EXCLUSIVE: It's Me or the Dog expert Victoria Stilwell on how to spot separation anxiety in pandemic pups

Virgin Radio

16 Mar 2022, 17:45

Victoria Stilwell knows a thing or two about keeping dogs happy. 

She’s been the expert on It’s Me Or The Dog since its inception in 2005, and after the show ended in 2013, Victoria has been busy running her own dog training company Positively, and the VS Academy to teach the next generation of trainers. 

The next run of episodes from the new series of It’s Me Or The Dog begins tonight (Wednesday 16th March) on Really and Discovery+, and Victoria explained exclusively to virginradio.co.uk why the show was needed now more than ever after the pandemic. 

She said: “It's been an extraordinary time for animals, and especially dogs that have been adopted, or that have been acquired as puppies. I mean, all of us trainers have seen the pandemic puppy that now is the adolescent or the adult, the young adult that didn't get that crucial exposure to other dogs and other people when they were young because of the pandemic and now have issues with them.”

Some of what Victoria is noticing more and more is aggression towards other dogs they are unfamiliar with, and also separation anxiety, as people return to the workplace after years of working from home. 

Of all the signs to look out for, Victoria recommended keeping an eye on body language and barking to see if your pup might be in distress. 

“Body language can be overt," Victoria added. "Yes, if my dog is lunging, and barking at the end of the lead, we can label it aggressive or reactive behaviour. But we have to ask ourselves, why is it? Is that dog insecure? Is that dog fearful? Is that dog frustrated? I think there's a lot of dogs that are just purely frustrated. So body language says a lot.”

It’s not just the big, excitable or scary movements that could signal something wrong, but also the little things that could go unnoticed.

On what to look out for, Victoria added: “Licking its lips a lot, the dog blinking, a lot. Sniffing, sneezing, scratching itself. These are all these can be, not always, but they can be, stress signals. 

“Then you look at body fluidity. Is the body fluid? Or is it stiff? Are there moments of stillness, like micro freezes? Or his dog freezing for longer periods of time? The body's just completely still? How does the dog hold its tail? That is, I think, really important for people to understand their dog's own body language and why dogs do things, there's so much misinformation out there.”

Of that misinformation, Victoria said she believes British dog lovers are more in tune with their animals than in America where she currently lives, but there’s one thing she wants trainers everywhere in the world to stop using. 

Victoria continued: “We've had for a very long time, this ridiculous theory of you have to be pack leader, you know, you have to be pack leader, you have to be the alpha, you have to dominate your dog into submission, in order for your dog to see you as pack leader. 

“You have to not have your dog on the bed, not have your dog on the sofa, you have to not let your dog walk ahead of you, not let it out the door in front of you. Because they say if you do that your dog's going to see itself as your pack leader. That is the most ridiculous, and just, you know, misunderstanding of why dogs do things.”

If you’re looking for ways to tell if your beloved dog is suffering from things like separation anxiety while you're away, Victoria insisted on checking if your house is destroyed or neighbours complain of barking, because dogs are social animals and any change to daily routine, especially when you’re gone, can cause dogs to panic. 

On how to fix any separation anxiety, Victoria suggested: “Use a webcam at work, record the behaviour. If you see that your dog, as soon as you leave, starts pacing, starts whining, starts barking and starts chewing on stuff, you probably have a pretty good idea that it has a separation issue. 

“For something like that you have to contact a positive trainer. Somebody who will understand the behaviour and somebody who can work with you because actually separation issues are really, really hard to deal with. And that might mean you have to take your dog to doggy daycare when you're out all day. It might mean that you have to have somebody to come in, a family member or a friend, to sit with your dog whilst your dog is going through treatment. 

“I always say you must contact your vet, work with your vet, work with a behaviourist if you can because separation issues can be worked with but they first of all have to be understood.”

On coming back to the show, the decision was almost a no-brainer for Victoria, but admitted working with a new dog and owners week-in-and-week-out isn’t an easy job. 

She said: “I have very little time to kind of work the magic with the dog, as well as the dog's guardians. And so it's a really tough show to do. So I didn't jump on it right away. I thought about it. But then I thought it was a really good way to show updated techniques and updated ways of thinking because, you know, a good trainer is one that moves with the latest knowledge.

“[Bringing the show back has] enabled me to show updated techniques, but it also, hopefully, is helping lots of people again, and it's done really well. And I mean, I think that's a testament to the fact that it's just a great show.”

It’s Me or the Dog returns tonight and airs on Wednesdays at 9pm and 9.30pm on Really and available to view on Discovery+.