Support for dogs with separation anxiety in Worcestershire, and far and wide

Training designed specifically for dogs who struggle when left alone

The face of a Husky dog surrounded by a soft cream blanket

Learn how to effectively teach your dog to feel safe home alone, so you can both experience freedom and independence.

Separation anxiety in dogs can be stressful and frustrating

You love them, no question, but…

You might feel trapped in your own home, or perhaps feel preoccupied with the distress you’ve left behind at home when you do go out.

Separation issues can be complex, these packages take out the guesswork so you can introduce alone-time to your dog with clarity.

If you’re on this page you are probably worried about your dog’s behaviour and wellbeing when you leave the house.

Maybe you rarely leave the house at all now to avoid these issues.

Let’s change that!

Common signs that your dog may have separation issues:

  • Barking, whining or howling

  • Destructive behaviour

  • Toileting in the house

  • Panting, pacing, drooling, shaking

  • Or simply standing and staring at the door

…when you leave them at home alone.

A tan and white bull breed dog lying on a raised bed, watching out the window as if being left home alone

If you’d love to be able to leave the house without a military operation…

…and without spending your time away from your dog watching the upset unfold on camera, then this is the place for you.

As much as you love your dog they can’t always be with you, and you would love to be able to go for outings safe in the knowledge that your dog is just chilling at home without you.

Many people come to me after trying other things, calming products, enrichment, or leaving comfort items behind, only to find their dog is still distressed. That’s because separation anxiety is rarely as simple as that. It’s an emotional response that needs a gradual, tailored approach

Resolving separation anxiety in dogs can feel overwhelming. The packages below are a supportive, comprehensive and simple path to teaching your dog to relax whilst you’re away from them.

Why this support is carried out online

Separation anxiety is one of the behaviour concerns where online support is often the most effective option.

Because the goal is to understand how your dog behaves when home alone, working remotely allows me to observe your dog in their normal environment without my presence altering their behaviour.

This also means we can work through training in real-life situations, helping you build confidence and progress at a pace your dog can cope with, wherever you’re based.


My own personal experience with separation anxiety in dogs

Naomi the behaviourist's shepherd dog Max, lying, panting long grass, pictures at his head level

My own dog, Max, developed separation issues when my work routine changed. I had no idea anything was wrong until a neighbour let me know he was barking and howling for hours whenever I was out.

A camera confirmed that he was pacing, panting, and vocalising almost constantly. I felt heartbroken seeing him so upset. Like many cases of separation anxiety in dogs, it wasn’t something we could just ignore.

I understand this personally.

With patience and consistent training, Max gradually went from frantic to being able to relax for increasing stretches of time.

It was quite a celebration when I was able to head out for multiple hours, confident that he was relaxed at home! I know firsthand just how transformative this journey can be.

It felt like freedom for both of us

“Naomi’s separation anxiety training has been life changing for our dog Jasper and us!”

“Jasper previously would sprint to the door and bark at even the hint of us leaving him, meaning we had to co-ordinate our lives to ensure he was never left. After a few months of working with Naomi and her structured training plans, that were easy to follow, adaptable to our lifestyle and achievable, we are in a very different place.

We’ve gradually worked through leaving for a few seconds to now getting a super relaxed dog that’s happy to be left for 2.5 hours! Naomi gave us loads of great advice on separation anxiety and other related problems, was really patient when we couldn’t do as much training as we liked and responded super quickly to any questions we had.

Overall, we are delighted to have a relaxed dog that is happy to be left for a couple of hours, all thanks to Naomi’s training.”

~ Ben and Jasper

Red cockapoo Jasper lying on a dark grey sofa with his head on a cream coloured pillow, looking very relaxed as he does now following separation anxiety training.
A still image from a video of white cockapoo 'Tato' lying on a grey sofa, sleeping during alone time after successful separation anxiety training

“Now we are easily able to smash 3+ hours where he mostly sleeps the time away!”

Its been quite some months since Tato (anxious Cockapoo) and I worked with Naomi but wow we’ve come a long long way!

