I am so thrilled with the progress that my poodle, Max, has made on the Sit, Stay, Fetch program that I absolutely had to share my experience with all of you.  But before, we begin let me give you a little history.  

When I first adopted Max from the dog shelter, I knew absolutely nothing about puppies. I just saw him in the window an he was just so darned cute and looked so sad in that horrible crate. My friend tried to talk me out of it but I just couldn’t leave him there. After all, it was love at first sight. Anyway, things were great at first. I mean, Max became very attached to me very soon. Wherever I went, this cute little ball of fur followed me everywhere. He was just so cut and was so full of life and spunk.  Whenever I came home, he was so excited to see me. He even piddled on the floor to welcome me home. And, whenever I went from one room to the other, he was right behind me. He slept at the foot of my bed and cried whenever he couldn’t be near me.  

I thought this was normal puppy behavior so I wasn’t too concerned. Well, as he grew, I began to notice changes in the way that Max would behave.  When I got ready to leave for work in the morning, he would seem very upset.  He’d jump up on me and whine like he was telling me not to leave him.  The first couple of times Max did this, I thought it was weird but kinda cute. However, around the time when Max was a year old, things got worse. 

I could see him scratching the window frantically when I would leave and he whined and cried so loud that I could hear him all the way outside.  This was very upsetting to me because this wasn’t Max’s usual self.  When I got home, Max would be extremely excited.  I would spend half an hour trying to calm him down before I could move on away from him.  When I did move away from him, I would find things destroyed, shoes and other items chewed to pieces, things knocked over.  It would look like a burglar had come into my house and chewed up things while he searched for my valuables!

I took Max to the vet, who gave me a few pointers and asked me to monitor his behavior.  He didn’t tell me what was wrong with Max, but suggested that he might have some sort of anxiety issue.  I followed the tips he gave me and saw no improvement.  Things got somewhat better because I basically had to ‘Max proof’ the house.  I made sure that there was nothing he could damage and that he had treats and toys to play with while I was gone.  However, I noticed that Max began getting sores on his paws and legs.  Upset at this, I took Max back to the vet.  I was absolutely heartbroken to learn that he was doing this to himself by licking and chewing and that it was due to his anxiety.   I was absolutely at a loss.  The vet recommended a local trainer to help me work with Max.  The first day I took Max to the trainer, he was really rough with Max and jerked on his collar quite roughly to make him listen.  Well, you can imagine the earful that I gave that man before I scooped Max up and took him back home.  I can’t tell you how upset I was.  Then, through research in trying to find out what I could possibly do, I ran across the page for the SitStayFetch Training package.   

Reading through the reviews and the information that was on the page, I finally had a glimmer of hope to help my little buddy!  I wish I would have found the Sit, Stay, Fetch Training package when I first got Max.  There is information for individuals who have just gotten a puppy that is very likely to keep dogs from ever having to go through some of these behavior problems.  From ownership responsibility to choosing the right kind of breed for you and choosing a veterinarian for your new puppy, this part is great for people who want or have just gotten a puppy. 

The information that helped me the most, however, taught me how to understand dogs and how they communicate.  They actually do have a whole language that consists of body movements and different attitudes!  I recognized many of the tings that Max does in there right away!  There is so much information that addresses behavior problems as well.  From a jumping dog, a barking dog and an aggressive dog to a dog that fights with others, digs and chews things, this package covers it all!  My favorite part, however was the part where I learned how to teach Max to do different tricks and things with commands.  He’s just the perfect little entertainer and his behavior has improved ten fold! 

Immediately I noticed that SitStayFetch Training program  worked through positive reinforcement, and NOT punishing your dog.  This is something I feel very strongly about and that’s one of the reasons I was so comfortable beginning this program.  Also, the photos were great because I could actually see the images and understand exactly how to perform certain things.  All this wrapped into one amazing program plus the bonuses which taught me so much!  I am so happy with the progress that Max has made. 

I then learned that through the Sit, Stay, Fetch Training program, poor Max suffered with severe separation anxiety as well as several other problems.  When we started working with the program, within a week I saw amazing results in Max.  I just couldn’t believe the progress that we made.  He stopped being nervous every time I left and when I came home, he was happy to see me, but he wasn’t overboard like he had been.  Soon the sores healed on Max and there was no more chewing or licking.  I can’t tell you how happy I am that Max is happy and well adjusted.  We have our old dog back now and I am thrilled!  Thank you so very much!

Surprisingly, anxiety disorder associated with separation is very common in our canine friends.  This is when the dog experiences severe anxiety or panic when left alone or separated from its owners.  For example, if you leave the house and are gone all day, your dog will become extremely nervous and it may intensify as the day progresses.  Because dogs need to be around humans and other dogs in order to be happy, they can easily succumb to panic and fright when they are left to themselves.  There are, of course, different degrees of this separation anxiety. 

