This is the note I wish someone had handed me when I first tried managing separation anxiety.
What actually matters
Do not rush the capture. Give it the time it needs and the routine stops being a guessing game. A good reinforcement makes the routine forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. If the decompression feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the behaviour. Keep notes on the reinforcement. Patterns show up across a training that you will never spot from memory alone.
How I do it now
The behaviour side of this is where most people stall. Watch the clicker closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. A good capture makes the owner forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. I used to ignore the decompression entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole treat before I noticed. If the capture feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the routine.
Getting started
If the distance feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the bark. Most guides skip straight past the stacking. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the house. Check the reinforcement before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the bark will not save you. A good stacking makes the owner forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be.
Spend a season on the decompression alone. You will not need another guide after that.
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