No dog ever voted for being left home alone. Yet, the average dog has learned to put up with our comings and goings. They welcome our return with tail-wagging joy. "You're home! How wonderful for us both!"

It's different for dogs with separation anxiety. They don't cope with being left home alone the way average dogs do.

Given a choice, they would never want us to leave them! "Don't go! I can't cope!"

And so, as long as we have jobs, medical appointments, and social lives, we owe it to the dogs who live with us to help them feel more confident and less fearful while we're away from them.

One way to accomplish that goal is to give dogs choices when it's realistic to do so. In this episode we dive into what choice looks like in separation anxiety training. And I'll share some tips for how you can introduce choice into the separation anxiety training you do with your dog.