There are some types of dog that have a higher risk of this kind of disorder and you should most definitely research this before deciding on a particular type of dog.  Think about your lifestyle and whether or not you are gone for long periods of time before purchasing Springer Spaniels, German Shepherds or any other dog that is prone to anxiety disorders.  Think about it before purchasing a dog from an animal shelter as well.  Because many shelter dogs have either had trauma in their lives or have been abandoned, they are less trusting and may develop serious anxiety disorders. 

You also want to find out when the dogs were taken from their mothers.  This is because many people take them away too soon (especially the dogs that you find in pet stores) and this will increase the chances of anxiety.  Many of these animals are stuck into a cage or display area without much attention and they can stay there for weeks and months by themselves.  This is traumatic for animals and these dogs may also have a greater risk of developing anxiety disorders. 

Another thing that is very important is the amount of time you spend with your dog.  If you think that you’re going to be gone more than you will be home, you may want to reconsider getting a dog unless someone will be there to play with the dog and give him or her attention.  Without these things, your dog will not be happy and well adjusted.  If you think your dog may be experiencing some anxiety problems, look for some of these common signs: 

• Your dog may recognize when you’re leaving simply by observing your habits.  The dog may see you putting on your shoes, getting your coat on, getting your keys, etc.  Watch for your dog to act strangely at this time.  Do they jump on you or try to keep you there?

• When you are gone, your dog will become worse and may bark or scratch at the doors and windows.  This is your dog’s attempt to find you.  They may tear up items in the house or chew things.  They may use the ‘bathroom’ inside of your home, and they can even lick or chew their skin until they have wounds. 

• Your dog may even display some sort of obsessive behaviors in order to deal with the anxiety – such as spinning or chasing his or her tail.

You may notice that when you get back, your dog is excited to the point of frenzy!  The dog might jump on you and lick you or use other signs of being glad that you’re home.  A happy dog will do this for around a minute, but dogs with anxiety may do this for longer periods of time.  If this happens, do not encourage your dog to become more excited and don’t pay too much attention to them.  This will help alleviate some of the anxiety.  Simply give the dog a pat and a few words and go about your business.

Here are some other things you can do to help reduce your dog’s anxiety.

Give your dog plenty of exercise.  In fact, it’s better if you give him or her a ton of exercise right before you leave.  This way, he or she will be very tired and won’t be as likely to have a lot of nervous energy.  Try a half an hour walk before you leave in order to keep your dog’s anxiety down.  In fact, the longer you walk him or her, the better it will be.

Before leaving, give your dog something great to chew on.  Purchase a bone or something else that he or she will be satisfied with while you’re gone.  In fact, giving it to your dog right before you leave may distract him or her and keep the anxiety down on that level as well.  Also, before you leave, if possible, place your television or radio on so that your dog can feel as if he or she is not alone.  If you can leave a window accessible for him or her to look out, that’s even better.

Practice getting ready to leave by placing your coat or shoes on and then reaching for the door – of course, don’t leave.  You only want your dog to see that you are getting ready to leave.  Sit back down and then do it again a few moments later.  Continue until your dog does not become excited at your leaving.  You may want to give the dog a treat and praise him or her.  Working at this gradually will help rid your dog of his or her fears. 

Don’t comfort your dog too much when he or she is upset.  While this sounds heartless, doing so will actually make the situation worse.  It will actually make your dog think that there is a valid reason for his or her feelings and you don’t want that.  Instead, try to minimize your dog’s need for concern by ignoring him or her.

You love your dog, but coming home after a long day of work can be very stressful if your dog suffers from separation anxiety.  This seems like an overwhelming problem with no end in sight, but your dog’s separation anxiety can be relieved.  Here are 10 tips that will help cure your dog’s separation anxiety.

1. If your dog is not crate trained, now is the time to start training your dog.  Crate training can provide your dog with the positive reinforcement he needs in order to cope with his separation anxiety. 

2. Many dogs have an extremely difficult time when their owner leaves for work in the morning.  In order to leave the house quickly, it is a good idea to distract your dog as you are leaving the house.  By doing this, your dog will not realize you are leaving. Continue »

Successfully treating your dog’s separation anxiety is aided in realizing that the dog is stressed out while it is being left alone.  The common denominator for all dogs with separation anxiety is that their stress induced acting out occurs while they are left totally alone.  These types of actions happening while the dog has company, have nothing to do with dog separation anxiety, and should be handled differently.

As in teaching any dog a new trick, you as the owner must keep your cool and be patient with consistent praise for the dog’s good deeds.  Punishment has no place in training an animal.  In fact, acts of punishment only stress your dog further and may increase his sense of separation anxiety. Continue »

Coping with a dog with separation anxiety can be very difficult and trying.  It may seem as if nothing helps, which can be very overwhelming.  However, one solution that requires some consistency and hard work on your part is often an effective solution to help treat separation anxiety in dogs.  That solution is crate training.

When your dog first became a member of your family, you probably read all about crate training.  You also probably read that it requires both hard work and consistency on your part.  This is why many dog owners do not pursue crate training initially.  In fact, a large number of owners only pursue crate training as a way of helping their dog cope with their separation anxiety.  Continue »