Question for separation anxiety experts!

[Separationanxietypatient]

I'm looking for some advice from separation anxiety experts. We have a one year old puppy with separation anxiety. We've had great advice, read books etc and are going through the separation protocol training very slowly (first just opening the door and shutting again - then going out for 5 seconds, 10 seconds etc). It seems to be working well.

The problem is that it's almost impossible to find a time to practice the separation protocol when there's no-one else in the house (i.e. with 3 kids and both me and my husband working full-time means there's always someone at home). So my query is whether the training still works if there's someone hiding upstairs?! We practice during the day when kids are at school - and we have a 3 storey house - so I can be going in and out of the front door downstairs and my husband can be two flights of stairs away upstairs working. But will puppy realise that there's someone in the house and be more reassured than if we actually all went out?

I don't like to think that we're going to all this effort (which seems to be paying off) and then it won't actually work when it comes to us all leaving the house together.

Very interested in views! Many thanks.

We are going through something similar but working with a behaviourist (simply because we absolutely do not want to get it wrong).

In our situation we were confused as our pup is very happy to spend 1-2 hours downstairs on her own whilst we work upstairs, but can't let us out of the door. In fact when we first started we couldn't even get out of the stair gate to the lounge, despite her happy being in their alone on her terms. Our behaviourist suggested that whilst someone is upstairs there will be background noise and smell that comforts pup, this disappears when you actually leave the house so whilst you can build up a good foundation of independence it's not the same.

Probably not the answer you want hear!

It is difficult to find time, we are both working full time and it's not the only training we are working on. Unfortunately separation anxiety is definitely not a slow fix!

I have had my 13 week old puppy for 3 weeks now, what should i be doing now to avoid separation anxiety? He already barks if I leave the room and waits at the door!

No - it won't work if there's someone at home. They instinctively know whether they're completely alone or not.

My beagle has separation anxiety. He's absolutely fine if I go and shower, take a bath or have a nap in a separate room to him, but as soon as I go out, he knows and his behaviour changes immediately.

Whereas if I go out and DH is still in bed, he knows and just trots upstairs for a cuddle.