We got 8 weeks of support through Naomi and when we started Tato could manage around 5 minutes alone in the house without becoming pretty distressed.
It takes patience and commitment but so worth it in the end.
I can’t recommend this training enough 😃 Picture of a chilled Tato a good few hours in to being without a human the house!

This training package is tailored to your individual dog. From the videos and descriptions you send, to the thorough consultation, we come up with a plan that’s for your dog, and tailored to your individual feedback.

And it’s designed specifically for dog guardians like you: committed, caring, and ready to make the changes needed to move forwards.

How I can help

Separation Support Package

£580

Practical, personalised support to help you understand your dog’s behaviour, feel more confident handling challenging situations, and make everyday life easier for both of you.

  • Before We Meet

    As soon as you book in you will receive your welcome guide and gain access to the course Relaxed Dog Roadmap so you can dive in and start learning the foundations at your own pace, as soon as you’re ready.

    You’ll also complete a questionnaire and your vet referral will be requested. You can send me relevant videos too, so I can start getting to know your dog before we meet.

     

  • Session One – Understanding your dog

    We have up to two hours to explore your dog’s history, behaviour, health, environment, routine and current needs, as well as making observations of them in their home environment. We’ll start to create their support plan straight away.

     

  • Written Support Plan

    I’ll take time to reflect on what we’ve learned and develop and send your personalised Behaviour Support Plan.

    As you begin putting things into practice, I’ll give you personalised guidance on what to observe and track so that we can understand what’s happening in your dog’s everyday life.

    We’ll use what you learn between sessions to review and adapt your plan as we go.

    We start out with our first 1-2 week foundations.

     

  • Veterinary summary

    I’ll send a summary of our consultation to your vet, so they’re fully informed and everyone on your dog’s team is on the same page to support your dog.

     

  • Extra support materials

    You’ll also get helpful videos, handouts, and links to trusted resources – all chosen to make the training clearer and easier to put into practice.

     

  • 30 minute follow up

    A chance to catch up, ask questions and relay response to the foundations so we can further tailor the plan and boost progress.

     

  • Daily absence tasks

    Each weekday over the next two weeks, I’ll send you clear training steps based on how things are going so you always know what to do next and never feel stuck.

     

  • 30 minute follow up

    Another opportunity to review progress and decide next steps so you never have to feel alone with your dog’s training.

     

  • WhatsApp support throughout

    You’ll have direct access to me via WhatsApp to send updates, ask questions, and share videos so you’re supported between sessions, not just during them.

     

  • Option for further support

    After this package you can add on further support so you have me with you for as long as you and your dog need.

     

£580

Don’t forget if you have pet insurance they may reimburse you the fees of our sessions!

You can also pay in instalments using PayPal if eligible.

What’s it like to work together?

People who work with me often say they feel…

Understood, not judged

Supported, not overwhelmed

Empowered, not told what to do

They also describe feeling closer to their dog, more in control of their situation, and far less alone.

Sound like the kind of support you’ve been looking for?

The programmes outlined above mean I’m with you every step of the way.

  • You can get back to a life where you can nip to the shop, go out for coffee with friends, and go into the office for in person meetings!

  • We can teach your dog to relax when home alone.

  • Just imagine: no complaints from neighbours, no worrying about what you’re going to come home to. Know your dog is safe and relaxed at home.

  • Separation anxiety programmes are carried out online which has increased successful outcomes hugely. Remote training has revolutionised separation anxiety training. Lower waiting times, no travel costs, and no “trainer effects” where your dog behaves totally differently because someone else is there with you. By using videos and video calls, I see exactly what you see. The most effective separation anxiety training approach by far.

Separation anxiety has no quick fix, but however long it takes, you have access to the support you need. Many insurance policies will even reimburse you the fees.

Once you’ve completed your initial package, if you want to add on more support, we have options available for you.

Apricot coloured Poodle 'Hugo' lying on a dark grey carpets wearing a grey waistcoat with colourful rosettes on his lead.

“Naomi has been fantastic at helping us work on our pup’s separation anxiety”

Due to him having lots of health issues as a puppy we weren’t able to leave him alone initially, and therefore when we tried to attempt small absences it became apparent he had separation anxiety. We tried all the little tricks you read about online and all the ‘dog pheromones’ that are supposed to help, but without any success.

