Alone & Okay · A separation anxiety training plan for dogs whose people work
Alone & OkayGet the course · $37
For dog owners who can't just stay home

Help your dog feel safer home alone with the Train-and-Cover Method, without quitting your job.

Train in small, calm steps at your dog's pace, and cover the workday so the long absences don't undo your progress. A self-paced course for owners who work, with a 7-day money-back guarantee.

A dog resting calmly at home

The keys jingle, the crying starts, and your workday hasn't even begun

You grab your keys and your dog is already pacing. You close the door and the crying starts. By the time you reach the car, you're checking the camera.

Maybe you've come home to a chewed door frame, a torn-up couch, or a crate you have to scrub. Maybe a neighbor has knocked. Or worse, you got a note from the landlord.

And then there's the part nobody sees. The guilt on the drive to work. The meetings you sit through thinking about your dog. You and your partner can't go out together anymore. Dinner invitations get a "maybe next time." Little by little, your home starts to feel less like a home and more like a place you're not allowed to leave.

It's lonely, too. Friends and family don't really get it, and it's a little embarrassing to explain that your dog is the reason you can't come.

Owners in dog-help groups describe it in words like these:

"I can't go to work without her crying my whole shift."
"We've tried everything: music, the TV, calming treats, a camera. Nothing helps."
"I love him, but I'm at my wits' end. I don't want to fail him."
"I feel like a prisoner in my own house."
"Our neighbor has started keeping a log of every time he barks."
"Everyone says never leave them alone. With my job, that just isn't possible."
"We got to two hours once. Then one bad day and we were back to five minutes."

Paraphrased from public posts by dog owners. Not customers, and not testimonials.

None of this means you're a bad owner, or that you have a bad dog. Separation-related distress is common, especially in rescues, dogs adopted during big life changes, and dogs whose routine suddenly shifted. It's a real fear response, not spite and not a lack of discipline.

Why calming treats, crates and "cry it out" keep letting you down

Most owners try the same handful of things, usually all at once. Here's why each one tends to fall short on its own:

"Tire him out first"

Exercise is great for dogs. But a tired dog who panics when alone is still a dog who panics when alone, just a tired one.

Calming music, TV, a shirt that smells like you

These can be nice extras for some dogs. They don't teach your dog that being alone is safe, so the fear stays.

"Let him cry it out"

A panicking dog doesn't get used to panic. Repeated distress often makes the fear stronger and the next departure harder.

A bigger crate, a stronger crate

For a dog in distress, confinement can turn into panic: drooling, chewing the bars, even vomiting, and broken teeth or nails from trying to escape. Some dogs love their crate. Many anxious dogs don't.

Bark collars and punishment

Correcting a scared dog adds more fear. It can quiet the barking and leave the anxiety underneath, or make it worse.

Paying for help that doesn't fit your week

Good professionals can make a real difference. But a plan that only works if you're home all day leaves a working owner with a smaller bank balance and the same Monday morning problem.

Training plans that say "never leave them alone"

Good advice, impossible schedule. If you work 9 to 5, a plan that ignores your workday breaks down on Monday morning. And staying consistent gets hard the minute work gets busy.

That last one is the big one. The research-backed approach works by building alone-time in small, calm steps, and it falls apart every time the dog gets left for eight hours in between. Most programs mention this rule. Very few show a working owner how to actually follow it.

The Train-and-Cover Method

Train in tiny steps, cover the workday, so progress finally sticks

1. Train in tiny, calm steps

You find out how long your dog can stay relaxed alone today, even if that's 10 seconds, and start just below it. Each calm session gets a little longer. Your departure cues (keys, shoes, the door) get boring along the way. The Absence Diary tells you the next step, so you never have to guess.

2. Cover the workday so you never undo it

While your dog is learning, they shouldn't be left alone past what they can handle. The Work-Week Coverage System helps you plan each workday with daycare, a walker, a neighbor, a friend or a work-from-home day, with $0, ~$75 and ~$200-a-week options.

Together, these mean you keep your job, your dog stops rehearsing panic, and progress actually sticks. Sessions are short enough for a weeknight. On the busy weeks, when work gets in the way, coverage holds the line until you can get back to sessions.

The method is based on published research and veterinary behavior guidance on separation-related problems: gradual desensitization, managing absences, and reading stress signals. The course cites its sources.

Your first 7 days: stop it getting worse before you train

The goal of week one isn't a cured dog. It's to stop things getting worse, know your real starting point, and calm things down with the neighbors. About 15 to 35 minutes a day.

