--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Preventing Separation Anxiety We wish our…" description: "\"“Preventing Separation Anxiety We wish our dogs could be with us all day, every day, but it’s not possible, and puppies do need to learn to spend time ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f01/terry-albert-184921_background-noise_preventing-separation-anxiety-we-wish-ou_1727669.jpg" --- # Preventing Separation Anxiety We wish our dogs could be… ![“Preventing Separation Anxiety We wish our dogs could be with us all day, every day, but it’s not possible, and puppies do need to learn to spend time alone. A dog who can never be left home alone without destroying the house may be suffering from separation anxiety. Teach your Lab to feel safe and…” quote by Terry Albert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f01/terry-albert-184921_background-noise_preventing-separation-anxiety-we-wish-ou_1727669.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f01/terry-albert-184921_background-noise_preventing-separation-anxiety-we-wish-ou_1727669.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f01/terry-albert-184921_background-noise_preventing-separation-anxiety-we-wish-ou_1727669.jpg) > ““Preventing Separation Anxiety We wish our dogs could be with us all day, every day, but it’s not possible, and puppies do need to learn to spend time alone. A dog who can never be left home alone without destroying the house may be suffering from separation anxiety. Teach your Lab to feel safe and comfortable at home alone while she’s still a puppy, even if you’re home all day. Your life or job situation may change someday, and you’re heading off future trauma by teaching this lesson now, when she is young. Your puppy’s not yet mature enough to have the run of an entire house or yard, so confine her in her crate or pen when you’re gone. What you might think is separation anxiety might really be simple puppy mischief. When you’re not there to supervise, she’s free to indulge her curiosity and entertain herself in doggie ways. She knows she can’t dump the trash and eat the kitty litter in front of you, but when you’re gone, she makes her own rules. Teach your puppy not to rely on your constant attention every minute you’re at home. Set up her crate, pen, or wherever she can stay when you’re gone, and practice leaving her in it for short rests during the day. She’ll learn to feel safe there, chewing on her toy and listening to household noises. She’ll also realize that being in her pen doesn’t always mean she’s going to be left for long periods. Deafening quiet could unnerve your puppy, so when you leave, turn on the radio or television so the house still has signs of activities she’d hear when you’re home. Background noise also blocks out scary sounds from outdoors, so she won’t react to unknown terrors. HAPPY PUPPY Exercise your puppy before you leave her alone at home. Take her for a walk, practice obedience, or play a game. Then give her a chance to settle down and relax so she won’t still be excited when you put her in her pen. She’ll quickly learn that the rustle of keys followed by you picking up your briefcase or purse, getting your jacket out of the closet, or picking up your books all mean one awful thing: you’re going, and she’s staying. While you’re teaching her to spend time alone, occasionally go through your leaving routine without actually leaving. Pick everything up, fiddle with it so she can see you’re doing so, put it all back down, and go back to what you were doing. Don’t make a fuss over your puppy when you come and go. Put her in her pen and do something else for a few minutes before you leave. Then just leave. Big good-byes and lots of farewell petting just rev her up and upset her. When you come home, ignore her while you put down your things and get settled. Then greet her calmly and take her outside for a break.”” [Terry Albert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-albert/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Puppies need gradual, safe exposure to solitude to prevent anxiety, using structured environments, background noise, and positive routines to build confidence **In simple terms:** Teach puppies to be comfortable alone with routine and calm surroundings Key Takeaway Gradually increase alone time, use soothing sounds, and reward calm behavior Themes Animals Training Anxiety Independence Routine Mood cautious empathetic Type Animal:1 Background noise:1 End time:0 Every day:0 Home alone:1 Spend time:0 Time alone:1 Every Minute:0 Spend Time Alone:0 Separation Anxiety:1 Puppy Leave:1 Puppy Home:0 Puppy Rely:0 Home Puppy:0 When to use this quote - Puppy training - Pet owner schedules - Veterinary advice Key Concepts Behavioral conditioning Attachment theory Environmental enrichment Questions to Reflect On - What signs indicate a puppy is truly comfortable alone? - How can owners adjust for individual temperaments? A Different Perspective Some dogs may still experience severe distress despite training ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Background noise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/background-noise/) [End time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/end-time/) [Every day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-day/) [Every Minute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-minute/) [Home alone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home-alone/) [Home Puppy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home-puppy-1400577/) [Puppy Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/puppy-home-1400575/) [Puppy Leave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/puppy-leave-1400574/) [Puppy Rely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/puppy-rely-1400576/) [Separation Anxiety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/separation-anxiety-1400573/) [Spend time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spend-time/) [Spend Time Alone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spend-time-alone/) [Time alone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-alone/) ## Related quotes > [“for to have a deep attachment for a person (or a place or thing) is to have taken them as the terminating