How Often Should You Train for Separation Anxiety? The Real Secret to Making Progress
If you have a dog with separation anxiety, you have probably wondered how often you should be training. Should you practise several times a day? Should you leave your dog more often so they “get used to it”? Or should you train only occasionally to avoid overwhelming them?
The answer is much simpler than most people expect.
For effective separation anxiety training, one structured session a day is enough.
Yes, really. One.
I also recommend two days off training each week.
This approach prevents emotional fatigue, avoids accidental setbacks, and keeps training sustainable for both you and your dog.
The real progress happens through repetitions.
Why Repetitions Are the Key to Separation Anxiety Success
Think about how you teach a dog to sit.
You repeat the behaviour in small, achievable steps so your dog can learn through success. You would not ask once and expect them to understand.
Separation anxiety training works in exactly the same way.
Your dog learns through consistent, manageable exposure rather than long or stressful absences.
What Does a Training Session Actually Look Like?
A separation anxiety training session is made up of multiple repetitions, each one predictable, and well within your dog’s comfort zone.
If you are ready for departure training
Your session will include:
Multiple warm-ups, which are short, easy departures your dog can comfortably handle
These warm-ups are completed before attempting the longest departure of the session
This layered approach ensures your dog experiences several safe absences each training session, helping them build confidence gradually and consistently.
The Science: How Repetition Rewires the Brain
Dogs with separation anxiety have developed a negative emotional association with being alone. Their brain has learned that departures predict fear, uncertainty, or panic. This reaction is driven by the limbic system, the part of the brain responsible for emotional survival responses.
Through structured, easy repetitions, you begin to rewrite that emotional pattern.
What is happening inside your dog’s brain:
Each short, successful absence creates a new safe memory
These positive experiences gradually override old fear-based memories
Repetition strengthens new neural pathways through neuroplasticity
The brain begins to predict safety where it once predicted danger
Over time, your dog’s emotional response shifts. Instead of panic rising the moment you stand up or leave the room, your dog feels calm, secure, and able to cope.
This is why consistency and easy wins matter so much.
An absence that triggers fear strengthens the old pathway.
Multiple successes strengthen the new one.
How Often Should You Train Each Week?
The structure I use with clients is simple and evidence based:
One session per day
Two rest days each week
This supports the brain’s ability to form new memories without overwhelm.
When working with owners and their dogs, I create five personalised training sessions each week. I review every session, assess your dog’s emotional response, and build the next plan based on your dog’s response to training. Separation anxiety training can feel overwhelming when you are doing it alone, which is why ongoing support makes such a difference.
If you would like tailored guidance and a clear, step by step path forward, you can find out more about my training programmes here.