DayWhat you do
1Watch Start Here, check the vet red flags, and film one "normal" departure to see what really happens.
2Map your work week in the Coverage Planner and line up the next 5 workdays.
3Set up a calm zone, switch to low-key goodbyes and hellos, and try timed food toys.
4List your departure cues and make keys and shoes boring.
5Find your starting point with the Threshold Calculator, then do your first calm, short absence.
6Send the neighbor note, give caregivers the handoff card, and do session two.
7Review the Diary graph and adjust next week's coverage.

41 short lessons you can watch at lunch and use that evening

About 2.5 hours in total: short videos with an AI narrator and quick text lessons. Watch on your phone at lunch, then do the step that evening.

0

Start Here

How the plan works, the one rule (never past your dog's limit), and when to see your vet before you start.

1

Is It Really Separation Anxiety?

Anxiety, boredom or frustration? Does your dog need you, or just anyone? Film a baseline and spot the red flags. Plus "why my dog?" (and why it's not your fault).

2

Stop the Damage This Week

Why crying it out backfires, how to set up a calm zone, boring departures and returns, where exercise and food toys help (and where they don't), and why punishing messes makes things worse.

3

The Work-Week Coverage System

Your coverage menu, building your week in 15 minutes, three budget plans, the caregiver handoff, what to do when coverage falls through, and shrinking coverage as your dog improves.

4

Find Your Dog's Starting Point

Reading stress signals, the threshold test, setting up a camera, and an optional "calm on the mat" plan for dogs who can't relax even when you're home.

5

Departure Cues Without Drama

Your personal cue list, making keys, shoes and bags boring, and working through the door itself.

6

The Absence Ladder

What a real session looks like, simple step-up rules, using the Diary, rest days, real-world departures, and the "empty bowl" test for food toys.

7

Troubleshooting

Why progress isn't a straight line, getting unstuck, big changes (moving, a new job, back to the office), night-time problems, and when to bring in a professional.

8

Freedom & Maintenance

From four hours to a covered workday, keeping it going, and what to do if it comes back.

What the plan is built on, so you can check it yourself

We don't have customer reviews to show you yet, and we won't make any up. Here's what you can verify instead: the guidance behind the method, and the actual tools you'll use.

These organizations and authors are not affiliated with Alone & Okay and do not endorse it. Our own rules of thumb (like the 0–3 stress score) are labeled as such inside the course.

Four web tools so you never have to guess the next step

Included with the course. They work on your phone, save on your device, and need no app or account.

Absence Diary screen

Absence Diary & Progress Tracker

Time each session, score your dog 0–3, and get the next target suggested by the plan's rules. Includes a graph and milestones.

Coverage Planner screen

Work-Week Coverage Planner

Plan Monday to Sunday in 30-minute blocks. It flags in red any time your dog would be alone too long, and shows the weekly cost.

Threshold Calculator screen

Threshold Calculator

Turns your baseline video into a safe starting duration, and tells you when it's time to see a professional first.

Neighbor Letter Generator screen

Neighbor Letter Generator

A friendly, filled-in note for neighbors or your landlord in two minutes.

Printables and coach tracks that make it easy to follow through

Built for owners who work. Not for anyone who wants a quick fix.

A good fit if…

  • You work outside the home (or are heading back to the office)
  • Your dog barks, howls, chews, paces or has accidents when left
  • You want a clear plan instead of 40 contradicting videos
  • You're willing to do short sessions most days for a few months

Not the right fit if…

  • You want a quick fix or a guaranteed timeline
  • Your dog is injuring themselves or breaking out. See your vet first
  • The main problem is aggression toward people or dogs
  • You're looking for medication or supplement advice. That's for your vet.

Weeks to months, not overnight, and setbacks are planned for

Honestly, it depends on your dog. As a rough planning guide, dogs who start at a minute or more often reach 10 calm minutes in about 2 to 7 weeks of sessions and an hour in about 1.5 to 3 months. Dogs who start in seconds usually take longer. Published studies show treatment taking weeks to months. These are our estimates, not promises. The Diary shows your dog's real progress.

Setbacks are part of it, and they're planned for

Almost everyone has a week where it feels like you're back at the beginning. A bad day, a change in routine or a missed coverage day can knock the calm time down. Module 7 shows you why that happens and how to step back and climb again without starting from zero. The Diary keeps the record, so you can see how far you've really come.

What help usually costs, and what this costs

One private trainer sessionoften $60–$180
Dog daycarearound $35–$50 a day
Repairing a chewed door frameoften $350+
Alone & Okay, the whole plan$37 once

Typical US prices from Rover, Angi and VetCostGuide (2026); yours may differ. Good trainers and daycare can be worth it, and the course helps you use them only where they matter most.

Will this work for my dog?

