Chapter Sixty-Four: The Influence of Oppositional Conditions

“Three times a week, or once a week, it’s not fixed,” Sister Wang said. “I looked it up online—our dog is small, so it doesn’t need much exercise. That’s why we don’t walk it often.”

Zhang Congwen was at a loss for words again.

She’d been insisting that Sun Zimu’s family didn’t know how to raise a dog, but in the end, it was Sister Wang herself who knew even less.

Taking a deep breath, Zhang Congwen replied, “No matter the size, every dog needs a daily walk. It’s best to have a stable schedule, a steady routine, so the dog can adapt and avoid anxious moods. Regular walks also help alleviate separation anxiety.”

Sister Wang responded with a vague “oh,” and it was unclear if she took it to heart.

Seeing her indifferent reaction, Zhang Congwen said nothing more. Although it felt somewhat unprofessional, ultimately, keeping a dog was the owner’s own responsibility. Whether a dog is well cared for depends on the owner. No matter how much a trainer advises, if the owner ignores it, nothing can be done. Otherwise, what would be the point of the owner?

Sometimes, the trainer’s helplessness lies here—knowing the owner is in the wrong, but unable to change their mind, left with no choice but to let it be.

Once the elimination areas were cleaned, Zhang Congwen finally began formal separation anxiety training for the Schnauzer.

There were no gates or barriers restricting the dog’s movement in Sister Wang’s home, nor was there a crate to confine it, so the Schnauzer freely roamed the house.

For Beibei the Schnauzer, the moment of separation began when the owner walked out the door and closed it behind her.

Thus, the solution had to start from the moment the owner left the house.

Zhang Congwen asked Sister Wang to gather the dog’s favorite snacks and toys, then to follow him out the door.

Outside, he had Sister Wang let the dog sniff its favorite toy in her hand, then place it in front of the dog.

Instead of rushing to the next step, Zhang Congwen instructed Sister Wang to crouch outside, quietly accompany the Schnauzer for a while, occasionally giving it a treat.

After five minutes, seeing no abnormal behavior from the dog, Zhang Congwen told Sister Wang to close the door—though not completely, just enough so it could be easily opened.

Seconds after the door closed, Zhang Congwen had Sister Wang open it again.

She was full of questions, but seeing Sun Zimu’s son, Sun Zhong, had come down to watch, she stopped asking.

Following Zhang Congwen’s guidance, she opened the door, let the dog smell her hands, then gave it a treat.

Afterward, Zhang Congwen had her close the door again, repeating the process.

Twice they repeated this, then Zhang Congwen instructed Sister Wang to wait ten seconds after closing the door before opening it, letting the dog sniff her scent and rewarding it with a treat.

Then, he had her gradually extend the waiting time—from two seconds, to ten, then twenty, fifty, and finally, after two minutes, to close the door completely and wait several seconds before reopening it.

Throughout, Zhang Congwen was precise with timing. The increments weren’t strictly increasing, but varied unpredictably, though the overall trend was upward.

The purpose was to prevent the Schnauzer from sensing the training growing harder and becoming discouraged, instead lengthening the waiting time imperceptibly.

Solving separation anxiety, in theory, is quite simple.

Dogs develop separation anxiety because they fear being apart from their owners; the separation leaves a negative impression, fueling anxiety.

If separation can be associated with a pleasant, positive experience, the dog learns that being alone isn’t so frightening, effectively easing anxiety.

This method is known in psychology as counter-conditioning.

Yet, though it sounds simple, implementation is far from easy.

Several times, as Zhang Congwen and Sister Wang waited outside, the Schnauzer began barking from anxiety.

Whenever this happened, Zhang Congwen realized he’d advanced too quickly—the dog hadn’t kept pace with the training. He had to step back and repeat the previous stage.

Unexpectedly, unlike during the initial elimination training, the Schnauzer didn’t cooperate; even when returning to earlier steps, it sometimes showed anxiety.

Helpless, Zhang Congwen could only have Sister Wang start the process from the very beginning.

The repetition wore on Sister Wang’s patience, but with Sun Zimu watching, she restrained herself.

Later, Zhang Congwen learned that Sun Zimu had come down at the secret urging of Song Jiawei, who suspected Sister Wang wouldn’t fully cooperate and sent Sun Zimu to keep an eye on things.

With Sun Zimu present, Sister Wang, no matter how impatient, endured for the sake of appearances.

Thanks to the prior groundwork, the training after closing the door for longer periods went smoothly. Starting from waiting a few seconds, they quickly progressed to waiting ten minutes before opening the door.

During this time, the Schnauzer never barked again, always waiting quietly for its owner.

Only then did Zhang Congwen say to Sister Wang, “Today’s training ends here. But this must be continued over time, gradually increasing the duration—from a few seconds, to minutes, then hours. It’s best to practice daily. After a period, the dog’s separation anxiety will noticeably improve.”

“What if I need to be away for a long time, and it relapses?” Sister Wang asked.

Zhang Congwen would have explained regardless, but since she asked, he replied, “If that happens, don’t pay too much attention to the dog when you return. Wait until it’s completely calm before interacting or rewarding it.”

Finally, Zhang Congwen couldn’t help but repeat, “The pet pad should be changed at least once a day, and the dog should be walked daily until it’s tired. If you have time, you can walk it twice—morning and evening. It’s best if the schedule is fixed.”

With everything said, the dog training was complete; only the payment remained.

Before training began, Song Jiawei and Sister Wang had agreed on the fee, but now Sister Wang was reconsidering. She claimed Zhang Congwen hadn’t really done anything—just talked and directed her—so she felt the fee was too high.

Negotiations like this were not Zhang Congwen’s forte, so he was happy to leave it to Song Jiawei. He hadn’t even spoken before Song Jiawei stepped forward to haggle with Sister Wang.

“How’s Muddy Snow? Has she eaten?”

Dealing with people was something Zhang Congwen preferred to avoid, so he moved away from Song Jiawei and Sister Wang, turning to Sun Zimu to ask about Muddy Snow’s condition.