Remote dog training is going to be the new normal for the foreseeable future as the dog training profession has been upended due to Covid-19. When it comes to online training and behavior consults I have been working virtually for many years. Often times my clients are surprised to learn that I’m talking to them from the island of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean!

I started working remotely with clients when I began consulting on separation anxiety in dogs. Online work lends itself well to separation anxiety cases since my presence could change the dynamics of the situation.

I also often work with special needs dogs and found that there were many clients seeking help who I could  reach out and connect with virtually, too. My remote model organically expanded from there to where I now work with clients on-line about ninety percent of the time.

Another reason I initially transitioned to online work was because I was looking for an alternative means to income generation that wasn’t specifically tied to my geographical area.  Additionally, I recognized that sometimes finding a qualified positive reinforcement trainer close to clients was a barrier to effective training. I’m lucky that via virtual behavior consults I’ve been able to help people around the world!

Initially, I began working at a distance with phone consults and then moved to a variety of platforms for video conferencing. Ultimately I ended up primarily using Zoom.

My online dog training consult evolution has led me to also launch a business with my husband called Pet Trainer HQ. We developed a platform that brings clients and professional, qualified, positive reinforcement trainers together. The virtual consult model was something that had been successful across other fields for a long time. With Pet Trainer HQ the idea was to facilitate smooth, easy connections with appropriate, positive reinforcement-based trainers and consultants and people who needed help.

Remote Dog Training Consults – Getting Started

People might feel a little bit nervous at first when thinking about offering virtual behavior consults. Questions arise like; “What exactly are the requirements?”  “How would I go about doing this?” “What type of technology do I need?” and “How do know what behavior modifications are needed if I’m not there with the dog?” 

When considering working with your dog training clients virtually the tools that you need are not complicated. The first key is a reliable internet connection and preferably a backup internet service as well. I actually have triple redundancy with two paid services and a phone-tethering option. 

You want to also consider the camera that you’re using. Most laptops, tablets, and/or smartphones have a built-in camera. However, recently I came across two clients who had older computers that didn’t have cameras.  A workaround for this scenario is to suggest folks purchase a separate camera. Most external cameras have a USB port that you can plug right into a laptop without a lot of complications. This is generally an easy and seamless solution. 

Keep in mind that you want to have anything you want to use when you’re interacting with your client handy. If you’ve got a live demo-dog or a stuffed animal make sure they are close. Be sure you have your treat pouch, clicker, and anything else you might need for a demo nearby. Things like a food puzzle, muzzle, or harness might be helpful for your session and should be within arm’s reach.

Remote Dog Training Consults – Booking and Payment

The next step is making sure that you can schedule appointments and get paid for your time. As mentioned previously, I frequently use the Zoom platform. Within the Zoom interface you are able to create a meeting link, which you can send to clients. The link also automatically populates in your calendar. The advantage of having appointments auto-populate, either via Zoom or with a scheduler like Acuity is you are less likely to double book or forget an appointment altogether. 

Pet Trainer HQ uses Acuity scheduling, which handles booking and payments, and sending appointment notifications with a Zoom meeting link.

There are also several online payment options. Most people are familiar with PayPal, which is an online platform that will link with your bank account. For U.S based trainers, Venmo is a payment app that doesn’t have a fee. Some other payment choices include Stripe, Amazon Payments, Dwolla, and Braintree.

Online Dog Training Consults – Logistics (Background, Lighting, Sound)

Once you’ve sorted your camera, scheduling, and payment, the next important logistics are background, lighting, and sound. 

You want to have a clean background and a quiet spot where you can work. Moreover, you want to take into consideration any other potential extraneous noises. Sounds like an accidental video playing in the background, outside traffic, or client dog’s barking that could get your own dogs barking would be things to think about and proactively sort ahead of time. 

A professional online image is as important as your image in real life, so you want to confirm that whatever is in your client’s line of view looks tidy. Having a neat and quiet space for your work is important because it helps your clients to stay focused on what you’re discussing.

The background refers to what your client will see behind you during the video conference. You want to make sure that you have a tidy workspace. Before going online, take a glance around your meeting area and pick up random dog toys. Check that there isn’t a lot of clutter or that there aren’t distracting items in the camera view.  You also want to take note of the location of mirrors and other reflective surfaces like picture frames which could inadvertently add unintended images into the scene.  

Another critical component of doing remote dog training consults is lighting. A good way to test your lighting set up is with your cell phone. Move around and take a photo or shoot a video while you check out different spots to get the best light. You want to think about various times of day as they will give you different lighting and shadows.

