Separation Anxiety

My Dog Won’t Go Outside Without Me, What Do I Do?

“My dog will not go outside without me!” I’m sure that’s very frustrating, but you can relax because all of the trouble this is causing you will soon be over. That’s because your dog not going outside without you is actually fairly common, meaning that there are plenty of well-known explanations for what’s going on.

More importantly, there is also a proven solution for how to get your dog to go outside alone. We’ll cover all of these things in this article “My Dog Won’t Go Outside Without Me, What Do I Do?” So without further ado, let’s get started so we can solve this problem for you!

How to Get Your Dog to Go Outside Alone

My Dog Won't Go Outside Without Me

To get your dog to go outside alone:

  1. Take your dog outside with a chew toy or something they can play with on their own.
  2. Let them enjoy it, while slowly increasing your distance from them.
  3. Toss them treats, and don’t give them anymore if they come up right beside you.
  4. They should quickly learn from this that distance can be a good thing.
  5. Continue doing so until you’re able to leave them outside alone altogether.
  6. Be patient as it will probably take multiple sessions.

This should help you to begin making progress with getting your dog to go outside alone, but you’ll still need to address what was causing all of this in the first place: their fear issues which are rooted in separation anxiety. Let’s start by thinking about what makes dogs tick in the first place.

You’ve probably heard before that dogs are pack animals, and that in every pack there is a pack leader. One of a pack leader’s responsibilities is not only to protect and watch over the pack, but also to instill this confidence into the other members of the group so that everyone is stronger and more capable.

Give your dog confidence and you’ll rid them of all their fears, worries, and separation anxiety plus all of the related behavioral issues you’ve been experiencing, which includes your dog not being able to go outside without you. That sounds wonderful, doesn’t it?

“Yes, but how am I supposed to do that?”

I’d recommend watching an excellent free video series that’s on just this subject — how to be your dog’s pack leader — by a renowned trainer named Dan which will teach you everything you need to know. And it’s made for regular people with no experience in these sorts of things, so no worries if you haven’t done anything like this before.

Start watching Dan’s free training series now by clicking here. Soon enough, you’ll be able to get your dog to go outside alone without stressing about what’s going on in that little head of theirs. They’ll be more carefree, loving, and altogether a much happier dog — and you’ll be enjoying your time with them more than ever!

My Dog Won’t Go Potty Without Me

Your dog won’t go potty without you because they need you there to feel safe while they go. Dogs are descended from wolves and have it ingrained in them to be able to expect the safety of the pack when they’re doing things that make them vulnerable, like going to the bathroom. In today’s world, you fulfill this role for them.

They get very stressed and worried when you don’t go outside to go potty with them. They want you there to provide protection when they go, or they just will refuse because going without you is very stressful and scary. You need to address their fear and separation issues through behavioral training, which we’ll cover in the next section.

Why Is My Dog Afraid to Go Outside Alone?

Your dog is afraid to go outside alone because right now they perceive going outside as a scary experience. Your dog is very attached to you, and suffers from separation anxiety anytime you’re not around. The mere thought of not being by your side is very stressful and worrisome to them.

This shows itself in many other related ways too, like your dog not going on walks without you, barking and whining, only laying in front of you, and more. Left unchecked, these problems will only get worse — along with more showing up — so you need to address things through behavioral training right away. Go back to the first section for more.

My Dog Won’t Stay Outside Without Me

If your dog won’t stay outside without you, it’s likely because they’re afraid that something bad will happen to them. Your dog has separation anxiety and thinks that bad things will happen when you’re not around. This could be anything from another animal attacking them, getting lost, or simply just having to feel scared and alone.

If your dog is hesitant to stay outside, try slowly acclimating them to being away from you. Begin by taking them out with some treats they really enjoy, and tossing them to your dog. If they come back by your side, stop giving them treats until they give you some distance again. Once they’re letting you have some space, leave them with a toy outside.

It will take some patience and likely multiple sessions of this, but soon enough they should make positive associations with being outside without you. You’ll still need to address their separation anxiety, however, so go back to the first section for more on how to do that.

The sooner you get started, the sooner you can see these terrific changes in your dog, so I’ll let you get going. Remember the steps from earlier about how to get your dog to go outside without you which will help you get things moving. Thanks for reading “My Dog Won’t Go Outside Without Me, What Do I Do?” Best of luck!