Crate Training, Puzzle Toys, and Should You Reward Upon Returning

Crate Training:

You won’t need a crate for separation anxiety training, since you won’t be leaving your dog alone before the training has worked, you won’t have to worry about your dog destroying the home. It’s common for dogs with separation anxiety to also have a fear of confinement, so bypassing the use of a crate helps prevent further panicking behavior.

Puzzle Toys:

Often times puzzle toys are recommended for separation anxiety programs, but new data has shown using puzzle toys is not related to success in modifying separation anxiety.

Using feeding/puzzle toys during training can give a false read on the actual absence duration, because some dogs will be fine eating until the food is gone, then they panic. In addition, if a feeding/puzzle toy is given every time the owner leaves, it’s possible for that toy to become a cue (or signal) of alone time, leading to anxiety.

In addition, cameras that talk to the dog or dispense treats are not needed for training. We want the dog to learn it’s safe to be alone - not focused on a robot talking to him.

Some dogs will eat even when they are anxious.

You can use puzzle toys when introducing or training a confinement area/crate training while you are present. So this would include pairing the confinement area with positive things: puzzle toys, praise, etc., but as mentioned most dogs with separation anxiety are better without a confinement area.

Treat toys can also be used to help your dog choose distance from you. Some dogs are glued to their people. Balls that roll away and the dog can choose to pick it up and bring it closer to their person or let it go father away - sometimes even into rooms out of sight - may be useful for this reason.

Should you give a reward upon returning from an absence?

This sounds like a good idea, pairing desensitization with rewards (a process known as counter-conditioning, which we use for many other training situations), but in the case of separation anxiety it provides no additional benefit.

We can reward behaviors, but since we can’t reward an emotion, or lack of emotion (lack of not responding to the absence), the treat provides no additional benefit.

Therefore, if we give treats/rewards upon returning, we’re rewarding the last thing the dog did, most likely approaching the door (which we don’t want - it brings more attention to the owner’s return).