Wag Wisdom ~ Separation Anxiety Solutions for Dogs
- Lorrie Harris
- Jun 16
- 2 min read
Theme: Separation Anxiety – Healing the Howl of Absence
🧠 SCIENCE & BRAIN
🧠 Headline: Owner Cues Can Soften Anxiety at the Survival Level
Tip: Leave your scent or a calm voice recording. It tells their nervous system: “I’ll see you later.”
📚 Source: nature.com/articles/s41598-017-08536-3
🐾 TRAINING & BEHAVIOR
🐾 Headline: Micro‑Desensitization Heals Macro‑Fear
Tip: Use a “departure ladder,” starting with 10-second absences. Reward calm.
🌞 MINDSET & WELL-BEING
🌞 Headline: Rituals Build Neural Peace
Tip: Exit the same way each time: shared breath, soft touch, repeated phrase.
📚 Source: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8861872
🌀 PSYCHOLOGY & SELF-DISCOVERY
🌀 Headline: Loss Feels Ancestral
Tip: Say, “I’ll see you later,” aloud. It repairs the grief written before you.
🌟 ENERGY & CONNECTION
🌟 Headline: Synchronized Systems Heal Aloneness
Tip: Co-regulate before leaving: 2 minutes of calm breathing and presence.
🧰 Wags Wisdom Tool Pack
🎯 Tool | What to Do | Why It Works |
Scent Anchor | Leave a worn shirt or blanket | Activates calming scent memory |
Voice Message | Short playback: “I love you” | Simulates social presence |
30-sec Successes | Train tiny departures | Builds trust through micro-reps |
Departure Ritual | 3 shared breaths + phrase | Signals predictability & calm |
Return Reset | Greet only after calm | Teaches safe, non-hyper reunion |
🪶 Trainer's Note from Lorrie J. Harris
If you're always home—retired, caregiving, working remote—create intentional distance. Weekly, place your pup in a quiet space (crate or room) for 20–30 minutes while you step away. This helps them practice self-trust.
You’re not teaching absence. You’re affirming their strength in solitude.
Let it become ritual. Let it become their own rhythm of resilience.
🎉 Parting Tail‑Thump
“When you go, I wait. When you come, I remember: love that lasts.”
💌 Your Closing Whisper
Where science meets soul… and every leash leads to love.
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With heart,Lorrie J. Harris
Founder, Coaching Canine Companions 🐾
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