08/11/2026
Hey Heart Dog Community, Jess here!
I’m looking for 3-4 dogs who display separation anxiety/separation related problem behavior to enroll in my master’s thesis research.
If you’re interested or know someone who might be, please read the following requirements carefully as humans and dogs must meet them to be considered for enrollment! 
1. Dogs must display separation related problem behaviors OUTSIDE OF A CRATE or other confinement within the first 5 minutes of the owner’s absence. Dogs who only display anxiety when crated/comfined do not qualify. This is also only for separation related anxiety, not generalized anxiety.
2. Dogs must display separation related problem behavior within the first 10 minutes of an absence.
3. Dogs must not have fear of strangers coming into the home as that’s part of the main premise of the experiment.
4. Owners MUST be able to suspend absences longer than the dog can tolerate calmly for the duration of the experiment, which should be 8 weeks. This means that if the dog is only comfortable being alone for five minutes without showing anxiety, they’re not left alone for more than five minutes. (Owners can use daycare, pet sitters, etc to ensure this!)
5. Participants can be anywhere in the continental United States, though I will give priority to folks in central New Mexico, as it’ll make delivering materials easier.
If you or someone you know might be a good fit and needs low cost services (the only cost will be replacing materials used up through the experiment, roughly $85) please fill out or have them fill out this form:
This research is for a master's thesis in the Virginia Tech Applied Animal Behavior and Welfare Laboratory.
