“Dear reader, it’s been more than one year since the lockdown began but I’m afraid it’s finished... and starting tomorrow I’ll be spending my days barking all alone in this quiet and scary apartment full of weird noises while my human friends will be having fun (they call it ‘work’) outside…” – Bobby, a 3 years old French Bulldog, who had the best year of his life spending 24/7/365 with his owners locked up in a studio apartment. 

*turning off a dog translator*

One thing is clear, the lockdown was hard for everybody but pets. Millions turned to dogs for company and emotional support during months of isolation. Thousands of dogs were taken from shelters. Walking a dog outside became a privilege instead of an obligation. 

And now, while people are seeing the green light to finally go back to their usual life, dogs are in a panic – they forgot what it is like to be left alone! Every day you leave for work, they are going to wonder whether you’re coming back at all! Think about puppies who were born during the lockdown – they don’t have any idea what it is like to spend time alone. It’s overwhelming!

But don’t worry just yet! 

While your dog can’t do anything about it but panic, you can easily (in most cases) fix it! So the one thing that every dog owner must do post-lockdown is to make sure that their four-legged best friend is okay about staying home alone.

Dogs are highly adaptable and can easily learn new habits, new routines. Though as with any habit, it takes time, patience, and consistency. You can’t expect your dog to be calm as a cucumber spending time alone after 365 days of spending time together with you. Although if you (re)create the distance gradually, it should be absolutely fine.

If you’re a beginner dog owner who hasn’t read a dozen of dog training books, it’s normal that you have no idea where to even start when it comes to: 

- teaching your dog to stay calm when left alone, 

- how to desensitize your dog’s separation anxiety triggers, 

- and how to create a sanctuary that would help your dog to get used to spending time alone

... you may be thinking of hiring a trainer, which is a great idea but not everyone can afford it (prices usually range from $50 to $120 per session). 

Also, keep in mind that a trainer will be teaching you how to train your dog – meaning, that you’re the one who will be doing the actual training daily. So in a way, the price of a trainer is for credible information and personalized guidance.

If you’re looking for a cheaper but just as good option, we recommend trying a TRUST ME, PUP™ self-paced training program for preventing and solving separation anxiety in dogs. 

TRUST ME, PUP™ was created by a team of professional dog trainers with an idea to provide a day-by-day action plan for beginners on how to teach a dog to stay calm and happy when left alone. 

It’s really easy to follow because the information is explained in common sense and chewed in short daily bites. So don’t worry, you won’t need to read hundreds of pages of a boring theory which is the usual case when it comes to dog training books. 

P.S. To make your time reading this article worthwhile, we are giving you a special discount code ‘TDE5’ to receive $5 OFF (it works on top of their current huge discounts) for TRUST ME, PUP™ programs. To receive $5 OFF be sure to use ‘TDE5’ at the checkout.