Calm Canines: An Online Course to Manage Separation Anxiety

Lower your dog's stress levels, reduce anxiety, and improve your relationship.
white labradoodle

Does your dog have separation anxiety? Or are you a dog trainer working with separation anxiety?

Do you struggle to leave your dog alone without them becoming distressed, barking excessively and displaying destructive behaviours?

It’s heart-wrenching to see your dog suffer when you have to leave them alone. And I understand you want to help them to feel comfortable alone as soon as possible.

But did you know that there are steps you should take BEFORE starting to build up the alone time? It’s critical to first help your dog to feel calmer and improve your relationship. In this way, you’ll build a solid foundation by working on your dog’s emotional state and social needs.

Do you recognize this?

  • Your dog barks and whines constantly when left alone
  • Your dog chews up your door or the furniture when alone
  • Your dog soils the house when left alone
  • You worry about your dog’s wellbeing
  • You feel guilty every time you leave your dog alone
  • Your neighbours complain because your dog barks a lot when alone
  • You spend a fortune on buying new furniture
And all you want is to help your dog to feel more calm and relaxed.

What to do when your dog has separation anxiety

There are many different aspects to think of before you should even start training your dog to be alone. A critical factor in helping your dog with separation anxiety is to improve the emotional state of your dog. Research has shown that dogs with separation anxiety have an underlying negative emotional state, even when they’re not alone. Therefore, a lot of separation anxiety is driven by negative emotions, which may include both depressive and anxious emotions.

This negative underlying emotional state – also called mood – is most often due to excess stress in the dog’s life and by the dog’s environment not always matching the dog’s individual needs. So the main purpose of this self-paced course is to address the negative mood and teach you how to manage your dog’s stress levels and take a critical look at their environment.

Reducing your dog’s stress is important for several reasons. First of all, stress can have negative effects on your dog’s physical health. Just like in humans, stress can cause an increase in heart rate and blood pressure, and over time, it can lead to a weakened immune system and other health problems. Additionally, stress can change your dog’s behaviour. Your dog may engage in destructive behaviors, such as chewing, digging, or scratching, which can be frustrating and expensive to deal with. They may also struggle to adjust to new situations and appear to be generally restless, or even anxious.

Reducing your dog’s stress can also improve their overall quality of life. Dogs that suffer from separation anxiety often feel anxious and distressed even when you’re around, which can make it difficult for them to enjoy normal activities like playing, eating, and sleeping. By helping your dog feel more calm and relaxed, you can improve their mood and help them enjoy life to the fullest.

Finally, helping your dog to feel better can also benefit your own mental health. Dogs are sensitive creatures, and it can be heartbreaking to see your dog in distress. By taking steps to help your dog feel more comfortable and secure, you can feel more confident and relaxed once you’re ready to start working on the separation anxiety itself.

This course is for you if

  • You want to help your dog to reduce their stress levels.
  • You want to help your dog to feel more relaxed and improve their mood.
  • You want to improve your relationship.
  • You have tried to train your dog to be alone before, but it didn't work and you want to know why and what to do instead.
  • You know there must be a better way, but you feel overwhelmed and don’t know where to start.
  • You want the guidance of a specialist with many years experience.
  • You don’t want to use punishment and aversive methods.
  • You don’t want training tricks but understand why your dog is behaving this way.
  • You want to be proactive and educated.
  • You want to build a solid foundation to start separation anxiety training
  • Or perhaps you're a professional looking for a way to better help your clients.

How to take this course?

In three simple steps

I'm ready

Step 1

Enroll in the course

Step 2

Watch the videos, read the text, fill out the workbooks, do the exercises and join the live Q&A.

Step 3

Transform your dog from stressed and anxious to calm and happy. While improving your relationship at the same time.

Enroll now

Meet your teacher

Hi, I’m Dr. Else and I’m a scientist specialising in dog behaviour, cognition, stress, anxiety and the neuro-endocrinology that controls these processes. I have helped hundreds of animals overcome their stress and fear over the last 15 years. 

My vision is that behavioural problems are only the surface of the real issue. We often only pay attention once our dog’s behaviour is undesirable, but the cause of the behaviour lies much deeper and started long before we first noticed it. 

We can only change our dog’s behavioural patterns and ‘break’ the cycle of anxiety when we begin to understand why dogs behave the way they do, and by meeting their underlying emotional needs. An important part of my approach is therefore to address their underlying emotional needs long before we start addressing the separation anxiety itself, which is why I created this course.

