ThDogs

“Guardians may feel panicked themselves when faced with the idea of working on separation anxiety without using food. So start small. Beginning with small increments of alone time, without a food toy, helps get the dog over the initial hump of not having a distraction; it also can yield the most lasting results. Just know that when I say small, I mean tiny. We can start with even 1 second — essentially, the guardian leaving and immediately returning — and create a series of repetitions of this activity. This repetition will lead to the dog eventually getting bored with all the brief comings and goings. Once bored, those 1-second absences can stretch to 2- or even 5-second absences, and the repetitions can proceed at the increased duration.”
― Malena Demartini-Price

“The people we surround ourselves with either raise or lower our standards. They either help us to become the best version of ourselves or encourage us to become lesser versions of ourselves. We become like our friends. No man becomes great on his own. No woman becomes great on her own. The people around them help to make them great.

We all need people in our lives who raise our standards, remind us of our essential purpose, and challenge us to become the best version of ourselves.”
― Matthew Kelly, The Rhythm of Life: Living Every Day with Passion and Purpose

“As trainers, we regularly work with food as reinforcement for desired behavior, so it truly feels strange not to use some sort of edible reward or feeding toy during training. I have found, however, that straight desensitization is incredibly powerful in separation anxiety cases. Time and time again, I have seen dogs realize success through the process of systematic desensitization. I urge you not to get stuck or create a false sense of security, as so many trainers and guardians do, by providing “comfort” food. Perhaps if we more accurately called it “distraction” food, we would rely on it less.”
― Malena Demartini-Price

“So the plan wasn't a clusterfuck, it was just circling the clusterfuck target zone, getting ready to come in for a landing.”
― Martha Wells, Exit Strategy