A Q+A With Rescued By Training On Dog Separation Anxiety
I’ve been sharing on Instagram recently that we started with a new dog trainer once we moved back east. We found Kate LaSala, founder of Rescued by Training, through our doggy daycare and since our first assessment she’s been our trustworthy guide.
The main mountain we’re looking to overcome right now is that Chauncey is not yet able to stay home alone. Any time we’ve tried over the last few months, he’s either completely panicked, whimpered, and cried, or he’s pooped himself out of pure fear. We’d tried all the methods — leaving him out of the crate, leaving him in the crate, leaving him with a kong, etc. Ultimately the only method that has shown results has been Kate’s.
Each week she assigns us daily “missions” (anywhere from 7-12 small steps that we’re meant to do within about 30 minutes). Each mission is customized to Chauncey’s threshold of being left alone. On the first few days we were walking out and back into the apartment every 5-15 seconds. The goal with each step is to start to increase his awareness that it’s okay for him to feel safe when left alone because we will be coming back.
On our first assessment Kate had us return immediately because Chauncey’s threshold was that low. Now, almost 5 weeks later, we’ve been able to accomplish missions that have lasted as long as almost 10 minutes. While the road is full of ups and downs, it’s getting easier and easier to jump back from the setbacks. Like for instance last week was a rough week because my boyfriend was out of town and it re-triggered Chauncey into being especially attached to me and then later to my boyfriend once he was back. Our missions were hard and full of barking. But now this week once we settled, it’s been easier to get back to calm behavior and longer periods of us being out while he’s relaxed.
What I’ve liked about this process is that Kate’s method is both very hands on and personalized, while also being data driven (something I love). Every day we track in a spreadsheet how many seconds he’s able to stay alone and slowly being able to see the progression has been heartening.
Kate was kind enough to answer some key questions about separation anxiety and share her wisdom. (Editor’s note: I both found and paid for Kate’s service out of pocket. She’s just so awesome that I wanted to share more about her method and work!)
Tell us a little about yourself…
My name’s Kate LaSala and I’m a CTC, CBCC-KA, PCBC-A, CSAT. My detailed story of how I became a trainer can be found on my About page on my site but basically after living with an aggressive dog and then adopting BooBoo, a fearful semi-feral dog, I knew I needed a better way to help her. The old methods of training would only further terrify her. After volunteering in rescue in many roles, I applied for a rescue and sheltering scholarship from The Academy for Dog Trainers and then continued to obtain additional certifications and credentials to focus on fear and aggression cases.
What are some key "tells" that your dog has separation anxiety?
No two dogs present the exact same way but many dogs with separation anxiety vocalize, destroy things, especially exit points like windows and door, have potty accidents (even if they’re normally housebroken), are unable to settle/relax (so they pace, drool, breathe heavily) or self-injure. But some dogs are silent sufferers and owners may not realize their dog is struggling because there’s no evidence or neighbor complaints. These dogs pace, drool, maybe whimper quietly or groom or lick themselves compulsively.There’s a broad spectrum of symptoms but that’s why getting video and doing an assessment to ensure it is separation anxiety and not something else is critical. Often people assume their dog has separation anxiety when it’s actually another behavioral issue, a co-presenting issue or an underlying or undiagnosed medical issue. It can be hard to self-diagnose. Just in this last month I’ve had 2 cases that turned out to be medical in nature and not separation anxiety at all, even though it looked like it from the owner’s description!
What are the first steps to take if they do have separation anxiety?
Suspend all absences, meaning don’t leave your dog alone at all. Use daycare or dog sitters or take your dog with you. I have a free downloadable resource on 26 Ways To Suspend Absences in the free download section of my website.
What should you definitely not do if you know your dog does have separation anxiety?
Never use punishment. Your dog isn’t being vindictive or spiteful or angry. Dogs with separation anxiety are having the equivalent of a panic attack. Adding in pain or punishment or scary things will only make the dog more afraid. Do not crate. Do not use bark collars. Do not waste your money on quick fix things like a Thundershirt. Dogs with real separation anxiety need professional training and often medication. And never leave your dog alone for longer than he can comfortably handle (and for some dogs this is 2 seconds to start with).
What should you look for in a trainer?
Most people don’t realize dog training is an unregulated industry so you need to be really careful who you hire. There are many trainers out there with zero actual credentials or education in the science of animal learning and rely on “well, I’ve had dogs all my life.” To those people, I say, “I’ve had teeth all my life but that doesn’t qualify me to give you a root canal.” Only those having a CSAT (Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer) or SA Pro credential have completed specific training and education in separation anxiety and are qualified to help with separation anxiety cases.
Why is the contract between human + dog so important in separation anxiety training?
You must make a promise to your dog to NEVER leave him alone for longer than he can comfortably handle. If we’re training the dog to learn that absences are safe and nothing to be afraid of then this needs to be the case 100% of the time. If sometimes they’re safe and sometimes they’re not, you won’t make any progress and your dog will have a panic attack every time you leave. This may seem impossible to do but I promise you that clients all over the world do it. And it’s not forever. It’s only until your dog recovers or begins to recover. And then you can get some freedom back.
At what point do you start exploring medication?
Separation anxiety is a panic disorder, much like depression or bipolar. And while we don’t know for sure what causes it, there may be a genetic link. We do know fear is passed genetically in dogs and other phobias, like fear of thunder, fireworks gunshots, are passed genetically. Very often proven, tested pharmaceuticals (anti-anxiety medication) can be helpful to help balance the dog’s brain chemicals, like serotonin, reduce cortisol spikes and enable training to be more effective and efficient. Meds are not meant to change your dog’s personality or make them a zombie or sedate them. If they do, then those are not the right meds. They are a part of the training puzzle and never a solution alone. And many dogs can eventually be weaned off once they recover, but some dogs will remain on them long term. It all depends on the dog and their particular chemistry. I liken it to this – if I have headache, I take Advil, because I know it works and will give me relief. Anti-anxiety meds in dogs have a long proven history of being effective with little to no side effects for most dogs. If we can help give your dog (and then by proxy, you) some relief, why wouldn’t we?
You can find Kate at all of the below links!
www.facebook.com/rescuedbytraining
www.instagram.com/rescuedbytraining
www.youtube.com/c/rescuedbytraining