A good fit if…

  • Your dog gets distressed when left alone (barking, pacing, chewing, accidents)
  • You work long days and can't just stay home for months
  • You've tried crates, treats, music or "cry it out" and it didn't stick
  • You can give about 15–35 minutes most days

Not the right fit if…

  • You want a quick fix or a guaranteed timeline
  • You're looking for medication or supplement advice
  • Your dog injures themselves, tries to escape or stops eating: please see your vet first

Tried before and it didn't work? That's common. Most plans skip covering the workday, so a long absence undoes the progress. Here you train in small steps and plan coverage, with rules for bad days.

For severe cases, talk to your veterinarian or a certified behavior professional. The course doesn't give medication advice. Every dog is different and results vary.

✓ 7-day money-back guarantee. Try the lessons and the first week. If it's not for your dog, ask for a refund within 7 days through Hotmart and get every cent back.

Everything for $37, one time, with 7 days to decide

Alone & Okay · complete course
$37
One payment. No subscription.
  • 9 modules, 41 short lessons (~2.5 hours)
  • The Work-Week Coverage System
  • 4 web tools: Diary, Coverage Planner, Threshold Calculator, Neighbor Letter
  • 15 printables (US Letter and A4)
  • 3 Session Coach sample tracks
  • The First 7 Days quick-start plan
  • Lifetime access and updates
Yes, I want Alone & OkayInstant access · secure checkout by Hotmart

🔒 Secure checkout by Hotmart.

7DAYS

7-day money-back guarantee

Look through the lessons, try the tools, and do the first week. If it's not for you, ask for a refund within 7 days through Hotmart and you get every cent back. No questions asked.

What owners ask before they start

Is Alone & Okay worth it?

It's worth it if you want a structured, step-by-step plan built around a workday, for $37 one time, with a 7-day money-back guarantee through Hotmart. It is not a cure, results vary from dog to dog, and it doesn't replace your vet or a behavior professional for severe cases.

How long does it take?

The first plan takes 7 days of short daily sessions. Real change with separation problems usually takes weeks to months and varies a lot from dog to dog, so we don't promise a timeline. The Diary tool shows your own dog's progress.

Who is it for?

Owners of dogs of any age who struggle when left alone, especially people who work long days and need a plan to cover the workday while they train. If your dog injures themselves, stops eating or the behavior started suddenly, see your vet first.

Will this cure my dog's separation anxiety?

No honest course can promise that. Alone & Okay gives you a clear, research-based plan and tools to follow it. Many dogs improve a lot with consistent practice, but every dog is different, and some need help from a vet or a certified behavior professional alongside training.

I work full time. Can I really do this?

That's exactly who it's built for. Sessions are short (often under 20 minutes), and Module 3 shows you how to cover workdays on different budgets, including $0 options like swapping favors or using a lunch break.

My dog is fine with my partner but not with me (or the other way around).

Lesson 1.2 covers this. Some dogs need a specific person, others just need anyone. The answer changes how you set up coverage.

I've already paid for a trainer or behaviorist. Why would this be different?

It may not replace them, and it doesn't need to. What Alone & Okay adds is the workday piece: a coverage plan for the hours you're at work, and tools that make daily sessions easy to keep up. You can use it alongside a professional.

We keep regressing. Is that normal?

Yes. Progress with separation problems is rarely a straight line. The plan has clear rules for stepping back after a bad day and building up again, so a setback doesn't mean starting over.

Do I need a camera?

It helps a lot, because you need to see how your dog actually reacts. A basic Wi-Fi camera or an old phone running a video call is enough. Lesson 4.3 walks you through the setup.

Does it cover crates?

Yes. You'll learn how to tell whether your dog is calmer in a crate or a gated calm zone, and why forcing a crate on a panicking dog can backfire.

What about calming supplements or medication?

The course doesn't recommend any. Medication can help some dogs, and that decision belongs with your vet. The course tells you when to talk to them and works alongside whatever your vet advises.

Is it a puppy course?

It's for dogs of any age who struggle when left alone. Many young puppies cry when separated as a normal phase, and the course helps you tell the difference.

How do I get access?

Right after checkout, Hotmart emails you a login. The lessons are in your Hotmart members area, and the tools open in your phone's browser.

Who made this?

Alone & Okay is an independent program built from published research and veterinary behavior guidance, with sources listed in the course. We're not veterinarians, and the course doesn't replace your vet or a certified behavior consultant. Lessons are narrated by an AI voice.

You don't have to choose between your job and your dog

Start with one short session and one planned workday. Then let the plan take it from there.

P.S. The single most useful thing you can do this week is stop leaving your dog alone past what they can handle. Day 2 of the plan shows you how, even on a workday. You can start tonight.