Separation Anxiety Training in Boulder, CO

A dog with separation anxiety is not being spiteful when it howls, chews the door frame or has accidents after you leave. It is distressed at being alone, and that distress can be severe enough to affect jobs, leases and neighbors. Separation anxiety is one of the more specialized areas of dog training, and around Boulder a handful of trainers name it directly among their services.

This guide explains how to recognize separation anxiety, how training for it usually works, the kinds of local help available, and what a realistic timeline looks like. Five trainers listed below name separation anxiety specifically.

Recognizing separation anxiety

Separation anxiety shows up when the dog is alone or separated from its person, and usually starts within minutes of departure. Local trainers describe signs such as:

• Barking or howling that continues after you leave.
• Destruction, especially around doors and windows.
• House soiling in a dog that is otherwise house trained.
• Pawing, scratching or escape attempts at exits or crates.
• Self-injury, such as licking or biting at its own body.

Some of these behaviors also have other causes, including boredom, incomplete house training or medical problems. A video of your dog after you leave is the single most useful thing you can bring to a first consultation, because it shows what actually happens and when.

How separation anxiety training works

Most modern approaches build the dog’s tolerance to being alone in very small steps.

• Finding the starting point. How long the dog can be alone before it becomes anxious, which may be minutes or seconds.
• Short, planned absences. Leaving for less time than the dog can handle, then slowly lengthening the absence.
• Changing departure cues. Keys, shoes and coats often trigger anxiety; training can make them less meaningful.
• Avoiding full-length absences. Arranging care so the dog is not pushed past its limit while training is underway.
• Calm at home. Building settling skills, enrichment and a predictable routine.

The work is slow and very consistent. It is also largely done by the owner, with the trainer designing the plan and adjusting it as the dog progresses.

Because the dog must never be pushed past its limit, sessions are often very short at first, sometimes only a few seconds of the owner stepping outside. That can feel strange, but it is how the dog learns that departures are safe.

Remote versus in-person help

Separation anxiety is one area where remote training can work especially well. The dog’s real problem happens when no one is home, so a trainer watching a live video of the dog alone can see more than one who is standing in the room. One trainer who works with owners in Boulder, Erie, Superior, Louisville and Lafayette says its separation anxiety training is best done fully remotely, so it can help wherever the owner lives.

In-person sessions are still useful for related problems, such as a dog that is anxious in general, reactive on walks or struggling with house training, and for teaching settling skills in the home.

Local options around Boulder County

• Remote separation anxiety coaching. A force-free trainer runs separation anxiety training as a remote program, alongside in-person basic manners work.
• In-home behavior training. A Longmont trainer who comes to your home lists separation anxiety alongside fear, anxiety and reactivity work.
• Behavior courses. A Longmont trainer offers a course for dogs with behavior issues that names separation anxiety among reactivity, resource guarding and fear, delivered through private classes and optional group classes.
• Emotional coaching packages. A Boulder trainer lists separation anxiety and chronic anxiety among the problems it works on, with a multi-lesson package that combines emotional coaching and practical training and includes phone support between lessons.
• Behavior specialists. A Denver-area trainer serving Broomfield names separation anxiety among its behavior specialties, with in-home sessions.

Methods vary among these trainers, from force-free to balanced, so ask each one how they would approach your dog.

When to involve your veterinarian

Severe separation anxiety sometimes needs more than training. If your dog injures itself, panics in a crate or cannot be left for even a few minutes, ask your veterinarian whether a medical evaluation or medication could help the training work. Trainers do not prescribe, but many work alongside veterinarians on these cases.

A realistic timeline

Separation anxiety usually improves over weeks to months, not days. Progress is often uneven: a good week can be followed by a setback after a change in routine, a move or a long absence that could not be avoided. The most important predictor of success is consistency, which means planning how the dog will be cared for while training is underway.

Measure progress in minutes alone without distress. Many owners find it encouraging to log each session, because small gains are easy to miss day to day.

It also helps to plan the practical side early. Line up a friend, neighbor, walker or daycare that can cover the hours your dog cannot yet be alone, and tell your trainer what those arrangements look like. A plan that fits your working week is far more likely to succeed than a perfect plan that falls apart on the first long day at the office.

Reviewed Separation Anxiety Training Trainers in Boulder

These reviewed Boulder-area trainers from our directory handle separation anxiety training. Each links to a full profile with specialties, certified credentials, reviews, and contact info:

• FreeLance Dog Training — 5.0★ (26 reviews)
• Wild Blue Dog Training — 5.0★ (9 reviews)
• Rewarding Dog Training, LLC — 5.0★ (8 reviews)
• Longmont Dog Training — 5.0★ (6 reviews)
• Flash Dog Training — 4.9★ (139 reviews)

See all Boulder separation anxiety training trainers →

Frequently Asked Questions

Related: read our complete separation anxiety training guide or the full Boulder dog training overview.