nigelreed]

They carried it on when I was gone and started off in the front room. The dog learnt to stay in the front room with them and they built the time up themselves until they could go out for long periods.

[gabrielaburcea]

I love dog trainers... so calm, so confident. Although I am a cat person.

[theblvckrabbit]

This really helps me understand how to figure out what my GSD needs. I always said that if I just knew what/how he was thinking, I could figure out how to help him and I feel like your videos really help me to understand better.

[MommyandMelanie]

We have a Pit Bull Labrador mix who also suffers from pack leader anxiety. She really thinks she runs the show and gets completely crazy when we leave the house. We are using your techniques and it is starting to make a change in her behavior. Also we are using the training on your video about dogs pulling when you try to walk them. It is amazing you are a true Dog Psychologist. I think Nigel understands dog's a lot better than Caesar Millan and it is a shame that he doesn't have more views.

[BritishInvasion]

You explained the psychology of a dog perfectly. Great video.

[nicolepillette]

Very interesting take on separation anxiety. Makes sense. I am a volunteer with dog rescue. We often have people wanting to surrender their dog because they are destructive due to "separation anxiety". I will definitely share this technique and hopefully keep more dogs in their homes.

[Petahx]

I followed your instructions on your video how to train your dog to heel. At first it was horrible! I'd literally turn around step after step after step. But it was worth it! They walk amazingly now on small streets, parks not so great yet.

One of my dogs has really bad separation anxiety and I'll let you know how this works out. Thanks for the video!

[ilyaschembri]

enjoyed this video, well done. it's much more realistic and actually easier to apply to your pet. then the popular tv shows we see

[GraceFooWaiSan]

I'm here more than 10 years later... You explain it so well. I see so many tips and tricks elsewhere but watching this makes me understand the psychological reasons behind those tips. Thank you!

[stevep]

Absolutely brilliant Nigel! You information is so well put across and I can't help but smile at the outcomes you achieve.

[kayhardie]

we're adopting a rescue dog this week and really really want to do good by her ..and us! We want a dog that is happy to walk, play, socialise with our friends (including their dogs) so watching watching vidoes and really like these.  They look REAL to me!!

[kirkbrown]

Brilliant advice. Insightful and practical. Very helpful in increasing my understanding. Thanks.

[jasminnapuli]

Thank you, Nigel! I will give this a try. I'm trying to manage a "biting" dog. He's very territorial. I put him in a big cage but he cries at night. Your videos give me guidance as a dog owner. I appreciate it a lot.

[leighd]

Great advice!! My dog won't eat or drink when I'm gone, she doesn't really chew anything, but when I'm home she does! Especially when excited; however, she will listen when o correct her