Leave the house without the howling, chewing or panic.
The complete handbook our trainers use with separation anxiety cases, with a plan for your dog's age and a week-by-week schedule to follow.
- A mild, moderate or severe self-check, so you start with the right plan
- Crate choice and setup, plus how to leave and come home calmly
- Week-by-week schedules for puppies, adult dogs and seniors, and a plan for intense dogs
- Escalation charts, troubleshooting and four weeks of progress logs
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60 pages · 27 MB
Sound familiar?
Separation anxiety doesn’t go away on its own
“The second the door closes, the barking starts.”
In our experience this behaviour is 95% owner-created and 5% genetic. That’s the good news: what your dog learned, you can teach them differently.
“We’ve tried Kongs, lick pads and calming music.”
They can keep a dog busy, but they never teach a dog to be alone. The handbook goes after the behaviour itself, not just the symptoms.
“I can’t leave the house for more than an hour.”
Plenty of owners end up planning their whole lives so their dog is never alone. The schedules build time alone step by step, week by week.
“Is it really separation anxiety, or is my dog just bored?”
Not every dog that barks or chews when you leave has separation anxiety. The self-check tells you whether it’s mild, moderate or severe, so you start with the right plan.
How it works
A plan for your dog’s age, day by day
- 01
Check what you’re dealing with
Rule out boredom and too little exercise, then use the mild, moderate or severe self-check to see where your dog stands.
- 02
Set up the crate and the gear
Choose a plastic, wire or heavy-duty crate, set it up in the right place, and get the gear the handbook calls essential.
- 03
Follow your dog’s plan
A first day in the crate, then a week-by-week schedule for puppies, adult dogs or seniors, with a separate plan for the most intense dogs.
- 04
Track the progress
Fill in Day 0, a log for each of the first four weeks and a two-month check-in, so you can see how far your dog has come.
Take a look inside
Every schedule laid out, hour by hour
- Mild, moderate or severe self-check
- Choosing the crate
- Puppy, adult and senior plans
- Intense dog plan
- Escalation charts
- Weekly progress logs
The adult dog plan
What changes each week
Day 1
The first day in the crate
Guide your dog in on the leash, ask for a down and close the door. Once they hold the down for 5 to 10 minutes, step out of the house and watch on camera.
Week 1
Rules and minimums
Your dog spends 2 hours a day completely alone and at least 3 hours a day in the crate while you’re home, with minimal babying and coddling.
Weeks 2 and 3
Build the time alone
Time completely alone goes up to 3.5 to 5 hours a day, and crate time while you’re home goes up by an hour a day.
Weeks 4 and up
Hold it, crate less
Keep leaving your dog home alone 3.5 to 5 hours a day, while crate time at home can come down to 2 hours a day.
What’s inside
Everything in the handbook
- p. 3
Start here
Why we wrote the handbook, two hard truths, and how to use it
- p. 6
Understanding the behaviour
What separation anxiety is, whether your dog really has it, how severe it is, the causes and the myths
- p. 14
Addressing the behaviour
Why we correct, what doesn’t work, gear and safety, the crate, leaving and coming home, life at home and exercise
- p. 25
Training plans
Adult, puppy and senior schedules, a plan for intense dogs, and making it fit real life
- p. 43
Troubleshooting
Escalation charts for mild, moderate and severe cases, tips by level, thresholds, FAQ and glossary
- p. 52
Track your progress
Day 0, four weekly logs, the two-month check-in and the long-term goal
This is for you if…
- Your dog barks, howls, chews or panics when you leave
- You can’t leave the house for long without coming home to damage or a stressed dog
- You’ve tried Kongs, lick pads or calming music and nothing changed
- You have a puppy and want to stop separation anxiety before it starts
It’s not for you if…
- Your dog hurts themselves trying to escape, or has bitten someone. Talk to a trainer first; we offer a free phone assessment at 437-778-5273.
- You don’t want to use a crate. Every plan in the handbook is built around one.
- You want a quick fix. The plans run week by week, with a check-in at two months.
Who wrote it
Written by the trainers at K9 Academy
K9 Academy has trained dogs in Toronto since 2011, more than 10,000 of them in person, and we work with separation anxiety every week, including the severe cases. This handbook is the plan our trainers use, written so you can follow it at home.
What owners say about our separation anxiety training
These are reviews of K9 Academy’s separation anxiety training, which this handbook is built on.
★★★★★
“The separation anxiety is night and day from where we started.”
“We can actually leave the house now.”
★★★★★
“My dog can now safely be left home alone.”
“I turned to them for help with reactivity, aggression, and separation anxiety my rescue shepherd mix was struggling with.”
★★★★★
“She has shown significant improvement in being alone and has much more confidence.”
“I brought Nova there as she had separation anxiety, to the point I could not leave her alone for even an hour.”
Everything you get
The Complete Separation Anxiety Handbook
- The 60-page handbook (US Letter PDF)
- Training plans for puppies, adult dogs and seniors
- A plan for the most intense dogs
- Escalation charts, troubleshooting and an FAQ
- Day 0, four weekly logs and a two-month check-in
- Instant PDF download, yours to keep and reprint
One private lesson with a trainer costs $225 or more.
The handbook:$9
One payment · instant download
Want to see it done? Take the video course
Basic Foundations
Sit, down, place, heel and a recall that actually works — taught in the order that makes each one stick.
- 12 lessons on video
- 2 books, worksheets and checklists included
- Watch at your own pace, on any device
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Is this a physical book?
No. It's a 60-page PDF you download straight after checkout. Read it on your phone, or print the schedules and logs. It's sized for US Letter paper.
Does it work for puppies and older dogs?
Yes. There's a preventative plan for puppies from 8 weeks to 5 months, a corrective plan for dogs 5 months and up, and a slower maintenance plan for seniors. See your vet first with a senior dog.
Do I need a crate?
Yes. Every plan is built around the crate. The handbook compares plastic, wire and heavy-duty crates and shows you how to set one up.
What gear do I need?
A flat 6 ft leash, a prong collar and an e-collar are essential, and a camera is recommended. New to a prong or e-collar? Book a session with one of our trainers first.
My dog hurts themselves when left alone. Is this for us?
Not on its own. Contact a professional first. We offer a free phone assessment at 437-778-5273.
What if it doesn't help?
You're covered by our 30-day money back guarantee. Email info@k9academy.ca for a full refund.
Start your dog’s plan today
Download The Complete Separation Anxiety Handbook, take the self-check, and fill in Day 0 before you next leave the house.
30-day money back guarantee · Instant download
The Complete Separation Anxiety Handbook
$9 · instant download