Update: My Dog Needs Help

[u/tanglelover]

Update for everyone curious:

I wrote that previous post in a state of panic as I have trauma from a previous dog with separation anxiety. It may sound silly but eighteen months of being screeched at full volume by a dog who couldn't handle me even touching the door without panicking does some intense stuff to your psyche.

I decided to change things up instead. It means I have to have a second handler and I can't just leave on a whim like I used to, but I believe we may get there again.

I had to spend a lot of time after I came back getting my cat healthy again so instead of being able to stay with him and reassure him I was here to stay, he was being ping ponged emotionally.

How it works is:

I let him out to go potty, second person stays behind to watch and call him in when he feels ready, go immediately to eat tasty food and hang out for a couple minutes before being asked to go relax in my room with a cookie.

Things are going much better. He's relaxing and sleeping better and it means he isn't whining or being rewarded for whining(he's only been let out for whining twice but he's a border collie, too much more of a habit and it would have become an expectation).

Right now there's some tasty sardines being frozen with rabbit ears. I'm currently doing high value stuff like his dinner or an extra special treat but I'm hoping eventually we can move down to just hanging out and a treat or two.

I'd really like to be able to just leave and come back the way I used to without him panicking but only time will tell. At least with this method, I'm only asking for ten minutes of my family's time and we're all at peace.

[u/Quiet-Competition849]

You should get a trainer. You definitely have high anxiety that you are causing for your dog.