Don’t we need to see the behavior to know how to change it?
Before I decided to specialize exclusively in separation anxiety, I fielded this question a lot. Many of my clients with aggressive dogs in particular strongly believed that I needed to see Fido snapping at visitors to successfully change the behavior. The case can certainly be made (as I did many times) that it isn’t necessary (or ethical) to put dogs and people in danger and risk a bite solely for the purpose of observation. Especially when we can safely and accurately surmise why Fido would do such a thing and what the best course of action would be without pushing a dog past their threshold.
But what about for separation anxiety dogs?
As my special guest and mentor Malena DeMartini and I discuss in this episode, we strongly believe in the importance of an initial absence assessment before embarking on a home alone protocol. We take a deep dive in all things initial assessments: what they are, why they are important, and how to conduct them.
In this episode of the Believe in Your Dog Podcast, you will learn:
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Malena’s website
Malena on Instagram
Malena on Facebook
Malena’s book
Schedule an initial assessment with a CSAT
Learn more about Mission Possible, Malena’s DIY online training course. Use coupon code CSAT50 for $50 off.
How to watch and record your assessment using Zoom
Body language resources: Doggie Language by Lili Chin and Bravo Dog’s Body Language course
