
Be Right Back! The Separation Anxiety Podcast
How do I get my dog over separation anxiety? How can I leave my dog without him constantly barking or me coming back to destruction? These are just some of the big questions that dog separation anxiety specialist, Julie Naismith, tackles in her podcast. The podcast episodes are packed with how-to guides, step-by-step training blueprints, and tips and tricks to survive separation anxiety. Each episode is packed with tips, tricks and actionable steps. And Julie also shares her story of how she and her dog survived separation anxiety.
Latest episodes

Aug 6, 2019 • 18min
024 What You Need to Know to Actually Fix Separation Anxiety
In the second part of our focus on separation anxiety training, what works, and why, we’re diving deep into the exact steps you need to follow if you want to get your dog over separation anxiety. We look at how training is modeled on the phobia treatment we use for humans. And we talk about why using a training plan and being clear about criteria are critical to success.

Jul 23, 2019 • 26min
023 Why Everything You've Tried Has Failed And What Will Actually Work Instead
Today’s episode is part 1 of a 2 part series looking at why everything you’ve tried to fix separation anxiety hasn’t worked (this week), and what you need to do instead if you want to get your dog over separation anxiety (next week).

Jul 16, 2019 • 19min
022 3 Trainer Tips For Dealing With A Dog Who's Super Attached To You
We all adore dogs because of the unconditional love they give us. But when that love turns into a focus on you, when it’s all about you and no one else will do, that love becomes a freedom-limiting problem for you and your dog. In this episode, I’m going to talk about how you know when you’ve got one of these hyper-attached dogs. And I’m going to share my top 3 tips for how to handle it.

Jul 9, 2019 • 17min
021 What You Need to Know About The 7 Stages of Separation Anxiety Recovery
In this episode, we look at what it really means to get a dog over separation anxiety, how we answer the question “how long will it take, and what the stages of recovery involves.

Jun 11, 2019 • 17min
020 5 Big Reasons People Quit Separation Anxiety Training
On this week's episode, I'm going to talk about why separation anxiety training can be so hard, and why so many of us give up before we’ve given it a chance. I’ll also look at why it’s not just owners that find it hard, that trainers do too. And how standards in dog training would help everyone achieve successful separation anxiety training.

Jun 4, 2019 • 13min
019 3 Tips To Help You Smash Separation Anxiety Training
If you think you’ve tried separation anxiety training and it didn’t work, you need to listen to this episode. I’m going to explain what separation anxiety training is (and what it’s not) and I’m going to share my top tips for acing your training. Topics: [02:10] Separation anxiety training is all about showing your dog that being on it's own is okay. [02:21] Desensitization means we take a really small amount of what the dog is frightened of and we expose the dog to it at an intensity that the dog can handle. [03:39] The key is using a precise, customized training to suit your dog and not a generic plan from the internet and try to make it work. [03:50] Tip 1: Your training has to be customised to what your dog can handle [04:05] Make an assessment of how long your dog can be on his own and then craft your training around what your dog can handle [06:10] Information on an app that creates the custom plans [06:39] Tip 2: You need to be prepared to make exercises easier sometimes. [07:25] Progress is about pushing their personal best up over time but accepting that not every single jump is going to be a personal best. [08:08] Keep a record of your training [08:37] Tip 3: You have to become an expert in your dog's anxiety threshold and their anxiety behaviour Link: THE NEXT FREE CHALLENGE STARTS ON JUNE 17th

May 28, 2019 • 22min
018 How To Fix 3 Common Types Of Barking
In this episode, we discuss the 3 main types of problem barking, what causes problem barking, and how can tackle it. Topics: [00:36] How you can tackle home alone barking and different types of problem barking [01:08] Watch-dog barking: a common form of barking [02:05] Responds to management: blocking out sounds and sights [04:38] How to train your dog to a behaviour that’s incompatible with barking [07:56] How spooky barking is different from watch-dog barking [09:22] Changing how the dog feels about outside noises [09:42] Using a technique called "counter conditioning" [12:33] Determining if it is frustrated barking or fearful barking [14:05] How video can help you determine what’s causing the barking [14:36] Why anxious dogs tend to persevere more with their barking [16:47] Separation anxiety barking is an emotional behaviour and not a thinking behaviour

