Introducing client Tobey, a Siberian-Labrador mix a little under two years old, who’s recently come our way with concerns surrounding separation anxiety. Like many of us, his owner shifted to working from home during the lockdowns of 2020. Being a fit and active person, she hiked daily during these times and thought that a dog could share her active lifestyle and her enjoyment of being out in nature. Soon enough, she brought home Tobey who was a young pup at the time. Under lockdown conditions, my client, her partner, and Tobey spent much of the time exclusively together.
Like many dog owners, new as well as experienced, my client developed strong feelings of attachment towards Tobey because of spending so much time with each other. At about a year old, Tobey began to act up when left alone and complaints from building management streamed in.
My client and her partner tried working on Tobey’s increasing separation anxiety but unfortunately, they parted a few months later. The change was difficult for both my client and Tobey and left her having to deal with his issues on her own.
Luckily, she didn’t wait to reach out to us. The Way of Life™ approach, which sees separation issues as reflecting a lack of maturity in the dog and in the human-dog bond, resonated with her. She’d tried what she could, including a bark collar, a camera, and having family members or pet sitters come stay with Tobey whenever she had to be away. Now, she’s learning that she must go deeper into the nature of their relationship, realizing that she too had to change.
Already, we’re seeing a marked decrease of anxiety in Tobey. A large and powerful dog, he’s now more manageable when they’re out and about. At home, he’s calmer and increasingly capable of being on his own. We look forward to continuing our work together, helping these two enjoy the relationship they were meant to have.
