Objective assessment of separation anxiety treatment progress is essential for guiding training decisions. Video monitoring and behavioral scoring remove subjective bias from evaluation.
Objective progress assessment protects dog welfare during treatment by preventing both over-optimism (advancing too quickly and causing setbacks) and under-optimism (remaining at a stage the dog has already mastered). Dogs whose treatment progresses at the right pace reach comfortable alone-time sooner and with fewer stressful setbacks. The commitment to objective assessment through video monitoring, while requiring effort, represents a welfare investment that improves treatment outcomes.