Calm, mild, stressed: reading your dog on a home camera

You can’t train what you can’t see. A camera turns “I think it went fine” into something you can act on. You don’t need anything special. Any phone or pet camera with live view works.

Setting up

• Point the camera at the space your dog spends time in, not just the door.
• Check you can see the whole area on your phone before you leave.
• Watch live if you can. If not, record and watch afterwards.
• Note the minute any signs start. That tells you more than the total time.

Calm

Calm is what you’re aiming for. Your dog might:

• Lie down and settle
• Have soft eyes or close them
• Sleep
• Chew a toy slowly

A dog who glances at the door and then settles is calm. What matters is where they end up.

Mild signs

Mild signs mean your dog noticed and isn’t fully relaxed:

• Lip licking or yawning
• Watching the door
• Short whines
• Brief pacing that stops

After a session with mild signs, repeat the same length next time rather than going longer.

Stressed

Stress is sustained and hard to miss:

• Barking or howling that keeps going
• Pacing that repeats
• Scratching or chewing at doors and exits
• Heavy panting or drooling
• Accidents

After a stressed session, step back to a shorter absence and rebuild. See graduated departures for how.

Signs that need a vet

If you ever see your dog injure their mouth or paws, or try to get through a window or door, stop sessions and call your vet. That’s beyond what a training plan should handle alone. Read when to call your vet.