An additional consideration for a successful remote training consult is sound. Be sure that your sound quality is good. Determine if you need a separate microphone. Most laptop computers have a built-in mic. and in most cases, it is sufficient. Also think about situations where you might need to do a demonstration  away from the screen. Be sure that you speak loud enough and enunciate clearly and that your microphone is strong enough to capture your voice.

Virtual Dog Training Consults – Record Keeping

I have two laptops–and it’s like command central! With two computers I have a comfortable set up for viewing and for note taking. It’s really helpful to think about how you’ll compile notes so that you can email them to your client afterward. This enables your client to be able to focus on the lesson vs. trying to jot down reminders.  

Additionally, with online behavior consults, you have the benefit of being able to record and send the session to your client. This way they can review your meeting and go back to any parts that they might have found confusing or might like to review. At first you might cringe when recording training sessions, but video is a good tool which clients often find very helpful.

Remote Dog Training Consults – Handy Tips

When moving to working virtually it is important to ensure that you sell the benefits to clients.  The model that most people are accustomed to is that either you go to their home or a specific spot, or they come to you. Sometimes people pose the question, “How will you understand the behavior problems that I’m having if you’re not here to see them?”

Since you don’t want to encourage a dog to practice unwanted behaviors, ask clients to take a short video on their phone, and send a little snippet so it’s possible to observe the situation.

Another advantage is that working virtually can eliminate flooding. If you go into the home of a fearful dog this might exacerbate their anxiety.  Some dogs feel more relaxed working in their own house without a stranger present. With fearful dogs, clients can also use headphones to further minimize disruptions.

There’s also the convenience of scheduling. There’s no commute time, which is a bonus on the trainer side too. This means that sometimes you might be able to do appointments at times that are closer together than others, or later or earlier than you might otherwise be able to offer in person.

Remote Dog Training Consults – Effective Communication

Working virtually provides the perfect opportunity to finesse communication skills and to use and become more fluent with techniques like TAG points. 

For example, when working on behavior issues in person it might be tempting to just grab the leash and show the client the skill yourself. However, when consulting online, instead you’ll need to do a demonstration with your dog or with a stuffed dog and then walk the clients through the mechanics of the behavior. This process also helps us remember to break down skills into small approximations which facilitates skill mastery. 

If working virtually is new for you, you want to make things as easy on your end as possible too.  Preparing some TAG points in advance can help the lesson flow more smoothly.  Too, I often send clients an email ahead of a lesson and let them know of any props, special treats, etc.  that they need for our meeting. 

A final advantage of working online is the ability to share your screen. This affords you the option of creating some PowerPoint slides or to preparing a video and then share your desktop to show concepts to clients.

Virtual animal training and behavior consulting have many advantages, the least of which isn’t that we can still successfully help modify and teach behaviors online with clients!

 

 

Don’t Panic! When it comes to helping dogs with separation anxiety there is relief.

Separation anxiety in dogs can be an extremely debilitating behavioral issue for both the animal and the pet parent. This year I’ll be presenting on the topic of separation anxiety in dogs at ClickerExpo and wanted to have a graphic available that I could hand out and that folks could download.

With an idea for the “Don’t Panic! Helping Dogs with Separation Anxiety” graphic in mind I reached out to world renowned artist Lily Chin. She was able to collaboratively help put my thoughts about the different aspects of the poster together into the format that is laid out in this post. (Note: If you would like to download a high resolution version of the “Don’t Panic! Helping Dogs with Separation Anxiety” poster, scroll to the bottom of this post.)

1. Understand: Separation anxiety in a dog is like a panic attack.

Separation anxiety in dogs is like a panic attack. A dog is not naughty and not misbehaving; he’s not being vengeful or trying to get back at you about something. When he displays the types of behavior generally associated with separation anxiety, they are rooted in fear, anxiety, and stress.

Separation anxiety is when the dog is feeling anxious and panicked at the fact that he is alone or without access to you. The resulting behaviors are often involuntary, much like if you were terrified about something and you started to shake. It’s not something that you’re doing on purpose. It’s something that is as a result of that underlying fear component.

2. Remember: An anxious dog is not giving you a hard time. He is having a hard time.

The above quote helps people to reframe what the dog is experiencing if the dog is behaving in a way that they don’t necessarily like. To clarify, there is no good behavior or bad behavior—behavior is just information and communication.

Therefore, if a dog is behaving in a manner we do not necessarily want to repeat, take a look at the reason for the behavior. If the behavior is occurring as a result of fear, anxiety, stress or a combination of those three issues, then these would be the underlying concerns. The anxiety would be the problem to address vs. the behavior the displays while “giving”  you a hard time.

