Course scope & sources
Home Alone helps owners organise observations, care arrangements and questions about barking when their dog is alone. It teaches educational foundations and planning, not an individual treatment programme.
Review status
This original educational material has not been independently reviewed by a veterinarian or separation-anxiety specialist. No specialist endorsement is claimed. Completing the course is not a diagnosis, professional qualification or confirmation that your dog can tolerate a particular absence.
When to get individual help
Dogs that are injured, at risk, severely distressed or showing sudden changes need appropriate veterinary or qualified behaviour support. Do not provoke distress to complete a lesson or activity.
Sources and further reading
Separation Anxiety
ASPCA — Differential causes, professional support and gradual exposure.
Recognising separation-related behaviour
RSPCA — Observation, hidden signs and health considerations.
Separation anxiety in dogs
Dogs Trust — Support options, confinement concerns and veterinary treatment.
Helping your dog spend time alone
Dogs Trust — Foundations for gradual time apart. Not a fixed schedule for distressed dogs.
Humane dog training position statement
American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior — Recommendation to use reward-based training methods.
Separation Anxiety in Dogs
VCA Animal Hospitals — Management, individual treatment and veterinary medication discussions.
Sources checked 8 September 2026. Examples are fictional. Selected principles inform the course; it is not a reproduction of any organisation's treatment programme.