An added bonus of confinement areas is that they keep your new puppy and dog out of trouble when you're not actively supervising them which helps tremendously with potty training.

Lastly, think about taking your new dog with you when you go out if possible, or have someone sit with them at home if you can’t. Take some time off work, if you can, to help your dog settle in during this time. Have in mind what things will ultimately be like on a daily basis for your dog and work towards getting your dog used to that new routine.

ALONE TRAINING PREPARES A DOG FOR BEING BY THEMSELVES

Once your new dog is settled in, it's best to start gradually easing them into the routine that will be followed when you go back to work. This routine should include some form of 'Alone Training.'

Alone Training helps acclimate your dog to being in your home when no one is present and is an essential part of helping them feel secure when they inevitably find that they are by themselves during work hours.

You may think your dog can handle being by themselves, but unless you try leaving them alone first, you will not know. Alone training can help you determine whether your new puppy or dog can tolerate being alone without having a panic attack, so definitely make time for it!

All that is involved is pretending to go through your leaving routine without actually disappearing for very long--at least, not at first.

MOCK LEAVING ROUTINE: ALONE TRAINING GUIDELINES

You will only need about 5-10 minutes to get started. Always make sure your dog has had a bathroom break and a walk to ensure they will be able to settle during this exercise. It’s ideal to allow your dog or puppy to settle down anywhere they want to for this exercise (so need to confine them).

STEP 1: Put on your coat/pick up your keys/get ready. Use a specific phrase which tells your dog that you’re leaving but will be back soon (‘I’ll be back’ or ‘See you later’). Go out, and immediately come back in again. Ignore your dog completely until they settle themselves into a down (down = laying down).

STEP 2: Say your phrase, go out again, and immediately return. Ignore your dog completely until they settle themselves into a down again. Repeat this as many times as it takes until you see your dog has stopped being at all interested in what you’re doing, and either become absorbed in the kong or is in a dozed relaxed state.

STEP 3: Repeat as above but now go out and wait 5 seconds. Return and repeat until your dog is relaxed in a down. Gradually increase this time to 10 seconds, working up to 30 seconds and 1 minute, as you see that it gets easier and easier for your dog to relax.

NOTE: You may progress through all of this in one or two sessions. Or, if your dog becomes hyper-alert and worried when you go out, it may take you a week and several sessions a day. A lot depends on your individual dog.

LEAVE FOR LONGER & LONGER TIME PERIODS

Once you've reached the 5-minute mark, you might like to start walking away from the house, and then turn and walk back to the house again. Repeat this until your dog is completely relaxed.

Work up to 10-15 minute increments. If you have a corner shop near you, go and get the paper or some milk. By the time you reach this sort of length of time, the number of repetitions you’re going to be able to do each day is much fewer.

Try to get a couple of sessions in each day. The good news is that the first 15 minutes of being left are the hardest time for any dog, and the time when separation anxiety in dogs is most likely to kick in. If you’ve reached this length of time with no problems, it’s very likely you’re in the clear!

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Dog training expert Alexandra Bassett is the owner and lead trainer at Dog Savvy Los Angeles, a Los Angeles dog training company that specializes in positive dog training and solving problem dog behaviors like dog separation anxiety, leash reactivity, and dog aggression. She is certified as Knowledge Assessed by the Council of Professional Dog Trainers (CPDT-KA) and is available for online dog training sessions via Skype.

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