Since working with Naomi, our dog has developed confidence and resilience when being alone. He has come so far already. He can now handle 1hr absences easily, and is able to bounce back more quickly from setbacks.

Both me and my husband highly recommend working with Naomi, and have found her to be a huge support, both for our dog and also for us – dealing with any dog anxiety can be really stressful!”

~ Gabby and Hugo

So what’s the process?

1. Get in touch

Send an email or give us a call to share a bit about your dog and your concerns. We can book in a free chat and if it feels like a good fit for your dog we’ll get you booked in! There will never be any pressure.

2. We’ll create a support plan together

Before the session you’ll get access to some resources to get you started. The information you provide before and at our first session will start the development of your dog’s support plan.

3. Developing your dog’s plan

As you put things into practice, we’ll review what’s happening, answer questions and adapt your dog’s support plan based on what we learn.

“I don’t know where we’d be without Naomi’s help”

Naomi has been brilliant at listening to our needs and helping us to understand our dog Blue’s separation anxiety.

We chose Naomi’s separation anxiety package because we just couldn’t leave Blue home alone without him stressing, howling and at worst scratching at the doors.

Naomi gave us a bespoke plan for Blue that we followed over the weeks, with consistency and patience we can finally leave Blue resting and happy for nearly an hour.”

~ Alex and Blue

White Labradoodle 'Blue' looking to camera, soft panting, with his front legs over a person's bare leg.

FAQ’s for separation anxiety in dogs

1. Why is the separation anxiety training done online? Can that really work?

The separation anxiety training is generally done online – but don’t worry! This is a great thing. Pre-pandemic I did in-person separation anxiety training and still needed assessments done by video.

Me being there means the dog is not alone! You and a visitor all trudging in and out of the house adds stress or excitement that gets in the way of the calmness we are aiming for.

Through video calls and, if needed, temporary shared access to camera apps, I can see your dog exactly as you do, can communicate with you without your dog knowing I’m there and guide you through the process with your dog settled and none the wiser. This makes it far more accurate and success rates have increased. Read more HERE.

2. Do I need to be tech savvy to do this training?

Definitely not! We can get started with Zoom, a simple, free, online app to get us going. I’ve had lots of people who started out feeling unsure but soon got to grips with it. I’ll help you out if you’re struggling; we can have a test meeting to check everything works before we get going.

There’s no need to spend lots of time or money on extravagant camera equipment. There are lots of really simple pet cams on the market these days if you are happy to go down this route.


3. How much time do I need to set aside for separation anxiety training?

I ask that you set aside 15-20 minutes per day, 5 days a week to start with. Obviously, once you are able to leave your dog for longer then there are going to be days where you will need longer. But you will soon be able to use these times to do chores or go for walks or shopping etc. It will become usable time. You won’t necessarily need to be doing long absences every day, it may be just once or twice a week depending on your goals.

I also know that despite best laid plans life doesn’t always allow for our ideal timeframes for training. So if we need to be more flexible in our approach then we can be. It’s not a problem.

4. Is separation anxiety in dogs the owner’s fault?

Absolutely not! There are lots of factors that can influence whether a dog develops separation anxiety.

Genetics, early attachment experiences, other rearing experiences, trauma and other anxieties. We’ll take a look at some possibilities for your individual dog, but there’s no blame game here. We are where we are, and the aim is to move forwards.

Sometimes there are changes to make to human behaviour, but don’t worry there’s no blanket bans for dogs sleeping on beds or having cuddles on the sofa!

5. How does the consultation process actually work?

If you’d like to know more about the process, what the consultation involves, more information about what a vet referral will entail, then I have some pages you can refer to HERE.

Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors (APBC) logo in white
Animal Behaviour and Training Council Registered Clinical Animal Behaviourist logo in white

Dealing with separation anxiety in dogs can be tough. But you’re not alone.

Ready to get started?

Get in touch to help your dog to feel safe home alone – and give you both your freedom back.