Alone Time

Help your dog or puppy feel comfortable when you’re not around. Do lots of alone time practice with them.

Here is a sample video of alone time when you’re still in the room:

Here is a video of crate time practice. In the video I am building value for the crate. My dog gets several high value treats when he’s in his crate, and one low value treat for coming out of the crate. He chooses to go back into the crate for more treats. I play this ‘crate game’ for one or two minutes, several sessions per week. I gradually increase the time my dog spends in the crate. I continue to check how he feels about it by releasing him and seeing of he goes back into the crate on his own. This tells me he is still comfortable in his crate.

It’s also helpful to practice leaving your home very briefly (a few seconds at first).