Free Tips to Help Dog Separation Anxiety with the “Stay” Cue

For this Omaha dog training session we shared some tips to help dog separation anxiety. 15-month-old Poochon Hazy feels anxious when her guardians leave her home alone.

How to Stop Dogs From Jumping Up

I started the session off by showing the guardians a technique to stop dogs from jumping up on people.

To help an excitable dog stay calm and stop jumping, try keeping things relaxed when you walk in. Stand just out of reach, avoid eye contact, and wait for the energy to settle before giving any attention.

Instead of giving constant commands, reward the dog when they naturally calms down.

If jumping or mouthiness starts, simply turn away and ignore the pup. Avoid petting when the dog is too excited, and let them figure out that sitting or staying calm gets more attention.

With consistency, the dog will learn that staying chill is the best way to get affection and greet people the right way.

The guardians should practice this approach a few times a week by inviting friends and neighbors over to help her practice.

It’s a simple method that works through repetition. It’s best to do this a lot in a 2-3 week period. This helps establish the behavior that the guardians want.

Tips to Help Dog Separation Anxiety

After sharing tips to change the leader-follower dynamic, I focused on a key issue. Hazy’s guardians wanted to know how to help dog separation anxiety. Dogs with separation anxiety often panic when left alone due to a lack of practice.

The way I stop separation anxiety in dogs is to create a situation where the dog can practice being alone, in the easiest situation possible. To do this, I first train a dog to stay.

This helps them practice being alone for longer periods. I do this in the easiest way possible. The humans stay in the home, but out of sight.

Watch the free dog training video below for easy tips for helping dogs with separation anxiety and teaching them to stay. You don’t need to be a professional Poochon trainer—this method is easy for any pet parent to follow.

Hazel experiences such severe dog separation anxiety, it manifests as panic attacks when she’s left alone. This often stems from a lack of structure, insecurity, and insufficient practice in being alone.

Utilizing a Long-Term Confinement Area to Reduce Dog Separation Anxiety

To reduce anxiety, it is best to create a special area for puppies. This space should be where they can eat, sleep, and stay when you are not watching them. We call this a “long-term confinement area.” Hazel did not receive this training early on, leading to fear of the kennel.

Many pet parents mistakenly force their furry friends into kennels, which can exacerbate fear. To counter this, a gradual approach is advised—placing treats progressively deeper into the kennel to encourage voluntary entry.

Over time, this helps a dog associate the kennel with positive experiences. Additionally, teaching a reliable “stay” command helps dogs practice being alone in a controlled manner. This training should be introduced in incremental steps, focusing on duration first, then distance, and finally incorporating distractions.

Using a consistent release word signals when the stay command is over. Building up to longer stays with a guardian temporarily leaving the room fosters independence.

To help with separation anxiety, guardians should get dogs used to departure cues. This includes actions like putting on shoes or picking up keys, but without leaving. By practicing these techniques progressively, dogs can develop confidence and cope better with being alone.

Once Hazy can stay alone for a while, her guardians can help her practice being alone longer. At first, just to get a drink, then bathroom breaks, folding laundry and so on. The more Hazy stays alone on her own, the more confidence she will build up.

With practice, the guardians can help Hazy get over her separation anxiety for good.

To help the guardians remember all the other dog behavior tips I shared in this in-home dog training session, we recorded a roadmap to success video that you can check out below.