Gradually expose your dog to increasing amounts of alone time: That's what I call the 'tight' rule of separation anxiety training. It applies universally to all dogs undergoing separation anxiety training.

But underneath that universal, tight rule, lie many different ways of applying training to each dog. Yes, it's that "it depends" factor you'll keep hearing about.

I've worked with so many dogs, that I've seen countless "it depends!"

Overall, though, it comes back one simple question: does a particular factor make things better or worse for any one dog?

It's a crucial question to ask.

Essentially, we're working out whether something makes training more or less achievable for your dog.

And that's why, in this podcast, I explain this concept (in dog trainer-speak we might talk about "setting events" or "antecedents"). But more importantly, I tell you how to apply this thinking to your dog, and your training, so that you increase your chances of success.

Links Learn more about separation anxiety training

Podcast episode on cues