Separation anxiety is a profoundly prevalent issue that affects millions of dogs around the world. It is also the most research behavior problem in dogs over the last four decades. Most of the research has concentrated on the risk factors, medication options, and symptoms of separation anxiety; however, we see more recent studies pointing more closely at innovative training solutions. For many years training protocols for separation anxiety relied heavily on counter-conditioning, replacement behaviors, operant training, and confinement. As the research moves forward, we see these aspects of separation anxiety training protocols take a step aside in favor of systematic desensitization. In this presentation, we will explore the systematic desensitization process to achieve successful resolution with separation-related problems, and we will look at the various components of the research to understand some of the nuanced aspects of this challenging behavior.

Sponsor:IAABC Foundation
Speaker(s):**Malena DeMartini, CTC, CDBC

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