object of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bowlby/for-to-have-a-deep-attachment-for-a-person-or-a-place-or-thing-is-to/) [John Bowlby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bowlby/) > [I had huge separation anxiety as a kid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-vargas/i-had-huge-separation-anxiety-as-a-kid/) [Elizabeth Vargas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-vargas/) > [Just as children, step by step, must separate from their parents, we will have to separate from them. And we will probably suffer...from some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-viorst/just-as-children-step-by-step-must-separate-from-their-parents-we/) [Judith Viorst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-viorst/) > [In a dog social cue from a master can override where he saw the being placed. That won’t happen unless we have bred a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/in-a-dog-social-cue-from-a-master-can-override-where-he-saw-the-being/) [Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/) > [Separation anxiety is assuaged by constant connection. Young people announce every detail of their lives on services like Twitter not to show off, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaron-lanier/separation-anxiety-is-assuaged-by-constant-connection-young-people/) [Jaron Lanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaron-lanier/) > [“In Separation (1973a), Bowlby puts forward a theory of agoraphobia based on the notion of anxious attachment. He sees agoraphobia, like school phobia, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-holmes/in-separation-1973a-bowlby-puts-forward-a-theory-of-agoraphobia-based/) [Jeremy Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-holmes/) > [If you spend time alone in the wilderness, you get very attuned to living things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-dyson/if-you-spend-time-alone-in-the-wilderness-you-get-very-attuned-to/) [George Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-dyson/) > [Spend time alone in areas of low population density, where you can feel the stillness. Go out into the desert or up into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/spend-time-alone-in-areas-of-low-population-density-where-you-can/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [We can't underestimate the value of silence. We need to create ourselves, need to spend time alone. If you don't, you risk not knowing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jewel/we-can-t-underestimate-the-value-of-silence-we-need-to-create/) [Jewel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jewel/) > [“You have to be able to spend time alone, to be able to not be defined by another person, but to define yourself. Yet,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tabatha-beshears/you-have-to-be-able-to-spend-time-alone-to-be-able-to-not-be-defined/) [Tabatha Beshears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tabatha-beshears/) > [“Yes, but Father," he wanted to say from the back seat of a rapidly filling bus, "you never told us how to spend time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tomson-highway/yes-but-father-he-wanted-to-say-from-the-back-seat-of-a-rapidly/) [Tomson Highway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tomson-highway/) > [“Spend time alone and often, touch base with your soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-rowe/spend-time-alone-and-often-touch-base-with-your-soul/) [Nikki Rowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-rowe/) > [“When I wasn’t in the barn garden, helping out, sorting seeds or checking hoses I’d spend time alone, usually in the bathroom adjacent to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-poeltl/when-i-wasn-t-in-the-barn-garden-helping-out-sorting-seeds-or/) [Michael Poeltl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-poeltl/) > [Sometimes you need to take a break from everyone and spend time alone, to experience, appreciate and love yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-tew/sometimes-you-need-to-take-a-break-from-everyone-and-spend-time-alone/) [Robert Tew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-tew/) > [Being close to my friends. I like to spend time alone as well, but the best time is with friends around when you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chace-crawford/being-close-to-my-friends-i-like-to-spend-time-alone-as-well-but-the/) [Chace Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chace-crawford/) ## More Animal quotes > [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/) [Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/) > [Animals know nothing of themselves, and they also know nothing of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/animals-know-nothing-of-themselves-and-they-also-know-nothing-of-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Humans are animals too, but some do not like to work from expectations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/humans-are-animals-too-but-some-do-not-like-to-work-from-expectations/) [Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/) > [When grubbing for necessities man is still an animal. He becomes uniquely human when he reaches out for the superfluous and extravagant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/when-grubbing-for-necessities-man-is-still-an-animal-he-becomes/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [I'm 38 and I'm single, and I'm having my most intense and gratifying relationship with a dog. But we all learn about love in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-knapp/i-m-38-and-i-m-single-and-i-m-having-my-most-intense-and-gratifying/) [Caroline Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-knapp/) > [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/a-horse-a-horse-my-kingdom-for-a-horse/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“it is a federal system of sadistic torture, vivisection, and animal genocide, which has been carried on for decades under the fraudulent guise of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tobias/it-is-a-federal-system-of-sadistic-torture-vivisection-and-animal/) [Michael Tobias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tobias/) > [“What does it mean to be a self-conscious animal? The idea is ludicrous, if it is not monstrous. It means to know that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-self-conscious-animal-the-idea-is-ludicrous/) [Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/) > [We must love animals in such a powerful way that we should reject to eat them!