One of the most common behavioral challenges with dogs is separation anxiety (Flannigan & Dogman, 2001). “Between 22.3–55% of the general dog population are believed to show these signs (4–6), and they make up between 14 and 40% of dog behavior referral cases” (de Assis, L.S. et al., 2020) Although separation-related problems are hard to diagnose by professionals, there are many dogs and humans suffering from these behaviors. These behaviors pose welfare issues for dogs and can lead to behaviors like intense and on-going barking and panting, and more destructive behavior that can inflict harm to themselves by causing wounds, and lead to being re-homed or surrendered to a shelter or, worse, being euthanized (DeMartini-Price, 2020). However, there is a way for us to understand these behaviors in a way that opens new opportunities to help provide relief to the dogs experiencing separation anxiety and the humans caring for them! Meet Chuu and Remy! When we adopted Chuu in 2020 and Remy in 2024, we noticed they did not do well when home alone. Chuu would bark excessively, destroy our shoes, cable cords, and phone chargers, and other dangerous objects that would cut Chuu’s mouth and cause bleeding. Chuu would also bite and bark at Peepers, our senior dog we lived with, chasing him into corners or under the coffee table, until we would return home. Remy would excessively jump and bark at the door, and destroy objects left on the tables and counters. Remy would get into dangerous objects in the kitchen like knives and forks, and into the garbage disposal in the sink. For Chuu and Remy, these behaviors occurred immediately when we left the house and continued until we returned home. Through the case studies, you will learn an alternative way of understanding separation-related problems through a behavior-analytic lens and how consequences may play a big role in maintaining or escalating the behaviors. We will tell the story through videos and graphs of how Constructional Affection* transformed Chuu and Remy’s destructive and anxious behaviors into relaxed home-alone behaviors. We hope this webinar will bring a new and helpful lens in looking at one of the common and critical behavioral challenges in dogs and widen our viewpoints and tools to help future families and dogs suffering from these challenges! *Constructional Affection is a training procedure that uses affection in the form of petting and gentle stroking as a reinforcer to build desirable behaviors and interaction between dogs and humans.

Sponsor:Constructional Approach to Animal Welfare and Training (CAAWT)
Speaker(s):Sean Will, M.S., ABD & Maasa Nishimuta, M.S., BCBA

Contact: CAAWT
 Email: caawtcontact@gmail.com
 Web: https://www.caawt.com/