Home Alone Training.

Meet Sully!

Sully the old English sheepdog has traveled the world with his owners. He lived for many years in Europe and now resides in the heart of Boston. Being a very dog-friendly city, Boston is filled with all kinds of people that are big admirers of canine companions. On any given walk there's a plethora of folks just itching to say hi to Sully.

The etiquette where Sully was living in Europe was quite different. Most of Sully's European neighbors were comfortable with dogs, but were more "hands off" than Bostonians. Imagine Sully's confusion when his walk suddenly included groups of strangers waiting to manhandle him! In addition, one of Sully's owners is frequently away on business, so most of the time it's just him and one other person at home.

Sully reacted to this new enviorment by barking at anyone "strange" and desperately trying to avoid being left alone. He became anxious about being home alone. This was a problem for many reasons, mainly because Sully's owner could hardly walk out the front door to collect the mail.

Having the right tools for the job at hand is a big factor. Having to deal with Sully's barking when a construction crew needs access to the home was a monumental task. We suggested using a tether for Sully when people came over to the house. A tether is simple a leash or cable tied to something secure to prevent a dog from getting to the door when a visitor arrives. This is a way to manage the behavior. It was also very helpful for Sully's owners to give him a delicious bully stick when they needed to step out for a brief moment to curb some of his anxiety. Together these tips helped Sully feel more comfortable in his new environment.

For more information about tethers and Home Alone Training, visit Zen Dog Training Online.