So, why did I become a CSAT? Because you deserve to get the right information first and the resources you need to best support you and your dog on your journey to resolution.
Like most of life’s journeys there’s a much longer story behind the shortest version I can give you – his name was Cyrus, and he struggled with separation anxiety. I hope, though, you’ll continue reading and allow me to give you a slightly longer version. I hope, too, that it serves as a reminder that you are far from alone, whether that’s knowing others can truly empathize with what you are going through or we, as Certified Separation Anxiety Trainers (CSATs), are here to help you and your beloved dog.
Please meet the pup at the heart of it all. Cyrus was a goofy, curious, playful, gentle Beagle mix who loved nothing more than a good outdoor adventure with lots of sniffs followed by snuggling on the couch; it was love at first meet! He was a wonderful travel companion, great with kids, enjoyed the company of other dogs, got along well with cats (he lived with two), and had separation anxiety.
I neither knew about his fear of being home alone when I adopted him, nor much about separation anxiety. He was my first dog, and I had not yet begun down the path of becoming a certified professional dog trainer. I did, however, know what I was observing when I tried to leave him home alone did not seem “normal.” Almost instantly upon closing the door, he would begin howling and frantically pacing, followed by digging at the door frame and defecating. Needless to say I started to panic right along with him. I had no idea what to do aside from acting on my deep sense of responsibility to help him.
So, how did I begin? With Google, of course! Search after search suggested Cyrus was showing some of the most common signs of separation anxiety, so I called our vet, ordered a collection of interactive feeding toys, started randomly messing with my keys throughout the day and wearing my shoes around the house, and made sure he got an extra-long walk before practicing even 1-2 minutes of being home alone. Why? Because that’s what “pro tip” after “pro tip” returned in my searches.
Several months later, we were still stuck. This time my Google search was both more desperate and informed by our experiences with what wasn’t working. This time my Google search returned the information I so wish I’d known how to find (or had been given) when I first knew we needed help – we were dealing with a behavior issue akin to a phobia, it was treatable using a process by a fancy name I hadn’t yet heard of (systematic desensitization), this was not my fault, and there were more than 200 CSATs who specialized in helping dogs overcome this behavior issue. I emailed one of them. She responded, and that’s when Team Cyrus’s real journey to resolution began.
Caring for a dog with separation anxiety is hard, really hard. It requires managing the dog’s alone time, cultivating a village of support, and emotional labor. Knowing and believing there’s hope your dog will learn that alone time can feel safe and you’ll actually be able to regain your life is one thing. Going at the dog’s pace and riding the emotional roller coaster that accompanies working a separation anxiety training protocol to get there is quite another.
Like with any learning journey, especially those that involve behavior change, it’s impossible to answer that question most of us have in the back of our mind (I sure did with Cyrus!): How long will it take? I understood there was no timeline guarantee our CSAT could make. Though, I very quickly came to learn the value of her guarantee of support every step of the way. The learning process, just like with us humans, isn’t linear. The path to resolution comes with both ups and downs, and SO many questions along the way. My biggest question at the end of our time together – why had it been so hard to finally find the right resources to help us?
So, why did I become a CSAT? Because you deserve to get the right information first and the resources you need to best support you and your dog on your journey to resolution.
Before I adopted Cyrus, I was almost two decades into a career in public education that included both teaching high school and other teachers. Teaching and learning has always been a passion of mine, and I had developed a deep understanding of learning theory and positive, affirming approaches to behavior change before deciding to apply all of that to working with dogs and the humans who love them as a CSAT. I knew very quickly into finally seeing success once we began our separation anxiety training that I wanted our learning – the struggles and the wins – to help others with this shared experience get connected with the resources to truly help them much sooner than we did.
When I first described Cyrus as “life changing”, I had no idea how truly accurate that would be. Our journey to overcome his separation anxiety was not easy, but it was well worth it. I can empathize with the tension of feeling both hopeful and hopeless, of wanting to help your pup and not knowing how, and of wanting to simply walk (or run) out the door and be terrified of doing so. You are not alone. There is hope. And, my guarantee of support as your CSAT comes with the same level of care and concern for your dog’s and your well-being that Cyrus and I received.
Ready to get started together? Fill out this brief form for a free 30-minute discovery call: Separation Anxiety Support.