May 21, 2019 • 15min
017 What Do You Need To Know About Your Senior Dog's Anxiety?
Owning a senior dog is both a responsibility and a privilege. And if you care for a senior dog you’ll know to expect all sorts of changes. One change that we can see in older dogs is that they can start to develop anxiety at being left, even if they’ve been fine all their lives. In today’s episode, I’m going to explain what to look for, what might be going on with your senior dog and what actions to take. Topics: [01:11] Big 3 signs that your senior dog might be starting to feel anxious at home alone [01:28] #1: Excessive vocalization [01:52] House soiling [02:05] Do they destroy different stuff [03:13] When do you need to be concern about changes in your dog's home alone behavior [04:20] If your dog has just recently developed separation anxiety as a senior, go and talk to your vet [05:00] The symptoms of separation anxiety can look very similar to dogs who have cognitive dysfunction [05:48] Make sure that it's not some physiological change that is affecting your dog's comfort of being home alone [08:45] Pain can really be a big factor in fear and anxiety in dogs [09:25] Don't forget that as dog get older, most dogs need to go to the toilet way more often than they used to [10:06] What can you do if your dog suddenly develop separation anxiety at older age [10:11] Visit your vet and he will help you with the treatment plan [11:02] Highly encourage to get a pet sitter or train your dog Link: Free Facebook Group: Dog Separation Anxiety Training Support with Julie Naismith

May 14, 2019 • 19min
016 5 Tips You Need To Know Before You Hire a Trainer
In this week’s episode, I’m going to give you my top tips for finding the right separation anxiety trainer for you and your dog. Separation anxiety training isn’t easy but it does have a high success rate. With the right method, lots of time, and plenty of patience there’s a really good chance you can get your dog over separation anxiety. If you are looking for help in the form of trainer here are my top 5 tips. Topics: [0:43] Separation anxiety training is not easy but it does have a high success rate. [01:39] Getting a trainer is a really big decision. Top 6 tips to finding exactly the right trainer for you: [02:00] Tip 1: Be aware. Dog training is an unregulated profession. You don't need to have qualifications or be certified. [03:50] Tip 2: Choose force-free, fear-free training: you cannot fix fear with fear. [07:20] Tip 3: Pick a specialist separation anxiety trainer. They need to have studied the science of behavior change in dogs. And they need to *really* understand separation [08:55] Don't work with a generalist trainer if you want to address separation anxiety. [09:36] You need someone who really knows what to do in every given situation. [10:45] A really credible separation anxiety trainer is going to use video technology to assess the severity of the dog's anxiety and once they've done their assessment, they are going to work with you remotely to do all the training. [11:32] Tip 4: Ask questions about: their qualifications how they keep up-to-date with their knowledge, skills and learning the training methods they use the number of cases they've worked with whether they come to your house can you talk to clients they've worked with and what they have achieved [17:32] Tip 5: Trust your gut instinct. If anything seems off, don’t hire them. Links: Free Facebook Group: Dog Separation Anxiety Training Support with Julie Naismith Free 5 Day Separation Anxiety Training Challenge

