Separation Anxiety Program

Your dog barks, howls, or destroys things when you leave. Maybe they try to escape or soil the house. Or maybe they panic the moment you pick up your keys. Maybe a neighbour has complained. Maybe you have not been able to leave your dog alone for months.

This is called separation anxiety or isolation distress. It is not disobedience, it is not spite, and it is not something your dog will "grow out of." It is a genuine panic response — your dog is not choosing to misbehave, they are unable to cope with being alone.

The good news: dogs can learn to be relaxed while being home alone. Not with medication alone, not with crate training, not with "tough love." It is done through systematic desensitization — gradually teaching your dog that being alone is safe, at a pace they can handle.

We are certified separation anxiety specialists. This is not a side offering — it is a focused program built around the protocols that actually work.

How to Tell If Your Dog Has Separation Anxiety

Seeing your dog destroy things or struggle when left alone can be frustrating—but it doesn’t always mean separation anxiety. Some dogs are bored. Some are not getting enough exercise. Some have never been taught what to do when alone. Understanding the difference is essential.

Here’s how to recognize the big signs that point to separation anxiety:

Excessive barking, howling, or whining
Chewing or destroying floors, walls, windows and doors, particularly around entrances
Frantic attempts to escape, sometimes to the point of self-harm
House soiling even though the dog is fully potty trained
Pacing, drooling, trembling, or refusing to eat when alone
Getting anxious well before you leave the house

How the Program Works

This program runs entirely online. We do not come to your home — and there is a good reason for that.

The goal is to work within your dog’s real, everyday routine, not a modified scenario.

If we were to come to your home, your dog’s environment and behavior would immediately change. They wouldn’t be experiencing a normal “alone” situation, so we wouldn’t be seeing what actually happens when they’re alone.

By working remotely, we can observe and guide you through what truly happens when your dog is left alone—leading to more effective and lasting results.

Here is how it works:

Step 1 — Initial forms.

We start by sending you detailed forms to complete. This allows us to gather as much information as possible about your dog’s history, daily routine, and current behavior when left alone.

The more we understand at this stage, the more precise and effective the plan will be.
Step 2 — Assessment and Baseline.

Once we’ve reviewed your forms, we schedule an online video call to go through everything together. During this session, we clarify key details, answer your questions, and guide you through how the process will work.

Based on the information you provide, we begin establishing your dog’s baseline—their current threshold for being alone before signs of anxiety appear. For some dogs, this may be several minutes; for others, just a few seconds.

This baseline becomes the foundation of the entire training process.
Step 3 — Daily personalized training plans.

We give you a training plan for each day. You record each session. We review the recordings and adjust the plan for the next day.

This is not a one-size-fits-all program. The pace is set by your dog. Some days you move forward. Some days you stay where you are. Some days you take a step back. That is normal and expected.
Step 4 — Ongoing support.

You send recordings, we review them, we adjust the plan. This continues until your dog can handle the duration you need. For most families, the goal is being able to leave for a certain amount of time a day, a grocery trip, or a dinner out without their dog falling apart.

What This Program Is Not

It is not a quick fix.

Separation anxiety takes time to resolve. . Some dogs make fast progress. Others need months. We will give you an honest assessment of what to expect for your specific dog.
It is not medication-based.

We do not prescribe medication. In some cases, medication prescribed by a veterinarian can help alongside the training, and we will tell you if we think that conversation with your vet is worth having. But the core of the program is behavior modification.
It is not crate training.

Putting a dog with separation anxiety in a crate does not teach them to be calm. It traps them with their panic. Some dogs injure themselves trying to escape. If your dog is genuinely anxious, the crate is not the answer.
It is not "letting them cry it out."

Flooding — leaving a panicking dog alone and waiting for them to stop — does not work. It can make things worse. Our approach is the opposite: we work below the threshold of panic so your dog never has to experience full-blown distress.

Why Online

You might be wondering why this program is not done in person. Three reasons:

Your dog needs to actually be alone.

The goal is to work within your dog’s real, everyday routine, not a modified scenario.

If we were to come to your home, your dog’s environment and behavior would immediately change. They wouldn’t be experiencing a normal “alone” situation, so we wouldn’t be seeing what actually happens when they’re alone.

By working remotely, we can observe and guide you through what truly happens when your dog is left alone—leading to more effective and lasting results.
Daily adjustments matter more than weekly visits.

Separation anxiety training works best when the plan is updated every day based on how your dog did. A weekly in-person session cannot keep up with that pace.
It works from anywhere.

You do not need to be in Dubai. We work with clients in the UAE, Europe, North America, and Asia. Your location does not matter — what matters is consistency and following the plan.

About Your Trainer

Anna is a certified Separation Anxiety Behavior Consultant, trained under Julie Naismith's program — one of the most respected separation anxiety certifications in the world. She is also IAABC-accredited.

This is not general dog training advice applied to separation anxiety. This is a specialized program from someone who has focused specifically on this problem and understands the research behind it.

Common Questions

How long does the program take?

It depends on your dog. Some dogs go faster than others. Some dogs have more history of bad experiences than others. We will be honest about the timeline during your assessment — we do not make promises we cannot keep.
Can they overcome separation anxiety?

Yes, — dogs can learn to be comfortable alone.. It does not always mean they become a dog who loves being alone, but they can learn that being alone is safe and manageable.
My dog is fine for 20 minutes but panics after that.

Is that separation anxiety?

Possibly. What often happens is that dogs are not completely “fine” during those first 20 minutes—they may already be showing subtle signs of stress that are easy to miss, such as pacing, tension, or increased alertness.

They’re essentially coping… until they can’t anymore. Once they pass their threshold, the anxiety becomes much more obvious (barking, destruction, attempts to escape).
I live outside Dubai — can I still do this?

Yes. The program is entirely online. We work with clients worldwide. All you need is a phone or camera to record your dog, and a way to send us the recordings.
Does my dog need medication?

Not necessarily. Some dogs benefit from medication alongside the training — especially in severe cases where the anxiety is so high that they cannot engage with the desensitization exercises. We will talk about this during the assessment and, if appropriate, suggest you discuss options with your veterinarian. We do not prescribe medication ourselves.

Get Started

If your dog cannot be left alone, we can help. Start with a consultation — we will talk about what is happening, whether this is truly separation anxiety, and what the program would look like for your dog.

Call or WhatsApp: +971 58 828 4452

Email: info@wellbehaved.ae