Approaching the issue from the perspective that the dog is the one having a hard time, enables us to be more compassionate about what’s going on. Then we can try to address it in a way that helps the dog versus thinking about punishment strategies, which of course I would never recommend. Thinking about the situation in terms of a dog not giving you a hard time, but having a hard time, helps us compassionately take a look at the overall approach.

3. Recognize: Dogs communicate stress via body language.

Dogs are great communicators but sometimes we find that people may not recognize what the dog is trying to convey. Examples of subtle versions of a dog communicating anxiety and stress might include the following. Anxiety can be conveyed via a behavior called “whale eye.” Whale eye is when the dog looks away, and we see him looking back with a lot of the whites of his eyes showing. Also, dogs might yawn, or do something out of context like panting heavily, when they haven’t been exercising. They might raise just one front paw, or a dog might look away or try to move away from you.

All of these more “subtle signs” of body language are indicative of the dog not feeling comfortable. We say subtler because when we take the behavior up a few notches, and the dog has to communicate more directly, that’s when we’re talking about things like a growl, an air snap, or a bite.

We never want to have a dog in a situation where he feels he has to raise his level of communication to those interactions before we understand that he’s trying to communicate his lack of comfort.

4. Identify: Learning the dog’s history (cargo shipments, schedule changes, singleton pup, etc.) and genetic factors which contribute to separation anxiety.

In this section we’re talking about looking at the possible contributing factors towards a dog suffering from separation anxiety. While there’s currently no one definitive cause, there are several aspects that might influence whether or not we see this type of anxiety in a dog.

As shown in the graphic, some of those circumstances include, a dog shipped via cargo while young. A change in the daily routine or schedule can be a catalyst, too. An example is if someone previously worked outside of the home begins working from home, and then goes back to working outside of the home.

Another issue might be a pup who raised without any siblings, or a singleton pup. There are also some genetic markers that are being looked at now. Often it’s a combination of nature and nurture, as with most behavioral issues.

5. Use More than the single factor solutions like the crate and a KONG.

Both crates and KONG toys have a great place in behavior modification and training. Kongs are fantastic food puzzles for enrichment and they can help to provide mental stimulation. Crates, when of course trained positively, can be helpful for situations where the dog needs to relax, perhaps at the groomers or at a vet’s office, or even during transport.

However, when we’re observing separation anxiety in dogs, frequently a food puzzle or a crate doesn’t address the underlying issue–anxiety. As such, we want to use a more comprehensive approach where we try to help resolve the underlying stress.

6. Resolve: Use a desensitization protocol.

When talking about resolving separation anxiety in dogs, the way that we can get to a point where an animal feels more comfortable when alone is to use a specific protocol dedicated to desensitization. We occasionally pair some aspects with some counter conditioning as well.

What we’re looking to do is to enable the dog to feel comfortable at first with movements, and then with movements associated with departure. We call the types of cues associated with your leaving, “pre-departure cues.” Slowly, over time, we add in the pre-departure cues and expand the duration with the specific desensitization protocol so that we help the dog with separation anxiety to feel comfortable and confident when he’s alone.

7. Support: Work with only positive reinforcement.

Working with positive reinforcement is the key to any behavior modification and training plan. Anytime we have a behavior we don’t want to see repeated, step one is to  identify what is supporting the behavior. Specifically, we want to look at what is causing the behavior to be repeated and to continue to occur. Then we want to look at the underlying cause and see what we can do to change that behavior. We take this approach instead of trying to stop or decrease behavior which can have dangerous consequences.

Working with a qualified dog training professional and working with positive reinforcement will help the dog to build confidence. With positive reinforcement, we observe the behavior, and then we mark the behavior, and then finally we reinforce behaviors that we want to see happen with more frequency. Behaviors that are reinforced are repeated. Ultimately, we want to reinforce those behaviors that we’d like to see more of.

8. Think: Teamwork – collaborate with your veterinarian, trainer, and other support.

When working with a dog who may suffer from separation anxiety my first suggestion is that the family make an appointment with their veterinarian to rule out any potential medical reason for the unwanted behaviors that they are seeing.

During the veterinary appointment I also encourage them to have a comprehensive chat with their vet about what’s going on and the possibility of medications if the vet believes that meds would be appropriate. It is about a teamwork approach to resolving the issue—a teamwork approach between the pet parent, the veterinarian, and the trainer.

Sometimes we might involve other dog care professionals, such as a doggy daycare facility or a dog walker. The goal is for everybody to work together to help the dog ultimately feel more comfortable when he’s home alone.