May 7, 2019 • 19min
015 How To Cope With Dogs Who Hate The Car
Today we’re talking about a different type of anxiety, but one that many separation anxiety dogs have: anxiety over car journeys. For the most part cars predict good things for dogs. So why do so many dogs seem to have issues with car rides? Why do some dogs find cars journeys so scary. And if your dog whines, cries or barks in the car what can you can do about it? Dogs can seem to have a love hate relationship with cars. Some dogs love the car for getting to the park or the beach, but find the car scary and intimidating on other occasions. Then there are the dogs who absolutely love cars, no matter what. So much so they whine, and howl the whole time they are in the car. You’ll need different strategies for different behaviours. Dogs who are anxious in the car We’ll start with dogs who don’t love car journeys. These dogs show the same signs you may have seen in your home alone anxious dogs. Panting, salivating, crying, shaking, trembling, cowering, ears back, stiff bodies, whale eyes and so on. They might fear the car so much that they are even be like this when you take them somewhere fun. Love the destination, hate the journey. Often we assume that it’s just because they have an aversion to the car. But if your dog does get upset I want you to check check that they aren’t actually suffering from car sickness. Why? Well it’s common for dogs who have motion sickness to start to dread the car. So much so that you don’t see the signs of grogginess. Instead you see the anxiety and stress. Even if your dog doesn’t get motion sickness now. Even if they only ever had one bad experience, that can be enough to make them hate car journeys. How can you tell? Sometimes the signs of motion sickness are obvious - limp, wobbly, drooling (but that can look like anxiety too) and of course vomting. Sometimes the signs that it’s motion sickness aren’t at all obvious. Your dog might just look upset But if you have any suspicions at all that it might be motion sickness then speak to your vet. Your vet will be able to prescribe a medication for the sickness. What if it’s not motion sickness? What if your dog just fears car journeys? Well, you can teach your dog to be happier and more comfortable in the car. To do that you use the technique that we all know so well from separation anxiety training, desensitization. But with car anxiety we can add a process that trainers call counter-conditioning. Essentially this is changing how a dog feels about something he doesn’t like, by making him associate the thing he doesn’t like with food. It’s powerful stuff. If you want an example of how to do this training, I’ve got a free training plan you can download here. Dogs who can’t be left in the car Now some dogs might be fine when they ride in the car with you, but what about those who can’t be left in the car when you pop to the shops, or drop the kids off at school? Well, we can help those dogs too. If you want your dog to be more comfortable with this scenario you can use good old desensitization again, just as you would be being left home alone. And it would make sense to add food to the equation, if you can. Dogs who aren’t anxious but excited What can you do if your dog howls and whines in the car but isn’t anxious? The excited dog. The dog who can’t wait to get to the car. I’m not going to lie, this one is hard to tackle. That howl/bark is like the scream we let out when our team wins the cup, or we win the lottery. We would find it hard to stifle that excitement scream wouldn’t we? And it can be really tough to get a dog to hold it in too. You can train them to be quieter in the car, but it’s going to take a lot of patience, lots of training and possibly some fancy equipment like a remote feeder. My best advice to you? Try just to accept the racket. Celebrate it even - it’s your dog way of telling you that his daily trip to the park is like winning the lottery. Oh, to be as excited as that even just once! Amazing how dogs can be that excited every single day of their life. Car safety One final word: about car safety. First, if your dog rides in the car make sure they are going to be okay in the event of a crash. Safety harnesses and crash tested crates are best for this. Second, if your dog is going to be seated near an airbag, make sure that the airbag can be disabled. Third, I’m sure I don’t need to say this but don’t leave your dog when it’s even vaguely warm. 15c. I hope this has been helpful. Remember that, for the most part, we can always make dogs feel better about stuff they don’t like. And car journeys don’t have to be scary for dogs. [01:00] Dogs' love-hate relationship with cars [01:39] How some dogs love the car because of what the car predicts [02:05] Signs that a dog is anxious in the car [03:45] Could it be motion sickness? [05:08] How can you tell if they are suffering from car sickness? [07:22] How to use desensitization and counter-conditioning to get them to love the car [08:31] Why the #1 rule is to go slowly in changing a fearful emotion in a dog [09:40] What about dogs who can't be left in the car? [11:45] How to deal with dogs who get over-excited in the car [15:55] On car safety Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode. I’m adding a bunch of new episodes to the mix and if you’re not subscribed there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on those. Click here to subscribe in iTunes! 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