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/we-must-love-animals-in-such-a-powerful-way-that-we-should-reject-to/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“The universe contains any amount of horrible ways to be woken up, such as the noise of the mob breaking down the front door,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-universe-contains-any-amount-of-horrible-ways-to-be-woken-up-such/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [This brings me back to the image of Kafka standing before a fish in the Berlin aquarium, a fish on which his gaze fell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/this-brings-me-back-to-the-image-of-kafka-standing-before-a-fish-in/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [That dog, I say that dog is lower than a snake full of buckshot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foghorn-leghorn/that-dog-i-say-that-dog-is-lower-than-a-snake-full-of-buckshot/) [Foghorn Leghorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foghorn-leghorn/) > [I bet plants go like 'Weeeeeeeee!' whenever they're swallowed by a giraffe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-bet-plants-go-like-weeeeeeeee-whenever-they-re-swallowed-by-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Animal rights without veganism is like human rights with slavery. It makes no sense. None whatsoever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/animal-rights-without-veganism-is-like-human-rights-with-slavery-it/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) [Browse all 13,456 Animal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Preventing Separation Anxiety We wish our dogs could be with us all day, every day, but it’s not possible, and puppies do need to learn to spend time alone. A dog who can never be left home alone without destroying the house may be suffering from separation anxiety. Teach your Lab to feel safe and comfortable at home alone while she’s still a puppy, even if you’re home all day. Your life or job situation may change someday, and you’re heading off future trauma by teaching this lesson now, when she is young. Your puppy’s not yet mature enough to have the run of an entire house or yard, so confine her in her crate or pen when you’re gone. What you might think is separation anxiety might really be simple puppy mischief. When you’re not there to supervise, she’s free to indulge her curiosity and entertain herself in doggie ways. She knows she can’t dump the trash and eat the kitty litter in front of you, but when you’re gone, she makes her own rules. Teach your puppy not to rely on your constant attention every minute you’re at home. Set up her crate, pen, or wherever she can stay when you’re gone, and practice leaving her in it for short rests during the day. She’ll learn to feel safe there, chewing on her toy and listening to household noises. She’ll also realize that being in her pen doesn’t always mean she’s going to be left for long periods. Deafening quiet could unnerve your puppy, so when you leave, turn on the radio or television so the house still has signs of activities she’d hear when you’re home. Background noise also blocks out scary sounds from outdoors, so she won’t react to unknown terrors. HAPPY PUPPY Exercise your puppy before you leave her alone at home. Take her for a walk, practice obedience, or play a game. Then give her a chance to settle down and relax so she won’t still be excited when you put her in her pen. She’ll quickly learn that the rustle of keys followed by you picking up your briefcase or purse, getting your jacket out of the closet, or picking up your books all mean one awful thing: you’re going, and she’s staying. While you’re teaching her to spend time alone, occasionally go through your leaving routine without actually leaving. Pick everything up, fiddle with it so she can see you’re doing so, put it all back down, and go back to what you were doing. Don’t make a fuss over your puppy when you come and go. Put her in her pen and do something else for a few minutes before you leave. Then just leave. Big good-byes and lots of farewell petting just rev her up and upset her. When you come home, ignore her while you put down your things and get settled. Then greet her calmly and take her outside for a break.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Terry Albert" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-albert/preventing-separation-anxiety-we-wish-our-dogs-could-be-with-us-all/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Animal" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-albert/preventing-separation-anxiety-we-wish-our-dogs-could-be-with-us-all/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f01/terry-albert-184921_background-noise_preventing-separation-anxiety-we-wish-ou_1727669.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f01/terry-albert-184921_background-noise_preventing-separation-anxiety-we-wish-ou_1727669.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f01/terry-albert-184921_background-noise_preventing-separation-anxiety-we-wish-ou_1727669.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Preventing Separation Anxiety We wish our dogs could be with us all day, every day, but it’s not possible…” — Terry Albert", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Terry Albert", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-albert/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Preventing Separation Anxiety We wish our...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-albert/preventing-separation-anxiety-we-wish-our-dogs-could-be-with-us-all/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-albert/preventing-separation-anxiety-we-wish-our-dogs-could-be-with-us-all/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```