9. Keep Track: Data helps you to see the nonlinear progress.

Sometimes people will toss out ideas for resolving issues. I always go back to a quote by Doctor Susan Friedman, which is, “Show me the data.” If we can show and demonstrate data, or better yet, scientific data, then we can look at whether or not this is valid information.

When working on separation anxiety in dogs, we’re often working with tiny criteria increases. As such, it’s beneficial to document what’s going on with the dog. It’s productive to document what we’re working on, to document the protocols, and to document any changes in the environment that might affect things.

For example, if a dog has had a lot of exercise at doggy daycare on one particular day, maybe the pup appears calmer on those days. Or, if one person in the house is away for a business trip, perhaps that’s a more difficult week for the dog. Maybe a family vacation where the dog is boarding equates to a particularly challenging week for the dog. All of those factors can play into our overall plan for helping the dog to feel more comfortable when alone. As such, data tracking is a critical point in our overall separation anxiety protocol.

10. Imagine: Relaxation is possible!

Having a relaxed and calm dog is most definitely possible. For example, I have clients who now can go out, stay out away for several hours, and leave their calm dog home alone.

The ability to have your dog comfortable while home alone is life-changing not only for the dog but for human families too. I had one mom who is now able to go grocery shopping–something that we probably take for granted. A dog staying home alone and feeling relaxed when previously he was howling, eliminating, and chewing things up in the house is possible.

I have several clients who now can go out and about their regular daily lives while their dogs are relaxed and nonchalant at home. At the end of my upcoming presentation at ClickerExpo, I’ll be sharing some of these success stories.

But just by way of a few examples, I have one mom who was able to go to a spin class, which entails her being gone from home for two and a half hours with the commuting time back and forth to the class. I worked with a dad who’s able to go out and work from a coffee shop. He works remotely, but this allows him much more flexibility. He can meet with clients during the day because he now has a dog that can relax calmly at home and no longer suffers from anxiety when he’s separated from his people.

If your dog currently suffers from separation anxiety, know that relaxation is possible!

Get relief from the desolation of your dog’s separation anxiety.

Have you been thwarted by previous training attempts? You need a highly-trained specialist—an expert who devotes her days to resolving dog desolation distress.

I offer a distinctively successful approach to separation anxiety issues with daily guidance and extensive encouragement. If you and your dog are suffering from your dog’s separation anxiety, sign up for my Separation Anxiety Program. I’ll help dissolve your despair.

Schedule your first session today

 

**You can download the full sized separation anxiety graphic by clicking on the image below**

 

If you think your dog might be displaying signs of separation anxiety, what is the very first thing you should do?

The signs of separation anxiety in dogs are not always easily discernable. If you think your dog might be displaying signs of separation anxiety, or if you’re worried that your dog is actually suffering from separation anxiety, the first thing that you want to do is make an appointment with your veterinarian. You should do a vet check to rule out any possible medical reasons for the behaviors (excessive barking, urinating, defecating, etc) that you are seeing.

 When you go to the vet, you’ll want to let your veterinarian know how long the behavior has been going on and when it happens. You might even want to chat with your vet about the possibility of medication for your canine. Sometimes people are really worried about anxiety medication, looking to try everything else prior to exploring meds as an option. However, with respect to separation anxiety in dogs, there are some instances where medication is appropriate in combination with behavior modification.

With meds, we are never looking to change the dog’s personality or to completely sedate them, but to allow them to relax enough so that potentially they could work on some behavior modification. Again, having that conversation with your vet is an important piece of the puzzle. 

Who can decide if a dog actually has separation anxiety?

If your pup is having trouble being left alone, and displaying perhaps other signs of separation anxiety in dogs, that is actually something that a veterinarian would need to diagnose. 

How do you know if a dog has separation anxiety, or might be suffering from something else like isolation distress?

If you’re worried about your dog having separation anxiety, after you’ve done a vet check, then you want to parse out whether or not you might truly be talking about separation anxiety or the more common type of anxiety known as isolation distress.

Separation anxiety is a big umbrella term for this behavior problem. But true separation anxiety, where a dog is experiencing something similar to a panic attack, is fortunately, rarer. True dog separation anxiety is when the canine is only comfortable with one specific person. From a management perspective, that is a really difficult situation. With isolation distress, we’re talking about a dog who’s able to relax as long as there is any human present. Again, from the management side of things, this makes it a little bit easier to work on suspending absences while addressing the problem, or the underlying issue of the anxiety the dog is experiencing.

What are some signs that your dog might have separation anxiety?

