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I’m a Certified Separation Anxiety specialist, and I don’t use food in my training plans. In fact, using food for your dog's Separation Anxiety training could be the reason that your dog isn't progressing.
I want to start this blog by saying that food is an extremely powerful tool for dog training and behaviour modification. I am a force-free dog trainer, and I use food for dog training ALL THE TIME. But… when it comes to separation anxiety training, food just doesn’t work. And I’m going to let you in on why.
It is extremely common for guardians who come to me for separation anxiety training to feel desperate, and as though they have tried EVERYTHING to help their dog feel better alone. One thing that pretty much everyone has tried, is using Kongs, puzzle feeders or other types of food toys. This comes as no surprise, as I see this method recommended all the time on the internet, on facebook pages, and sometimes by well-meaning dog trainers. But the role of food in Separation Anxiety is a myth.
There are 2 main justifications that I see for the "leave them with a Kong" method:
1. If you give your dog a Kong every time you leave, eventually you leaving becomes something positive.
2. Leaving your dog with a Kong will occupy/distract your dog, meaning they don’t worry about being alone.
Oh how I wish separation anxiety training was this simple. Whilst both of these justifications make complete sense on the surface, when you dig a little bit deeper you’ll find there are some problems.
There are three main problems I have with the use of food for Separation Anxiety training.
1. Anxious dogs very often don’t eat.
It is very common that dogs with Separation Anxiety will not eat when alone. So what use is a Kong to your dog that is too terrified to eat?
2. Eating and anxiety are not mutually exclusive.
If your dog does eat when they are alone, how do you know that they aren’t still anxious? Although many anxious dogs will refuse food, eating and anxiety aren’t mutually exclusive. If you’re a stress eater, you’ll know what I mean. Giving your dog a food toy might mask their anxiety and prevent some of their symptoms from surfacing in the short term. But it doesn’t mean they aren’t experiencing anxiety about being alone.
This is why the food toy approach might look like it’s working to begin with. If you return before they have finished the Kong, toy or puzzle then there may be an absence of obvious signs of anxiety initially. But you’ll run into some problems once you have built up some duration.
Even the best food toys only last so long. So what happens when the food runs out? The panic sets in.
3. The food toy approach is scientifically flawed.
Giving your dog a Kong, then leaving them alone cannot create a positive association of being alone. It just can’t. This is not my opinion, it is dictated by science and learning theory.
When it comes to using food to change a dog's association, the order of events is absolutely crucial. The scary thing MUST come before the food is presented. If we get the order of events backwards, the entire process collapses. When you give your dog a Kong and then leave them alone, the order of events is incorrect.
This means no matter how many times you try, leaving your dog with a Kong will not create a positive association with alone time.
What could happen, is that their association with the Kong changes. I’ve known dogs to become terrified when they see their food puzzle/Kong brought out, as they have learned that this food item means that scary alone time is imminent.
So whilst a food toy might temporarily distract your dog whilst alone, this really is all it can do. I highly recommend using food for all other training activities, but it is just not the answer for treating your dog’s separation anxiety.
My method for treating separation anxiety involves gradually exposing your dog to alone time at a pace that is comfortable for them, without the use of any distractions.
You can find out more about my approach to separation anxiety training by booking your FREE ENQUIRY CALL. The best separation anxiety training is done remotely, meaning I can help you and your dog no matter where you are located.