TRAINING TIP #3
Pandemic-induced separation anxiety.

It’s Tuesday, so in a perfect world, you have dinner reservations for a local Mexican restaurant. Or maybe you’re off to that special place across the city that makes the most authentic tacos. (The one that only true taco aficionados know about). You could be getting ready to line up, safely socially distanced of course, at your favourite taco truck.

Now you need to leave your dog home alone for a couple of hours. You’ve been making your tacos at home, so you haven’t done that since the lockdowns started months ago.

If your dog was already comfortable with you leaving before the pandemic, and you occasionally leave them alone while you get some groceries, your dog might be fine. Make sure you leave them something fun and long-lasting just in case (a Kong stuffed with treats, peanut butter, and frozen) or some puzzle games. (Check back to Tip #1 for some more ideas!)

If your dog has started to develop some separation anxiety and is scared now when you leave, don’t go get tacos tonight. Taco Tuesday is a big deal, but it can wait a week or two until you’ve done some work teaching your dog to be comfortable with your absence.

You can read more about separation anxiety and learn how to get started on something called “The Yo-Yo Game” from the Karen Pryor Academy: https://www.clickertraining.com/node/1556

Stay tuned for more tips to help strengthen your relationship with your dogs (and tacos)!

– Daniel