Possible behaviors associated with separation anxiety in dogs include (not a complete list):

• barking, howling, whining, eliminating in the house, chewing inappropriate objects when alone, panting, pacing, crate escape attempts, confinement escape attempts (from x-pen or a room), drooling/wet muzzle

Often online you might see questions about a dog who’s eliminating inside and people wonder if it’s a house-training issue. People might be talking about their dog barking on and on for a long period of time when home alone and folks are asking how to stop the behavior. Or, someone might be asking for online help about their dog’s destructive behavior. However, many times people might not put together the pieces that all of these behaviors may amount to a dog actually suffering from separation anxiety.

If a dog is eliminating or vocalizing, or being destructive, or even pacing and panting, we want to first address the underlying cause or reason for the behavior. This is the key before thinking about trying to stop or reduce the behaviors. Even more important would be to figure out why the behavior is occurring in the first place. If it’s a result of the dog suffering from separation anxiety, then you would want to address the anxiety and try to help the dog feel more relaxed and calm.

If a dog is showing signs of separation anxiety should the pet parents watch remotely to see what is going on in their absence? 

Yes, one way to take a good look at what’s going on with your dog is to watch what’s happening remotely. If you don’t have a camera you could do a FaceTime to Facetime with your smartphone and another device like a laptop or an iPad.  You could also do that same setup with a Zoom to Zoom or Skype to Skype meeting between your smartphone and another device.

What you would want to do is set up your device in the house in a place where it’s safe from your dog. Perhaps leave it on a counter where you can see what’s going on. If you anticipate that your dog is going to go right to the door when you depart, you would want to set it up so that you have a view of the doorway. Ideally, you’d have a view of the dog coming to the door. You also would want to set up this observation at a time when you can come back. If you’re leaving to go to work all day, that would not necessarily be the optimal time to look in on your dog. If the dog is suffering and is vocalizing or being destructive, you’d want to be able to come back to relieve that anxiety asap. 

Are some signs of separation anxiety in dogs more significant?

Sometimes people will say, “Well, my dog is only barking.” Or  “My dog is only pacing and doing a lot of panting.” Or “I come home and his muzzle is wet like he’s been drooling all day, but he’s not destructive.”

What you want to recognize is that any type of behaviors that are displayed as a result of a dog having anxiety are still things that we would want to address. Even if the dog hasn’t reached the point where they’re eating the doorframe and thus escaping from the home that doesn’t necessarily mean that the separation anxiety is any less of a problem for that dog.

Just like with people, long term chronic stress can produce both physical as well as psychological issues. Addressing the underlying reason for the behavior, in this case, separation anxiety, is equally important.

Whether or not the separation anxiety is demonstrated with behaviors that are hugely problematic or seemingly more benign, stress is stress, and you still want to resolve the reason for the behaviors and try to help get the dog some help and relief.

What do pet parents do if they want to stop the behaviors around separation anxiety?

As I’ve mentioned above, if your dog is showing signs of separation anxiety, what we really want to do is address the underlying cause of the separation anxiety in the dog and use only positive reinforcement. The behaviors frequently are a symptom of the underlying stress. If your dog is fearful, anxious or stressed due to separation anxiety or isolation distress then you want to address that anxiety. You want to help him feel more relaxed, calm, and comfortable when he doesn’t have access to a person. Trying to stop or decrease the behavior doesn’t get at the root of the problem.

Let’s say a dog is being destructive, and someone decides to put the dog in a crate. While the dog isn’t able to chew up the couch while crated, he may decide to try to break out of the crate, he might turn to self-injurious behaviors, or he might begin to exhibit other types of behavioral problems. Maybe he’ll eliminate or maybe he could hurt himself trying to escape from the crate. Just avoiding the destruction hasn’t determined the reason for the destruction.

In the case of separation anxiety in dogs, if the behavioral problems are a result of an underlying anxiety issue, then you need to address the anxiety. Once the anxiety is appropriately resolved, typically through a desensitization protocol, subsequent problem behaviors or behaviors that are problems as a result of the anxiety go away, too.

Separation Anxiety in Dogs Series Episode 3 – Signs of Separation Anxiety in Dogs

Get relief from the desolation of your dog’s separation anxiety.

Have you been thwarted by previous training attempts? You need a highly-trained specialist—an expert who devotes her days to resolving dog desolation distress.

I offer a distinctively successful approach to separation anxiety issues with daily guidance and extensive encouragement. If you and your dog are suffering from your dog’s separation anxiety, sign up for my Separation Anxiety Program. I’ll help dissolve your despair.

Schedule your first session today