Separation anxiety is one of the primary reasons pet owners abandon dogs at shelters. Behaviors associated with separation distress, such as property destruction, house soiling, disruptive vocalizations, escape, and aggression, exasperate pet owners, irritate neighbors, and anger landlords.
Other canine separation-related behaviors, such as pacing, drooling, self-mutilation, and panic, can figuratively shackle pet owners to their homes, due to guilt arising from their dog’s distress. Consequently, pet owners suffer a lower quality of life and may regret acquiring the anxious dog.
Fortunately, Comprehensive Pet Therapy Head Trainers are experts at resolving separation anxiety. A CPT behavior modification professional can transform your anxious, distressed dog into a confident, relaxed, secure dog, regardless of whether you are in the same room, in another part of the house, or away from home.
Don’t give up! A solution is available! CPT’s expert separation anxiety training educates your dog to comfortably adapt to isolation.
CPT behavior modification programs enable you to work, shop, or attend social engagements, without worrying about your home, property, or dog. Most importantly, CPT behavior modification programs enable you to receive more gratification from your pet.
Schedule an AppointmentCPT has been in business since 1992. In that time, CPT has trained over 50,000 client dogs. No matter the issue, we’ve seen it before- and resolved the problem.
CPT Trainers have degrees from elite universities, have apprenticed under elite persons in the pet training industry, and constantly continue to further their knowledge.
CPT Head Trainer achievements include competing nationally, winning a prestigious Regional competition, functioning as “Pet Expert” on the local NBC News, qualifying as an expert witness in animal behavior in courts of law in over 20 states, co-authoring 17 peer-reviewed research papers in the field of canine neuroscience, appearing internationally in the PBS Nova series, the Nat Geo Wild series Puppy Days, and on CNN, appearing as an expert on multiple local TV news broadcasts, receiving features in print media articles, and being interviewed for a CBS 60 Minutes segment on canine behavior.
CPT Head Trainers conduct a thorough diagnostic, comprised of a detailed chronological, behavioral, health, and training history, plus an observation of your dog and his/her interactions with you, your family, other household animals, and the environment- both when you are present and upon isolation. This way, CPT Head Trainers can personalize the solution design to your dog’s temperament, behavior, age, and experiences, your schedule and preferences, and the layout of your home.
Rather than taking a cookie cutter approach, CPT will design a solution plan that has the highest probability of working with your unique dog.
CPT Head Trainers are proficient communicators, whereby you can easily understand and capably implement your dog’s behavior modification plan.
Comprehensive Pet Therapy is committed to helping Atlanta families obtain calm, confident, happy dogs. And if you reside outside of Atlanta, CPT Trainers can assist you via virtual instruction.
The earlier you address separation anxiety, the easier it is to modify the behavior. Puppies may begin showing sign of separation distress immediately upon leaving their mother and littermates. Commonly, dogs display distress shortly after changes in schedule, environment, or household dynamics.
In addition to property destruction, house soiling, disruptive vocalizations, escape, aggression, pacing, drooling, and self-mutilation can be early symptoms of separation anxiety. Likewise, if you observe abnormal clinginess when you are home, the probability becomes higher that your dog has or will develop separation anxiety.
Comprehensive Pet Therapy’s separation anxiety programs in Atlanta provide you the highest probability of building independence and long-term emotional stability, regardless of whether you are home and regardless of schedule or environmental changes.
Comprehensive Pet Therapy is not a misnomer. CPT’s behavior modification plans thoroughly address the origin of your dog’s anxiety, the anxiety itself, and the behavioral expression of your dog’s separation anxiety. CPT implements a trifurcated solution plan- three prongs. Prong 1 is addressing the origin. Prong 2 is preventing continuation of the undesirable, damaging, or injurious behavior. And Prong 3 is symptomatic, where we facilitate adoption of relaxed replacement behaviors.
Nevertheless, Prong 1 is the key. If we transform anxious, impulsive emotional dysregulation into emotional regulation and stability, then your dog’s distress and the behaviors arising from distress should disappear.