Dr. Else Verbeek

What other people say

“I just listened to your seminar and first of all just want to say how very interesting it was and that I am always so impressed when you present because you do it in such a professional way yet manage to make the listener feel a real personal connection to you as an individual (and not just researcher) and your experiences. It's thoroughly enjoyable and you are one of my role models in this area for sure! "
Svea JörgenssenOwner of a dog with separation anxiety
“I really appreciated the effort to bring evidence based knowledge to a field that is so unregulated and suffers from it. Thank you! I hope there is more information that can be given to the different dog owners and clubs in the area."
Madeleine.SOwner of a dog with separation anxiety
“I loved the opportunity to ask questions and found her responses to not only be informative and helpful but also encouraging and passionate. Else explained complex behaviours and emotions in an easy to understand and very pedagogical way.”
Ulrika k.Owner of a dog with separation anxiety
"Else explained everything so that it was easy to understand. She also used many examples and was engaged with real life situations. Else is very professional but also warm, personal, and passionate. She gave many examples that made it easier to understand how I could help my dog."
Linnea B.Owner of a dog with separation anxiety
“Thank you very much for explaining separation anxiety in a very understandable manner. Your research is light in the tunnel with all these “so called dog trainers” around who most of all seek the money but don't understand the dog."
Ulrike NiemannOwner of a dog with separation anxiety
This ‘fear of fireworks’ course gives a very nice complete and broad view on the problem. Else Verbeek is a highly motivated teacher and also organizer of this course. With great passion and knowledge, she brings scientific knowledge in an understandable way to the student. For topics that are outside her own expertise, she organizes bonus Webinars given by other specialists. In addition, she encourages optimal discussion, interactions and engagement between the course members, so that you can learn from each other's expertise, opinion and insight.
AnynomousDog behaviourist
I’m going to recommend the ‘fear of fireworks’ course especially to dog behaviourists who have little scientific background. The Dutch dog behaviour consultant degrees now accredited by the NVGH are all at Bachelor level, however, this level is not tested by the government. Although research is discussed in the Dutch courses, it is not critically examined, and research is not conducted at the institutes. I see this reflected in the approach in the field. The fear of fireworks course can provide more in-depth knowledge in that respect. It gives insight into evidence-based practice and makes you think outside the box of treatment protocols!
AnonymousDog behaviourist
I am very happy that I took this course. Super nice that this content-rich course was also recorded, so that everyone can watch it again when the knowledge has faded. Highly recommended! Else is a nice and open person and scientist who created this very professional course! Chapeau Else, thanks for all the valuable info.
AnonymousDog behaviourist
Laptop on table

What you will learn in this course:

Understand and recognize stress in your dog.

How to identify stress triggers.

How to help your dog to feel more relaxed.

Understand why and how chronic stress is linked to separation anxiety.

Understanding predictability and controllability.

How to create a predictable goodbye routine to help your dog cope when you leave the house.

How to build better stress resilience.

Understand behavioural needs.

Knowing the importance of activity, rest and sleep.

Improve your relationships and attachment to your dog.

How to build more trust.

Understand the principles of separation anxiety training.

Course content delivery

This self-study course is conveniently offered by email. Every 2-4 days you’ll receive an email directly in your inbox. The learning materials consists of written texts, exercises, worksheets and videos.

You will receive 14 lessons spread over 40 days, with over 5 hours of video content. This will give you the time to work through the exercises and make a real difference to your dog’s well-being.

Note that this is NOT a separation anxiety training program. Rather, the purpose of this course is to prepare you for separation anxiety training.

In the end, we’ll also briefly discuss the best approach to start training your dog to overcome separation anxiety. This course will have laid the foundation for success in your training program.

There is also the possibility to ask questions via email.

Will you join us?

Are you ready to start helping your dog feel more relaxed and improve your relationship? Improve your knowledge and skills so that you’re able to help your dog to feel great!

Calm canines course

Reduce your dog's stress levels for a better relationship.
€129
€ 89
  • Evidence-based online DIY course
  • Experienced and qualified teacher
  • Theory and practical exercises
  • Over 5 hours of video lectures
  • Worksheets
  • Unlimited access to course materials
  • Money back guarantee*
Buy now
*If you're not happy after the first 4 lessons, you'll get a full refund.