Success Story: Gaia the Husky Cross – From Distress to Relaxed Independence
When I first met Gaia (via zoom), a beautiful Husky cross, her owners were feeling overwhelmed. Whenever she was left alone, Gaia showed classic signs of separation anxiety – destructive chewing, panting, howling, barking, and accidents indoors. Understandably, her family worried every time they needed to step out.
The First Breakthrough
During our initial assessment via Zoom, I found that Gaia wasn’t just anxious when left alone, her stress began much earlier. Simply watching her owner stand up and walk towards the living room door was enough to trigger anxiety. This was a real eye-opener for her family, who hadn’t realised how early Gaia’s worry started.
As Gaia became anxious at the prospect of her owners leaving, we began with a gentle foundation exercise called “door is a bore.” The very first step was as simple as standing up and sitting straight back down, teaching Gaia that these movements didn’t predict anything scary.
Tailored Training and Close Support
Over the weeks, Gaia’s owners and I worked closely together. They sent me videos of every training session, and I provided feedback and adjustments as needed. This constant communication helped us fine-tune Gaia’s training.
Alongside the structured sessions, I identified factors that made it harder for Gaia to stay relaxed. Things like:
Days with multiple deliveries.
Times of day with high external noise and foot traffic.
Even the choice of sofa – one spot made her more alert, likely due to earlier triggers.
We also experimented with different training dynamics. At first, I created separate plans depending on whether one or both owners were present. Interestingly, as training progressed, Gaia showed she could stay calm with her owners training both individually and as a couple, a great sign of flexibility and growing confidence.
Building Alone Time
In just four weeks, Gaia moved from the earliest “door is a bore” steps to short, successful departures. By the end of our time together, she could remain calm and relaxed while her owner stepped outside for 20 seconds, often staying curled up on the sofa without moving. This was a huge step forward, laying the groundwork for longer absences.
Building on the Foundations
Since finishing our structured programme in April 2025, Gaia’s family have continued with their training using the skills and confidence they gained. Recently, in September (2025), they shared an incredible update – they had been able to go out for 7.5 hours, and Gaia spent the day snuggled up on the sofa, completely at ease.
Her owners are now so confident in her progress that they’ve been able to take on new work opportunities with longer hours, without the stress and guilt they once felt about leaving her alone.
A Happy Ending (and a New Beginning)
Gaia’s story is a wonderful example of how patience, tailored training, and close support can transform life for both dog and owner. From a husky cross who couldn’t even tolerate her person standing up, to calmly napping through a full working day – Gaia has shown just how far a dog can come with the right approach.
If your dog struggles with being left alone, just like Gaia once did, you don’t have to face it alone. With the right plan, support, and guidance, real progress is possible. Book your free Pre-Training Consultation Call to find out how I can help you and your dog start your own success story.
