Our pilot round begins April 28th!

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The Separation Constellation

An integrated approach to sustainable separation anxiety progress that
prioritizes your dog’s unique needs.

apply now

You’re ready to feel confident about your dog’s separation anxiety training plan.

It can be difficult to determine if you’re on the right track with separation anxiety. Conflicting online information, inconsistent progress, and lack of guidance muddies a process that is already so complicated.

We create clarity around separation anxiety training with a focus on overall stress reduction in your dog’s daily life.

In our 6 month signature online course, we share our evidence-based training protocol and data collection materials that help guardians and dogs around the world hit their alone time goals.

Hi!

We’re Jackie & Jess - multi-certified dog trainers and separation anxiety specialists. We’ve helped dozens of separation anxiety teams sustainably reach their alone time goals.

After helping so many separation anxiety dogs and their people, we decided to team up and make our strategies more accessible for folks struggling with this behavior challenge.

We know that it’s difficult to figure out every piece of a separation anxiety protocol on your own. You may be doing all the right things, but gradual exposure still isn’t working for you and your dog. We’ve been there! Long-term cases (we’re talking 2+ years!) are our bread and butter.

Time and time again, we’ve seen how everything is connected for separation anxiety dogs. With both of our brains, and your expertise on your individual dog, we’ll help you put the puzzle together.

work with us

Jess Kohek

IAABC-ADT, SAPT

Jackie Johnston

CTC, CSAT, CPDT

We’re creating the most comprehensive resource for separation anxiety dogs and savvy guardians.

Here’s what’s included…..

Video modules that detail everything you need to know about well-being, resilience, and separation anxiety to help you create a robust and integrated plan.

Workbooks and activities that teach you to be an expert in your own dog, and help you figure out the next right step to take in your training journey.

1:1 feedback provided on your workbooks and questions every Friday, looked over by two sets of specialized eyes.

Weekly live group Q&A sessions with Jackie & Jess for immediate personalized guidance and cheerleading.

A community of like-minded dog guardians, who understand exactly what you’re going through.

If you want to…..

Understand the why behind decision-making in the separation anxiety training process, and learn how to make training decisions yourself.
Learn how to recognize signs of stress, pain, or discomfort in your dog, and evaluate how this impacts their ability to cope with alone time.
Stop feeling frustrated and stuck in progress plateaus or regressions. Understand when to stick with the plan, and when to make changes.
Get feedback on the specific behaviors your dog is doing during alone time that make you question how to proceed.
Access all of the tools that have helped us resolve separation anxiety cases time and time again.
Take data that is relevant for your individual dog, and how to leverage that data when you write training plans and check in with your vet.
Receive guidance and support from two qualified separation anxiety specialists, but take control over parts of the process.
Reduce the resentment you feel toward your dog through solid absence suspension support that is easy for you to utilize.
Deepen your understanding of stress, resilience, and learning and how these factors influence your dog’s welfare & well-being.

put in your application

our community

Access our circle of dog guardians going through the exact same thing as you. Cheer for others, share your wins, and connect with us on general questions and for support.

How We Support You

feedback fridays

Our cohorts are small so that we can help you adapt the course material to your unique situation. We give you feedback on your workbooks each Friday to ensure you and your dog are on the right track.

live q&as

Held once a week on Zoom with all cohorts. Join us with your more complex questions that require nuanced explanations and troubleshooting.

Frequently Asked Questions

This course is intended for guardians who have been working on a systematic desensitization protocol for long periods of time with inconsistent progress. If you are new to this type of protocol, the best step you can take is an initial consultation with a certified separation anxiety specialist to give you and your dog tailored recommendations for building alone time comfort.
Lots of support, from us and from other folks going through the same thing as you. There are three main support options:
- Posting within our community, which is available to all students in the course.
- Through our feedback on workbook activities. We have designed intentional activities for our students to help them understand their dog and separation-related behavior from a holistic lens.
- Attending our biweekly live Q&As over Zoom, to ask questions about lectures or workbook activities.
Our course is intended to be completed in a six month time frame, with content breaks programmed in to allow you to play catch up if life gets busy. You receive lifetime access to all course materials and can add additional time to your six months if needed - just reach out.
Absence suspension is a non-negotiable aspect of the training plan for enrolment in the course. Without managing absences, it is highly unlikely your dog will be able to progress consistently through a gradual exposure protocol. Ethically, we are unable to work together unless absences are being suspended.
Video content and workbook activities will take approximately three to five hours per month to complete. Other expectations include dedication to managing absences, an open mind, and a lot of love and compassion for what your dog is going through.
This course is intended to offer a middle ground between doing it all on your own, and working hand-in-hand intensively with a trainer. While we won’t be writing your daily training plans or running your assessments, we will be giving you the materials and skills to troubleshoot your dog’s gradual exposure plan. We will also be giving you feedback about your decisions, and suggestions that support your dog on their journey.
After working with separation anxiety dogs for years, we know that so many of these dogs have other challenges that complicate separation anxiety recovery - sound sensitivity, pain, allergies, reactivity, emotional regulation challenges, chronic GI upset, and other anxieties. We robustly cover the role that these challenges play in impacting your dog’s ability to tolerate stress and build coping skills.
Also - more support! Often separation anxiety online programs are completely pre-recorded and don’t provide you with guidance or community support. Our course is meant to provide ongoing trainer support while you are enrolled to ensure you’re on the right track.