Your dog’s separation anxiety is not your fault!

Have you ever felt bad because random people on the internet placed blame on you for causing your dog’s separation anxiety by how your raised them?

Well, I’m here to tell you that you did NOT cause your dog’s separation anxiety! This is a common myth purported on the internet. Do not feel guilty giving your dog access to furniture, letting them sleep on your bed, not crate training, not giving your dog enough structure, or giving lots of affection.

I give both my dogs free access to furniture! This is a personal choice. I don’t mind doing a little extra cleaning to be able to provide cozy places for my dogs to nap. And I love when we can all cuddle on the couch together. If you enjoy having your dog on the furniture with you, please continue!

Separation anxiety is the fear of being alone and there is no scientific evidence to prove that giving them access to furniture or plenty of affection could cause your dog to develop separation anxiety or to make their separation anxiety worse.

Dogs develop fears for different reasons, most of which are out of our control! The main reasons why dogs develop any type of fear are:

• Genetics

• Maternal stress during pregnancy

• Stress when they are newborns

• Early life environment during socialization period (6-16 weeks)

• Bad or traumatic experiences during their life

There is no way to pinpoint the exact cause of your dog’s fear or anxiety because these emotions are very complex and likely caused by a combination of different factors. But we do know that you are not the cause of your dog’s separation anxiety. So keep letting your dog on the furniture or sleep on your bed! Removing these things will not improve your dog’s anxiety.

The only scientifically proven method to help your dog overcome separation anxiety is targeted desensitization! If you need personalized guidance to help your dog overcome separation anxiety, enroll in our online program and please reach out if you have any additional questions!