Thus, CPT’s approach focuses on your anxious dog feeling safe and secure during alone time, instead of simply managing or disciplining symptoms- as is the case with most competitors, who lack CPT’s knowledge, background, and experience. CPT incorporates proven canine science, canine psychology, research findings, and field data that achieve successful results.
Although each dog’s training plan is customized, most plans include a combination of the following strategies:
Throughout the process, Comprehensive Pet Therapy Head Trainers listen, guide you step-by-step, provide clear instruction, request feedback, measure progress, and tweak plans accordingly so that we achieve the highest probability of reaching goal outcomes. Your success is our success.
CPT’s dog separation anxiety training in Atlanta develops emotional stability, confidence, and security. By doing so, Comprehensive Pet Therapy focuses on curing the underlying cause of your dog’s separation distress, not just treating secondary behaviors. Ultimately, both you and your dog will receive a higher quality of life. In addition, you will observe a healthier bond between you and your pet.
First, CPT conducts a thorough diagnostic consisting of a detailed history and observation. We concurrently ask about your schedule and preferences. Second, a CPT Head Trainer designs a personalized behavior modification plan based upon information obtained from the diagnostic. Third, your CPT Trainer clearly communicates the plan and the prescribed training, management, communication, anxiety reduction, and facility modification protocols. Fourth, you implement the plan. Fifth, we video your dog to obtain measurements. Sixth, we stay the course until goal completion. Alternatively, if necessary, we adjust the plan until achieving goal outcomes. Seventh, we celebrate success!
Dogs develop separation anxiety due to genetic factors or a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Some dogs, like some people, are genetically predisposed toward developing generalized and state anxiety. In other cases, separation anxiety develops due to environmental trauma. Environmental experiences that may trigger separation distress include early removal from the mother and litter, late removal from littermates, abandonment from a prior owner, rehoming, storm damage, burglar penetration, abrupt routine or schedule changes, and alterations in the family structure- human or animal. In addition, generalized enclosure anxiety or crate anxiety may exacerbate separation distress.
Typically, treating separation anxiety requires only 1 or 2 in-home appointments with a CPT Head Trainer, combined with some virtual follow-up. However, the timeline for goal accomplish depends upon multiple factors, including your dog’s temperament, the severity of your dog’s anxiety, the duration of your dog’s separation distress, and your ability to implement all aspects of the treatment plan. Some dogs improve almost immediately by implementing a few key solutions. Most frequently, goal outcomes occur within 3 – 6 weeks. On the hand, the most refractory dogs may require several months and multiple plan revisions before achieving ultimate success.
Symptoms of separation anxiety include destructive chewing or scratching; barking, howling, or whining; urinary or fecal house soiling; attempts to escape confinement; attempts to escape through exit areas of your home; clinginess; following, rushing, blocking, nipping, or biting when you attempt to leave; broken teeth or broken nails from escape attempts; or pacing, panting, drooling, licking, or self-mutilation, where the listed behaviors occur exclusively when your dog is isolated or become most pronounced when your dog is isolated.
When resolving separation anxiety, for Atlanta dogs, CPT typically recommends in-home private instruction with a CPT Head Trainer. For persons residing outside the Atlanta-metro area or for in-home follow-up, we recommend virtual private instruction with a CPT Head Trainer. Via virtual instruction, CPT has helped clients from throughout the USA and Canada.
CPT also has a location in Eugene, Oregon. Therefore, CPT can also provide in-home instruction in the Eugene-metro area.
To schedule an in-home or virtual appointment, please email CPT or contact the CPT office by phone (404-236-2150). When calling, please note CPT office hours are M – F from 9 am – 4 pm.
When resolving separation anxiety, for dogs residing outside the Atlanta or Eugene-metro areas, CPT typically recommends virtual private instruction with a CPT Head Trainer. Via virtual instruction, CPT has helped clients from throughout the USA and Canada.
To schedule a virtual appointment, please email CPT or contact the CPT office by phone (404-236-2150). When calling, please note CPT office hours are M – F from 9 am – 4 pm.
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